THE ARCADIANS A fantastic musical play in 3 acts: Book by Mark Ambient, Alexander M. Thompson; Lyrics by Arthur Wimperis; Music by Lionel Monckton and Howard Talbot Produced at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London, 1909 (809 perfs) Liberty Theatre, Broadway - 17 January, 1910 (136 perfs) SYNOPSIS Who could tell, in the first decade of the twentieth century, what strange adventures might befall those who ventured to travel by the new-fangled aeroplane? A forced landing, perhaps, in some long-forgotten land where time has stood mercifully still. James Smith, of the well-known London catering concern, drops in on Arcadia, where no-one tells lies, or grows older, where money is unheard of and unemployment a permanent attraction. Far from impressed by what Smith tells them of the joys of life in London his hosts despatch him, with missionary zeal and two agelessly beautiful Arcadian nymphs to convert the wretched metropolis. Things do not always go as planned. THE STORY Act I Time stands still in Arcadia for one good reason, Old Father Time has all but forgotten it. His appearance in an unspoilt Arcadian glade where the locals laze and acknowledge their joyful lot comes at a time when the lovely Sombra has dreamt of a great serpent arriving from another place called England. That place, so she tells her friends, is peopled by savages who live caged up in brick houses amid fog in a crowded town called London where they do something quite unheard of in Arcadia, they lie. Old Father Time's appearance brings him questions about these savages and he is gently enticed to deliver an example. He leaves to organise the delivery whilst Sombra and her friends contemplate their perfect existence. The great serpent that Sombra has dreamt of materialises as a plane sent off course by Time. It's pilot, the restaurateur James Smith, makes a dramatic landing in a place he can only believe is the Garden of Eden. He soon finds the Arcadians' values differ from those of home as told by Sombra on whom he uses his devilish ways which inevitably include a couple of untruths. These back-fire on him and he is led and dropped into the Well of Truth from which he is reincarnated a young scantily dressed Arcadian shepherd, sans whiskers, displaying a fine head of curly blond hair. He is re-named Simplicitas and warned that another lie will lose him his newly found looks. Sombra seeing the new Sweet Simplicitas as a victory against evil persuades her friend to join her in a voyage to wicked London with their new convert so as to spread the good word. With Time leading they leave for London. Act II The scene is now the fashionable social event of Askwood races. Tips on backing horses are given by young Bobbie, a friend of the handsome, but not too well off, Jack Meadows who happens to be the owner of a horse in the main race. The horse is a wild one and the only jockey to be found is the constant loser, the gloomy Peter Doody. Suddenly Jack has something else on his mind, he has noticed Eileen, James Smith's nice, and has fallen love. He manages to meet her and Mrs Smith, and finds her to be an enchanting Irish girl with a touch of the blarney. Unfortunately, Aunt has her eye on the wealthy horse owner Sir George for the hand of her niece. A shower followed by thunder and lightning is the cue for the entrance of the strangely dressed Arcadian trio. The girls take little time in commencing their crusade but they are taken as a publicity stunt. Mr Smith, alias Simplieitas, managed to get caught up in a tree on his landing and it so happens that his wife and Sir George are discussing the possible marriage between him and Eileen on a seat below it. Simplicitas loses his grip and lands in the arms of Sir George who happens to be a business partner of his. Not surprisingly neither he nor Mrs Smith recognise the young man and he is able to flirt with his own wife. Mrs Smith, with an eye for business, now plans to open an Arcadian
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