Fault in the Structure

‘Oh, well, it can’t be helped,’ said Hamilton Haynings, ‘not but what I felt, from the beginning, that it was a mistake to leave choice of piece and all the casting to Denbigh. We must all do our best to make the thing a success, that’s all.’

‘Success depends on the size of the audience,’ said Ernest. ‘Everybody plays better when the hall is full. Nothing is more daunting than playing to rows of empty seats, so do pressurise people into buying tickets, all of you. Don’t stand any nonsense from people who say they’ll “think about it”. Oh, and do have plenty of change about you, then there is no excuse for people who tell you they have “nothing smaller than a five-pound note”. I’m giving everybody twenty top-price tickets to get rid of, and please,’ he added pathetically, ‘if you can’t get anybody else to buy them, I do beg of you to sub up for them yourselves and give them away. We’ve got to have the money and we’ve got to have an audience. I’m sure you all appreciate that.’

‘It’s all very well for the principals,’ said Stella, ‘but what about the rest of us? I can’t afford to buy twenty seats, and nobody I know is going to pay fifty p. to see me in a more or less walking-on part.’

‘Well, do what you can,’ urged Ernest. ‘Time for all good men to come to the aid of the party, eh?’

‘And what about the College yobbos? Will they each sell twenty tickets?’ demanded Geoffrey Channing, who had been given the part, as had his friend Robert Eames, of a member of Macheath’s gang of footpads. As the rest of the gang was to consist entirely of Denbigh’s students, there was a point to his question and he was supported shrilly by Stella, since most of the ladies of the town were also from the college choir.

‘You bet they won’t,’ she said.

‘Oh, Denbigh will see to all that. No doubt their parents will come,’ said Ernest, making an optimistic statement which he himself did not believe.

‘Well, I think it’s all very unfair,’ said Stella mutinously, ‘and, anyway, I think a committee should have decided who ought to have the parts. That’s what we’ve always done and it’s much the best way.’

‘It also wastes a great deal of time,’ said Sybil. ‘It was far better to leave it to just one person, especially as he’s being so useful to us.’

‘Helpful to you, perhaps,’ said Marigold Tench. ‘Personally, I think there should have been proper auditions. As it was, the whole cast was settled in a matter of minutes, without any proper preliminaries at all. Of course, if you’re all content to let the latest-joined member ride rough-shod over you, I’ve nothing more to say.’

‘Thank goodness for that,’ said Melanie, turning her tragic eyes upwards.

‘In any case, Marigold,’ said Cyril, ‘you’ve nothing to beef about if you haven’t been given a part. You chose to walk yourself off and wash your hands of the production, didn’t you?’

‘Oh, if she wants a part she can have mine,’ said Melanie. ‘I’m sure I’m sick to death of these sob-stuff roles. I wish I could swop with Laura. I’d love to do a bit of low comedy for a change.’

‘Just as you like,’ said Laura, ‘if the producer doesn’t object.’

‘I object!’ said James Hunty. ‘Either I play Act One opposite Laura, or I don’t play it at all.’

‘There’s been enough kissing goes by favour in this production already,’ said the bearded Rodney Crashaw. He looked accusingly and spitefully at Cyril Wincott, who grinned infuriatingly at him and whistled Denbigh’s setting of Over the hills and far away.

‘In any case,’ said Hamilton Haynings, ‘we can’t start chopping and changing now, and there’s no sense in picking out the parts we’d like to play. I confess I’m not exactly in love with the part of Lockit, but we have to be reasonable and back up Denbigh’s mistakes (if he’s made any) as best we can. We gave him carte blanche and we can’t go back on it.’

‘By the way,’ said Laura to James Hunty, ‘what’s all this about Melanie wanting to play a comic part? I was under the impression that she saw herself as the Duse of this day and age.’

‘She’s become that creep Crashaw’s leading lady. Didn’t you know? I think she’s a prize fool, but it isn’t my business to tell her so.’

‘Our platinum blonde isn’t going to be pleased.’

‘Too true. A menage a trois is hardly likely to be her cup of tea!’

‘Is it serious? – Crashaw and Melanie, I mean.’

‘She’s crazy about him. She told my wife so.’

‘Oh, well, she’ll live and learn, I suppose.’

‘She must be full of the joys of spring if she wants to play comedy. Anyway, don’t you dare give way to her, Mistress Peachum.’

CHAPTER 15

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Simple ignorance can be cured by simple truth

Spoken with sincerity.

Between them, Laura with goodhumour and commonsense, Hamilton Haynings by the exercise of his authority, gradually got the better of the saboteurs, so the last half-dozen rehearsals, leading up to what might be called the sub-dress rehearsal, saw The Beggar’s Opera beginning to take shape.

By the time Denbigh was informed that the company had cut its teeth and was ready for him, the warring factions had not only given up the struggle for power but were as anxious as anybody else that the production