| Phoebe
is in love with Colonel Fairfax, who has been imprisoned and sentenced to death for
dealing with the devil, the result of malicious reports spread by a kinsman who covets the
Fairfax inheritance. Phoebe's
father, Sergeant Meryll of the Yeomen of the Guard, is also well disposed to Fairfax, and
together they plan a means of rescuing him. They decide that Fairfax shall be disguised as
Phoebe's brother Leonard, newly appointed a Yeoman but not yet seen by any of the other
members of the Guard, and Leonard shall go into hiding until Fairfax is safe.
Unknown to them, however, Fairfax has
begged a last boon (favour) from the Lieutenant of the Tower before he is beheaded. He
wishes to be married "to the first that comes" in order that his estate may not
be devolved to the malicious kinsman. No sooner is the request granted than two stolling
players arrive, Jack Point and Elsie Maynard, who perform before the assembled crowd. The
Lieutenant suggests that Elsie should marry Fairfax, who is to be beheaded within the
hour, for a sum of money, and Point encourages her to do so.
Phoebe manages to secure the keys of the
condemned cell from Wilfred Shadbolt, the Head Jailer, who is in love with her, and
Fairfax takes his place among the Yeomen as "Leonard Meryll". Preparations are
made for the execution but, of course, the prisoner has escaped! The Lieutenant, in fury,
demands the Jailer's life shall be forfeit instead, and simultaneously Elsie realises that
her husband is still alive. |
|
Jack
Point is now in a quandry. He agreed to Elsie marrying the imprisoned Fairfax because he
was assured that Fairfax would die within the hour. Now that Fairfax has escaped, Elsie is
still a married woman and Jack Point cannot himself marry her. However, he conceives a
plan and persuades Shadbolt to help him in his scheme. Elsie, meanwhile, has been
recovering from shock in Sergeant Meryll's house, Dame Carruthers, the Housekeeper of the
Tower, having moved in to take charge of things. During her illness, Elsie lets out the
secret of her marriage to the prisoner in the Tower and Fairfax, who is beginning to love
her though unaware she was his wife, is delighted. Point and Shadbolt carry through their
bargain and tell a long story about how they have shot the escaping prisoner. Elsie is
thus supposedly free from her marriage and both Fairfax and Point woo her afresh. She
chooses Leonard Meryll (not knowing that he is really Colonel Fairfax). This causes great
dismay to Jack Point and also to Phoebe who, in her distress, admits to Shadbolt that the
man who is known to all as her brother is really Colonel Fairfax. In return for his
silence, Phoebe agrees to marry Shadbolt. Just in time, the real Leonard Meryll
arrives to announce that Colonel Fairfax has been reprieved and Sergeant Meryll agrees to
marry Dame Carruthers to stop her asking a lot of awkward questions! Elsie is distraught. She must follow Fairfax
although her heart is elsewhere. She laments her cruel fate until she discovers the true
identity of the man she loves. Thus Elsie and Fairfax are happily united, and Jack Point -
the Jester, the funny, pathetic, loveable character - is left with nothing but a broken
heart "as he sighed for the love of a lady."
Programme notes by
Patricia Stallard |
