Sir Donald Wolfit.
One of the last actor-managers taking his touring company
on the road to produce (mainly) Shakespeare plays all over the country. He was a highly regarded actor in his time.
At the end of a play, when the applause had died down,
the curtains would open and he stepped forward to make his customary speech
thanking the audience for being so appreciative and announcing his production
for the next day.
On one occasion, it is said, he announced that next day
“Hamlet” would be produced, he himself to play the noble Dane and her ladyship –
his wife (*) - to play Ophelia. At this
point someone in the stalls shouted out: “Your wife, but she’s an old rat-bag!”
Sir Donald rocked on his heels, recovered and commenced
again with a booming: “Nevertheless!”
What an awful thing to say. I do hope he gave her a lovely bunch of
flowers to say sorry.
Often my wife and I will be talking quietly together, I will
use the word “Nevertheless” with the right degree of gravitas and we will
chuckle happily together remembering this story - but it is only used affectionately
between ourselves.
If you want to learn more about Sir Donald, please go to
the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography where there is an extremely good,
well-researched, authoritative article about him. Use your County library card number to log
in.
(*) I believe that this was Lady Rosalind, his third
wife.
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