Ffrangcon-Davies (Gwen)

Collection of 6 autograph letters signed ('Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies' or 'Etain') to Major Robert B. Goodden, the tone is very friendly and almost intimate “I was so sorry that the evening when you came round there were so many people in my room ... did I dream it or did you say you had been in Russia and if so I wonder whether you’ve been to the Moscow Art Theatre. I’ve just had a fascinating book on the Russian theatre movement given me which is absolutely thrilling in its vitality ... at present I am playing the unhappy Queen of Scots in Drinkwater’s Mary Stuart - a great change ...”, three pages, 4to, Birmingham Rep, 20th May; in another letter she says she feels guilty that she hasn’t “written before - was it really in August that your long letter came ... I did mean ... to tell you about Methuselah but as you can guess I have been fearfully busy ... I too did not want to be a ‘burdensome obligation’! However as I enjoy getting a letter from you I shall assume from now on that you will only write when the spirit moves you ... I did a performance of Edward II by Marlowe for the Phoenix Society. I wonder if you saw any notices - I loved doing it tho’ playing it .... at night after a heavy emotional part in the afternoon, necessitating blood curdling screams & sobs was rather a heavy day’s work! The critics were lovely ...”, eight pages, 4to, Regent Theatre, 21st December. In a later letter the actress says that she understands “what it is to be too busy to do what you want to & see whom you’d like to ... I expect you will have seen that I am now playing Cleopatra in Shaw’s play ... you must really make the effort & escape from your regiment some evening & come & see it ... I wish I wasn’t always so overwhelmed with things to do, I should like to feel for once that I had nothing to do ...”, four pages, 8vo, 3 New Street, 27th April. (6)