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Thomas Hardy Drama Festival, Dorchester
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Thomas Hardy Drama Festival, Dorchester
At the Thomas Hardy Drama Festival in Dorchester, Dorset, this scene shows the Excisemen discovering the concealed barrels under an apple tree. The famous old Corn Exchange saw the fourth production of a Hardy play acted by Thomas Hardys fellow townsmen, dramatised by the novelist himself. It was reported at the time that the men who were to play in The Three Wayfarers and The Distracted Preacher stood at their shop doors all afternoon, with fitful glances every now and then at The Corn Exchange clock, as if impatient for it to point to the hour of the dress rehearsal. The old Kings Head Hotel, which features in The Mayor of Casterbridge, had for days been filling up with visitors.
circa 1911
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Media ID 7244995
© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10573864
Acting Alcohol Apple Backdrop Barrel Barrels Concealed Corn Discovering Dorchester Dorset Drama Dramatised Duty Exchange Excise Festival Hardy Hidden Performance Townsmen
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative photograph captures a pivotal moment from the Thomas Hardy Drama Festival in Dorchester, Dorset, circa 1911. The scene portrays the Excisemen, dressed in their distinctive uniforms, making a surprising discovery under an apple tree. The old Corn Exchange, a historic landmark in Dorchester, played host to the fourth production of a Hardy play, with the novelist himself dramatising the performances. The anticipation was palpable in the days leading up to the dress rehearsals. The men who were set to act in "The Three Wayfarers" and "The Distracted Preacher" stood eagerly at their shop doors, casting anxious glances at The Corn Exchange clock, as if willing it to tick away the hours. The King's Head Hotel, a well-known Dorchester establishment that featured prominently in "The Mayor of Casterbridge," was filling up with visitors, eager to witness the theatrical event. The backdrop of this intriguing scene is painted with meticulous detail, transporting us back to a time when Hardy's works came to life on the stage, brought to us by the very men who knew the town and its people intimately. The hidden barrels, concealed under the apple tree, add an air of intrigue and excitement, while the Excisemen, with their lanterns in hand, represent the duty and responsibility of their role in customs and excise. This photograph, from the Pete Frost Collection at Mary Evans Prints Online, offers a unique glimpse into the past, capturing the essence of a bygone era and the magic of live theatre.
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