3-046-972 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Scene from "The Lady of The Lake," at Drury Lane Theatre, 1872. London stage production. 'The scenery by Mr. Beverly illustrative of "The Lady of the Lake," as represented at Drury Lane, is the theme, as it deserves to be, of universal admiration. Not only the greater scenes are lavishly illustrated, but the intermediate ones have their pictorial value. Our Illustration presents one of these - the precipice, as it is called in the bills, where the Knight of Snowdon takes vengeance on his treacherous guide, Red Murdock, who has just slain poor Blanche of Devon. This episode has been by some critics considered as unnecessary, and proving rather tedious in dramatic action. They state that there is sufficient motive for the after-conflict with Roderick Dhu, without the aggravation of Red Murdock's ruffianism. It may be so; but general political motives are not those preferred by poets and dramatists. Sir Walter Scott thought that a special and personal offence was expedient as an incident in his poem; and Mr. Halliday may be pardoned therefore for inserting it in his dramatic spectacle. In fact, the omission of the situation would leave a gap in the work which there would be nothing satisfactory to fill up'. From "Illustrated London News", 1872.