Free Goddess of the Green Room: (Georgian Series) by Jean Plaidy Page B

listened courteously to what she had to say. She was earnest and very appealing, he thought, and he was quick to recognize that quality in her which was rare and yet so essential to an actress. It was not beauty – in fact when she was not animated she was not even pretty – but when her face lit up and that inner vitality was visible she had a fascination which he guessed would be irresistible to an audience.
    ‘You see, Mr Sheridan,’ she said, ‘it is no use my trying to rival Mrs Siddons. The public has made her its Tragedy Queen. They’d accept no other, however good. Miss Elizabeth Farren plays like a perfect lady and the public accept her for that. I have to be different. They love Mrs Siddons for her dignity, Miss Farren for her elegance; I have to win them through laughter. I must play comedy, Mr Sheridan. It’s necessary if I am going to succeed.’
    She was vehement. Sheridan looked at Tom King and knew what he was thinking. An actress must have the chance of choosing how she would make her début. And she was right when she said she could not take over Siddons’ role. It was hardly likely that she could out-tragedy the Tragedy Queen and if she did there would be trouble.
    ‘All right,’ said Sheridan. ‘Comedy. What do you say to The Country Girl ?’
    She smiled delightedly. ‘I’d say yes please.’
    ‘Good. The Country Girl it is.’
    ‘Well, Tom,’ said Sheridan when she had left them. ‘What do you think of our actress?’
    ‘I’ll reserve my judgement till after the play.’
    ‘Coward. I wasn’t asking for the judgement of the audience. I was asking but yours.’
    ‘I don’t know. She’s small.’
    ‘You’re thinking in terms of Siddons. We don’t want another Juno striding across the boards.’
    ‘Her voice is good but it doesn’t boom…’
    ‘Like Sarah’s. I tell you this, Tom: One Siddons is enough in any company.’
    ‘I thought you were looking for another Siddons.’
    ‘Then you haven’t been thinking enough. Consider all we suffer from our divine Sarah. Do you think I want to double trouble. Do you?’
    ‘She’s a draw.’
    ‘Sarah’s a draw. No one denies it. But she does condescend somewhat, eh, Tom? I feel I should bow from the waist every time I approach and walk out backwards after being received.’
    ‘You would know how to behave in the presence of royalty better than I.’
    ‘Sarah’s more royal than any of their Royal Highnesses. As for Their Majesties there’s little royalty in the Hall of Purity at Kew, I do assure you. I’d sooner ask a favour of His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, than of Our Majesty Queen Sarah. I pin. my hopes on little Mrs Jordan. I want Sarah to have a rival… here in the theatre. I want the carriages to cram the streets on the way to the Lane to see Dorothy Jordan just as they do to see Sarah Siddons.’
    ‘And you think you’re going to bring about this miracle, Sherry?’
    ‘My dear Tom, didn’t you know I was a worker of miracles? We need a miracle or Harris over at the Garden will be taking our business away. You’ll consider yourself lucky that I brought Jordan to the Lane before Harris got her for the Garden.’
    ‘I sense that you feel some confidence in this young woman.’
    ‘I do – and you know that – theatrically – I am invariably right.’
    King looked dubious and Sheridan burst out laughing.
    ‘I’ll persuade the Prince to patronize the show.’
    ‘He won’t want to be caught by another pretty actress just yet.’
    ‘He’s always interested in pretty actresses and he’s forgotten poor Perdita by now. We’ll see what she’s like on her first night and if she’s good enough she shall play before His Highness.’
    King continued to shake his head, but Sheridan only laughed. His unerring theatrical sense insisted to him that he had done right to bring Mrs Jordan to London.
    She was nervous. How could she help it – her first night at Drury Lane! Grace and Hester were anxious as she