THE RED VIAL: A DRAMA IN THREE ACTS

The Red Vial at the Olympic Theatre.

Playbill for The Red Vial

The Red Vial was an unpublished play produced at the Royal Olympic Theatre from 11 October 1858; it starred Frederick Robson as Hans Grimm, the lunatic cured by kindness, and Mrs Stirling as Madame Bergman.   The plot was later expanded and adapted as the basis for Jezebel's Daughter (1880).

Pascoe's Dramatic List for 1879 notes: "At the Olympic, in October 1858, in a melodrama by Mr. Wilkie Collins, entitled 'The Red Vial,' Mrs Stirling sustained the part of Madame Bergmann.  This play was of the most repulsive kind, and is alluded to in contemporary criticism as "the most brilliant failure of the day."  Mrs Stirling's acting was its one redeeming feature." 

There is no published version of the text and according to the Index of English Literary Manuscripts two copies of the ms survive, one in the British Library (Add. MS 52976D) "Draft, 46 leaves, submitted to the Lord Chamberlain's Office; licensed 2 October 1858; the other a signed draft dated 11 October 1858 which had been sold at auction in 1891 after Collins's death. 

Although it ran for four weeks at the Olympic Theatre from 11 October 1858 the play was not wholly successful.  Pascoe's Dramatic List for 1879 notes:  "At the Olympic, in October 1858,  in a melodrama by Mr. Wilkie Collins, entitled 'The Red Vial,' Mrs Stirling sustained the part of Madame Bergmann.  This play was of the most repulsive kind, and is alluded to in contemporary criticism as "the most brilliant failure of the day."  Mrs Stirling's acting was its one redeeming feature."

See here for the original Cast list.

During his lifetime, Collins resisted requests to revive the play.  For example, he wrote to the playwright J. Stirling Coyne, on 6 May 1859:

"I am much obliged to you for your note on the subject of The Red Vial, which I have just received.

Considering the reception which this play met with in London, under all the advantages of being interpreted by an admirable company, under the immediate supervision of the author, I must honestly confess that I am unwilling to trust it to the chances of provincial representation by a company of whom I have no knowledge and over whose rehearsals I can exercise no control.  On this ground, therefore - though I feel sincerely indebted to you for offering me the opportunity of producing again the play on the stage - I must beg you to excuse me if I abstain from availing myself of the proposal which your note contains."

 

As far as is known there has been no further performance of The Red Vial until recently.  A new production by the Department of Drama and Theatre Arts of Birmingham University ran from 10-12 February 2011 and was directed by Dr Caroline Radcliffe.  Unlike various modern adaptations of Collins's works, this production used a script taken from the original manuscript.  Hans Grimm was played by Luke Harris and Widow Bergman by Willow Costello-Smith.

 

For further details of the 2011 production click the picture or follow this link.

The Red Vial at Birmingham University

Birmingham University 2011 production

 

 

 

The Red Vial by Frederick Smallfield

Etching by Frederick Smallfield, December 1st. 1861. Published by Day & Son

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