The Admirable Bashville

Comment				memorable quotes
The Admirable Bashville (1932/3) Based on the novel "Cashel Byron's Profession", this play follows Cashel Byron, a world champion prizefighter, as he tries to woo wealthy aristocrat Lydia Carew without revealing his illegal profession. Lydia is portrayed as moral and intelligent woman (although "priggish" according to Shaw) and is constantly contrasted with the "ruffian" Cashel. Lydia was advised by her recently deceased father to find a husband with a profession, as opposed to an idle gentleman or an art critic like her father. Cashel's childhood ends when he runs away from school to Australia and becomes apprentice to an ex-world champion boxer. When Cashel goes to England to secure his world title in that country he meets Lydia at her country manor. After much miscommunication and drawing room comedy, Cashel gives up boxing and succeeds in marrying Lydia. Full synopsis or Gallery.				Cetewayo: When first I came I deemed those chimneys the fuliginous altars Of some infernal god. I now perceive The English dare not look upon the sky. They are moles and owls : they call upon the soot To cover them . Cetewayo: Why does the trembling white with frantic toil Of hand and brain produce the magic gun That slays a mile off, whilst the manly Zulu Dares look his foe i' the face ; fights foot to foot; Lives in the present; drains the Here and Now; Makes life a long reality, and death A moment only; whilst your Englishman Glares on his burning candle's winding-sheets, Counting the steps of his approaching doom, And in the murky corners ever sees Two horrid shadows. Death and Poverty
cast list		production credits
Cetewayo	Alastair Sim	Director	Frank Napier
Lydia Carew	Valerie Tudor	Playwright	George B. Shaw
Robert Mellish	Morland Graham	Theatre	The Old Vic
Cashel Byron	Roger Livesey	Presented by	Lilian Bayliss
Bashville	Charles Hickman	Produced by	Harcourt Williams
Adelaide Gisborne	Clare Harris
Lucian Webber	William Fox
Lord Worthington	George Devine
William Paradise	Anthony Quayle
The Referee	Harry Sturges
First Policeman	Marius Goring
Newsboy	Peter Du Calion

Interesting facts

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In 1932/33 Alastair started his second season at he The Old Vic where Malcom Kean and Peggy Ashcroft were leading the company.

According to "Note on Modern Prizefighting" (1901) Shaw intended the fights described in Cashel Byron's Profession/The Admirable Bashville to turn the public away from the sport but the workl is written in such a light-hearted tone this unlikely result never materialized.