Black-Eyed Susan
Encyclopedia
Black-Eyed Susan; or, All in the Downs is a comic play in three acts by Douglas Jerrold
. The story concerns a sailor, William, who returns to England from the Napoleonic Wars
and finds that his wife Susan is being harassed by her crooked landlord uncle and later by his drunken, dastardly captain, who tries to seduce her. He is court-martialled for attacking a senior officer. All turns out well in the end. Much of the humour in the piece centers around the sailor's nautical dialect. The play is a nautical melodrama
(with all its stock characters) that praises the patriotic British tar (sailor) while critiquing authoritarianism in the British Navy. Aspects of the story were later parodied in H.M.S. Pinafore
(1878).
The play was Jerrold's first big success, premiering on 26 January 1829 at the Surrey Theatre
and running for a new record of over 150 performances. Britain at the time was recovering from the fallout of the Napoleonic Wars and was in the midst of a class war involving the Corn laws
, and a reform movement, which resulted in the Reform Act of 1832
aimed at reducing corruption. Black-Eyed Susan consisted of various extreme stereotypes representing the forces of good, evil, the innocent and the corrupt, the poor and the rich, woven into a serious plot with comic sub-plots. Its subject was very topical, and its success was enormous. T. P. Cooke starred as William, the nautical hero, and the piece had a run of over 300 nights, which was extraordinarily successful for the time. Cooke became a star, and the producer, Robert William Elliston
, became rich. The piece played simultaneously at Covent Garden Theatre for part of the original run, and soon after it closed at the Surrey, it was revived at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
. After this, it was frequently revived.
The play was revived at the Warehouse Theatre
in Croydon
in December 1986, and the same production played for a week at the Playhouse Oxford in February 1987. It was directed by Ted Craig
and designed by Michael Pavelka. The cast consisted of Simon Slater
, Rita Wolf
, Frank Ellis, Sidney Livingstone and Burt Caesar. The piece was given a 2007 revival at the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds. The play was made into a 1914 film directed by Maurice Elvey
.
Douglas William Jerrold
Douglas William Jerrold was an English dramatist and writer.-Biography:Jerrold was born in London. His father, Samuel Jerrold, was an actor and lessee of the little theatre of Wilsby near Cranbrook in Kent. In 1807 Douglass moved to Sheerness, where he spent his childhood...
. The story concerns a sailor, William, who returns to England from the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
and finds that his wife Susan is being harassed by her crooked landlord uncle and later by his drunken, dastardly captain, who tries to seduce her. He is court-martialled for attacking a senior officer. All turns out well in the end. Much of the humour in the piece centers around the sailor's nautical dialect. The play is a nautical melodrama
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...
(with all its stock characters) that praises the patriotic British tar (sailor) while critiquing authoritarianism in the British Navy. Aspects of the story were later parodied in H.M.S. Pinafore
H.M.S. Pinafore
H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London, England, on 25 May 1878 and ran for 571 performances, which was the second-longest run of any musical...
(1878).
The play was Jerrold's first big success, premiering on 26 January 1829 at the Surrey Theatre
Surrey Theatre
The Surrey Theatre began life in 1782 as the Royal Circus and Equestrian Philharmonic Academy, one of the many circuses that provided contemporary London entertainment of both horsemanship and drama...
and running for a new record of over 150 performances. Britain at the time was recovering from the fallout of the Napoleonic Wars and was in the midst of a class war involving the Corn laws
Corn Laws
The Corn Laws were trade barriers designed to protect cereal producers in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland against competition from less expensive foreign imports between 1815 and 1846. The barriers were introduced by the Importation Act 1815 and repealed by the Importation Act 1846...
, and a reform movement, which resulted in the Reform Act of 1832
Reform Act 1832
The Representation of the People Act 1832 was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the electoral system of England and Wales...
aimed at reducing corruption. Black-Eyed Susan consisted of various extreme stereotypes representing the forces of good, evil, the innocent and the corrupt, the poor and the rich, woven into a serious plot with comic sub-plots. Its subject was very topical, and its success was enormous. T. P. Cooke starred as William, the nautical hero, and the piece had a run of over 300 nights, which was extraordinarily successful for the time. Cooke became a star, and the producer, Robert William Elliston
Robert William Elliston
Robert William Elliston was an English actor and theatre manager.He was born in London, the son of a watchmaker. He was educated at St Paul's School, but ran away from home and made his first appearance on the stage as Tressel in Richard III at Bath in 1791...
, became rich. The piece played simultaneously at Covent Garden Theatre for part of the original run, and soon after it closed at the Surrey, it was revived at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
. After this, it was frequently revived.
The play was revived at the Warehouse Theatre
Warehouse Theatre
The Warehouse Theatre is a professional producing theatre with one hundred seats in the centre of the London Borough of Croydon, south London, England based in an oak-beamed former cement Victorian warehouse...
in Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
in December 1986, and the same production played for a week at the Playhouse Oxford in February 1987. It was directed by Ted Craig
Ted Craig
Ted Craig FRSA is an Australian-born theatre director who is best known as the artistic director of the Warehouse Theatre, South London, England.Craig was born and educated in Melbourne, Australia...
and designed by Michael Pavelka. The cast consisted of Simon Slater
Simon Slater
Simon Slater, born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire is an English actor and composer. He was educated at Sedbergh School.He has been performing, playing and composing since his early teens and continued through university when he attended Goldsmiths College at the University of London.He plays...
, Rita Wolf
Rita Wolf
Rita Wolf is a British-Indian actress and theatre producer. She moved to London at an early age and trained at the prestigious Royal Court Youth Theatre. She has appeared on British television and in many theatre productions. Her first leading film role came in 1984 in the movie Majdha, the real...
, Frank Ellis, Sidney Livingstone and Burt Caesar. The piece was given a 2007 revival at the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds. The play was made into a 1914 film directed by Maurice Elvey
Maurice Elvey
Maurice Elvey was the most prolific film director in British history. He directed nearly 200 films between 1913 and 1957. During the silent film era he directed as many as twenty films per year....
.