'Isle Escape'

  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 58 Add MS 88931/3/2
  • Alternative Id.
      (ark) ark:/81055/vdc_100000001202.0x0000bc
  • Dates of Creation
      [1951?-1956?]
  • Language of Material
      English
  • Physical Description
      1 file

Scope and Content

Unfinished play. Comprises:

A: Loose leaves with autograph working notes and dialogue for a play entitled ‘Isle Escape’. Originally the idea appears to have consisted of vignettes with an assortment of characters. These early fragments of manuscript are variously entitled ‘Six Little Satires on Connoisseurs’, ‘Private Language’, ‘Prologue – a Lion’, ‘Fustiano' or 'The Last Pocket’, ‘A Play Upon Words’ and 'The Unconscientious Objectors'. Also includes brief notes for opera [of Gormenghast].

B: Loose leaves of autograph draft entitled ‘Isle Escape’. Appears to consist of complete first scene and opening of second scene. The first four leaves written on lined paper were published by G Peter Winnington in ‘Peake’s Unfinished Plays (Part I)’, Peake Studies, 10:2 (April 2007), 3-27. The remaining portion written on plain paper was found with the ‘Manifold Basket’ manuscript see Add MS 88931/3/4.

These papers are undated but the working notes in part A are inscribed 'debate as to where to go to escape 1951'. The date given in the draft in part B is 1956.

Access Information

Unrestricted

Not Public Record(s)