Annotated prompt book for 'Diplomacy' by Victorien Sardou

The prompt book for Diplomacy belonged to the actor John Hare, who was manager of the Garrick Theatre. His name is embossed on the cover. It would have been kept as a record so that the production could be revived in exactly the same form. It includes detailed stage directions and watercolour sketches of the settings.

The stage directions are abbreviated. As well as the usual L, R and C for stage left (the audience's right), stage right and centre, there are L.U.E. and R.U.E. for stage left or right upstage entrance, and L.U.D. and R.U.E. for stage left or right upstage door.  The running time and the length of the interval are written at the end of each Act. 

At the back of the book there are lists of the stage properties which even specify the style of the furniture, an 'electric plot' that gives details of the lights and their positions, and a complete costume list.

Use the viewer controls to browse and rotate pages in the manuscript or zoom in to detail