The Happy Hypocrite

Written By: Clemence Dane

Story By: Max Beerbohm

Directed By: Maurice Colbourne

Music By: Richard Addinsell

Costumes By: Motley

Masks and Photos By: Angus McBean

Synopsis: The Happy Hypocrite originally was a short story until Clemence Dane converted it into a three act play. A summary of the story is “The protagonist is named Lord George Hell. A worldly man, he is a dandy, fond of gambling, drinking, womanizing, and the like. He is enjoying lavish outdoor entertainment in London with his lover, La Gambogi, when a young and innocent dancer named Jenny Mere performs on the stage. A dwarf sitting with Lord George, revealed to be Cupid, fires his arrow into Lord George's breast. Lord George boldly proposes marriage to Jenny, but she says that she will only marry a man with the face of a saint. Confused, Lord George spends the night wandering the streets, heartbroken.

In the morning, he stumbles upon a mask maker shop of a man named Mr. Aeneas. He purchases a saint's face mask, custom altered to bear the mark of true love. La Gambogi, who sees him leave the shop with his new false face, confronts him, but he pretends not to know her and retreats to Kensington, intending to return to London that evening to see Jenny perform again. However, while viewing his new look in the reflection of a brook, he sees Jenny, leaps across the brook and proposes marriage. Jenny accepts. Starting with signing the marriage register as "George Heaven," Lord George makes a total moral conversion by returning ill-gotten wealth to gamblers he had cheated to the rightful owners, donating excess money to charities. He then buys a woodman's cottage to live a quiet, modest existence. One month after the marriage, as the happy couple are celebrating the occasion, La Gambogi shows up and refuses to leave until she is granted one last look at Lord George's true face. A scuffle between the three people results in La Gambogi tearing off George's mask. Although he fears that his true love is lost, it turns out that his face has assumed the contours of the mask. Jenny concludes with ecstasy that he was testing her fidelity for a time before revealing his true beautiful face. La Gambogi leaves the couple happily kissing as the mask melts in the sun." (synopsis written by various authors for Wikipedia.org)

Cast: Vivien Leigh (Jenny Mere); Ivor Novello (Lord George Hell); Viola Tree (Lady Otterton); Carl Harbord (Mercury); Philip Desborough (Sir Follard); Charles Lefeaux (Bewau Brummell); Isabel Jeans (La Gambori); Marius Goring (Amor); Fewlass Llewellyn (Bishop of St. Aldred’s); William Dewhurst (Garble); Stafford Hilliard (Mr. Aeneas).

Opened: His Majesty’s Theatre, London, April 8, 1936 after a touring the Manchester Opera House; Newmarket; and Southport.

Photos: Visit the Theatre Archive in the Photo Archive to view photos from this production.

Theatre Program:

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