The Dream at Sea; a Drama, in three acts:

£1,750 · Offered by Maggs Bros Ltd

With the ownership inscription of the actor “R.[obert] Keeley”, his marginal notes and one Voltaire quote to the rear, plus a tipped in letter from his wife “M[ary] A[nne] Keeley” to a “Mr Croker”, mentioning “Miss Farren”. Buckstone’s The Dream At Sea was first performed in 1935, with Buckstone himself in the role of Tommy Tinkle. The Keeleys and Buckstone were colleagues and collaborators, and, according to a later article in The Illustrated London News, “Biddy Nutts was originally written for Mrs. Keeley” but she was unable to step into the role at that time, and so the part was given to Mrs. Nisbett (ILN, p. 55, 29 July 1848). The Keeleys played the two leads, Tommy Tinkle and Biddy Nutts, in a later revival of the play in 1848 at the Marylebone Theatre. The marginal notes to several pages refer to these two characters, both on-stage and off-stage. It is likely from that these annotations and the atmospheric set illustrations within this volume date from this production. The Keeleys were popular actors of the early to mid-19th century. Robert Keeley was best loved as a comedic actor: “He had a good deal of mannerism, and, like most comedians, an individuality recognizable through all his roles. In the expression of semi-idiocy or rustic wonderment, or as the suffering victim of unjust fate, he had few equals” (ODNB). He originated the role of Fritz (later known as Igor) in the first stage adaptation of Frankenstein (1923); the part was written for him. Mary Anne Keeley wa

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