Nelson & His World
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Nelson's Enchantress in Red Lion Square, Holborn, London
http://www.nelsonandhisworld.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1762
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Author:  jesse [ Wed Mar 23, 2016 2:04 am ]
Post subject:  Nelson's Enchantress in Red Lion Square, Holborn, London

Thanks to an invitation from The Shaw Society, at 7:00 PM on Thursday Evening, 31 March, in Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square in Holborn, London, in the Bertrand Russell Room, I will be talking on the subject explored in my paper, "Lady Hamilton, Nelson's Enchantress, and the Creation of Pygmalion," about which I have written a bit in N&HW. There is a £5 admission charge. Thanks to the help of Mark Barrett, the author of the play Nelson's Enchantress was identified as Augusta Patterson de Lacy Lacy, and Augusta's great granddaughter will be present that evening. She discovered in her attic things that make it quite clear that Mark's suggestion is correct. In addition, Lily Style, fourth great granddaughter of Nelson and Emma, will also be present.

In short, the play Nelson's Enchantress, written in 1897, was reviewed by Bernard Shaw and at least seven other critics. They were unanimous in finding the play a failure as drama. Shaw was, however, struck by both the subject matter and the actress, Stella Campbell. She became the first Eliza Doolittle fifteen years later. Emma's training by Greville is in many ways the pattern of Higgins's trying of Eliza. But there is a lot more.

The Nelson Society has sent out some information on this, but I wanted to post it here, as I have been a loyal member of this excellent forum for several years now. More information can be obtained from the contact person of The Shaw Society, Evelyn Ellis, contact@shawsociety.org.uk

Thank you! I am quite thrilled to be doing this. I have been working on it for a few years now and still am surprised to think that Lady Hamilton stimulated Shaw to create Eliza Doolittle!

Jesse Hellman, jessemhellman@gmail.com

Author:  tycho [ Thu Mar 24, 2016 9:03 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Nelson's Enchantress in Red Lion Square, Holborn, London

Many thanks for the update, Jesse.

I do hope that any members who are able to get to Central London will do so and we wish Jesse the best of luck with his presentation.

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