Hobsons Choice

Hobson's Choice, by Harold Brighouse

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Title: Hobson's Choice
Author: Harold Brighouse
Release Date: August, 2004 [EBook #6347] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on November 29, 2002]
Edition: 10
Language: English
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HOBSON'S CHOICE
A Lancashire Comedy in Four Acts
BY
HAROLD BRIGHOUSE

Hobson's Choice was originally produced in America. Its first English production took place on June 22, 1916, at the Apollo Theatre, London, with the following cast:
ALICE HOBSON . . . . . . . . Miss Lydia Bilbrooke. MAGGIE HOBSON . . . . . . . . Miss Edyth Goodall. VICKEY HOBSON . . . . . . . . Miss Hilda Davies. ALBERT PROSSER . . . . . . . . Mr. Reginald Fry. HENRY HORATIO HOBSON . . . . . . Mr. Norman McKinnel. MRS. HEPWORTH . . . . . . . . Miss Dora Gregory. TIMOTHY WADLOW (TUBBY). . . . . . Mr. Sydney Paxton. WILLIAM MOSSOP . . . . . . . . Mr. Joe Nightingale. JIM HEELER . . . . . . . . . Mr. J. Cooke Beresford. ADA FIGGINS . . . . . . . . . Miss Mary Byron. FRED BEENSTOCK . . . . . . . . Mr. Jefferson Gore. DR. MACFARLANE . . . . . . . . Mr. J. Fisher White.
The play produced by MR. NORMAN McKINNEL.
The SCENE is Salford, Lancashire, and the period is 1880.
ACT I. Interior of HOBSON'S Shop in Chapel Street.
ACT II. The same scene.
ACT III. WILL MOSSOP'S Shop.
ACT IV. Living-room of HOBSON'S Shop.

PUBLISHER'S NOTE.
Acknowledgements are made to Mr. William Armstrong, Director of the Liverpool Repertory Company, for allowing his prompt copy to be used in preparing this acting edition.
[Illustration] Red Walls, Brown oaken dado. T. gas bracket over counter. Turkey red curtains half up window. No carpet. Small rug at door R. Shoes on counter and showcases. Hanging laces. Advertisements. Boot polishes. Brushes. Brown paper on counter. Clogs in rows under shelves R. C. Black cane furniture and rush- bottomed. Heavy leather armchair. Piece of rough leather on shelves.
The trap is eminently desirable. However, should the stage used have no trap, the work-room may be supposed to be off-stage, with a door up Right.

HOBSON'S CHOICE
ACT 1
The SCENE represents the interior of HOBSON'S Boot Shop in Chapel Street, Bedford. The shop windows and entrance from street occupy the left side. Facing the audience is the counter, with exhibits of boots and slippers, behind which the wall is fitted with racks containing boot boxes. Cane chairs in front of counter. There is a desk down L. with a chair. A door R. leads up to the house. In the centre of the stage is a trap leading to the cellar where work is done. There are no elaborate fittings. Gas brackets in the windows and walls. The business is prosperous, but to prosper in Salford in 1880 you did not require the elaborate accessories of a later day. A very important customer goes for fitting into HOBSON'S sitting-room. The rank and file use the cane chairs in the shop, which is dingy but business-like. The windows exhibit little stock, and amongst what there is clogs figure prominently. Through the windows comes the bright light of noon.
Sitting behind the counter are HOBSON'S two younger daughters, ALICE, R., who is twenty-three, and VICTORIA, L., who is twenty-one, and very pretty. ALICE is knitting and VICTORIA is reading. They are in black, with neat black aprons. The door R. opens, and MAGGIE enters. She is HOBSON'S eldest daughter, thirty.
ALICE. Oh, it's you. I hoped it was father going out.
MAGGIE. It isn't. (She crosses and takes her place at desk L.)
ALICE. He is late this morning.
MAGGIE. He got up late. (She busies herself with an account book.)
VICKEY. (reading). Has he