Serjeant [Sergeant] Musgrave's Dance: An Unhistorical Parable

New York: 1959. Draft script for the 1959 play. This draft credited on the title page to the Establishment Theatre Company at 154 East 54th Street in New York.

The play premiered on October 22, 1959 at the Royal Court Theatre, with music composed by Dudley Moore. This draft is associated with the US Off-Broadway debut on March 8, 1966, directed by Stuart Byre and starring Royal Scheider and John Colicos.

In 1961 the play was adapted by Arden for television, directed by Stuart Burge and starring Patrick McGoohan, with members of the original cast reprising their stage roles. The play was subsequently adapted for radio on BBC Radio 3 on December 14, 2003, directed by Toby Swift and with Iain Glen as Musgrave.

Set in 1879, the story follows three privates in the British Army and their sergeant, all of whom are deserters from a foreign imperialist war. Posing as a recruiting party, the trio arrive to an English coal mining town in the grip of a coal strike and cut off by the winter snow.

The play did poorly in its first run and the production lost money. Most critical reviews of the first production were deprecating or at least showed a lack of understanding of the play's message. At the time it was written, in the late 1950s, public opinion had not soured on military actions as it would later in the 1960s, primarily due to coverage of the Vietnam War. The only contemporary British military actions comparable to the colonial conflicts were the Malayan Emergency, and the Mau Mau Uprising. It was only later, in the light of the Vietnam War, that these conflicts also were reported unfavourably, producing a context in which audiences could appreciate Arden's message. (John Arden, "Serjeant Musgrave's Dance," Methuen Student Edition, 1982, p. xxxi.)

Black Studio Duplicating Service wrappers, with a credit for playwright Arden. Title page present, with credits for playwright Arden, noted as copy No. 5 in manuscript ink. 114 leaves, mimeograph duplication. Pages Near Fine, wrapper Very Good plus bound with two gold screw brads.

[Book #132567]