''Op o' Me Thumb'' is a 1904 one-act play by the
English authors
In legal discourse, an author is the creator of an original work that has been published, whether that work exists in written, graphic, visual, or recorded form. The act of creating such a work is referred to as authorship. Therefore, a sculpt ...
Frederick Fenn
Frederick Fenn (6 November 1868 – 2 January 1924) was an English playwright, journalist and drama critic. He was the librettist for one of the last Savoy Operas, '' A Welsh Sunset'' (1908), and had his greatest success with the musical comedy ' ...
and
Richard Pryce. It was produced at the
Court Theatre,
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, on 13 March 1904, in a double bill with
Robert Browning
Robert Browning (7 May 1812 – 12 December 1889) was an English poet and playwright whose dramatic monologues put him high among the Victorian literature, Victorian poets. He was noted for irony, characterization, dark humour, social commentar ...
's ''A Soul's Tragedy''. It transferred to the
St James's Theatre
The St James's Theatre was in King Street, St James's, King Street, St James's, London. It opened in 1835 and was demolished in 1957. The theatre was conceived by and built for a popular singer, John Braham (tenor), John Braham; it lost mone ...
on 24 April 1904. The leading role of Amanda was played by
Hilda Trevelyan. The play was staged in New York in 1905 with
Maude Adams
Maude Ewing Adams Kiskadden (November 11, 1872 – July 17, 1953), known professionally as Maude Adams, was an American actress and stage designer who achieved her greatest success as the character Peter Pan, first playing the role in the 190 ...
as Amanda. It was filmed in 1920 as ''
Suds'', starring
Mary Pickford
Gladys Louise Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American film actress and producer. A Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood, pioneer in the American film industry with a Hollywood care ...
in the role created by Trevelyan.
Characters and original cast
*Madame Didier – Marianne Caldwell
*Clem (Mrs) Galloway – Annie Howard
*Rose Jordan – Margaret Busse
*Celeste – Florence Lloyd
*Amanda Afflick –
Hilda Trevelyan
*Horace Greensmith – H Nye Chart
Plot
The play is set in a London laundry. One of the workers, Amanda, fantasises about being the sweetheart of a handsome client, Horace, and tells her colleagues tall stories of their supposed romance. Horace arrives to collect his laundry; she confesses her deceit to him. Out of kindness he kisses her, and then goes, leaving Amanda alone, with her fantasies shattered but with the consolation of the kiss and his gold, diamond and ruby tie pin that he has given her.
[Clark, pp. 134–160]
Notes
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Op O Me Thumb
1904 plays