Glorious

» Peter's Biography

Author's Notes

Like many who have gone before me, I first stumbled across Florence Foster Jenkins when I heard one of her legendary recordings. I was both amused and intrigued - who was this woman and what's her story?

The story, as it turned out, can only be pieced together from small fractions of information. No book exists on this remarkable woman and all we have are a handful of magazine articles, some notes from the original LP release and a couple of reviews from her final recital. She had, we are told in one magazine a jovial elderly actor boyfriend and another morsel states that her accompanist Cosme was young and rather fey.

It turns out that many people think her pianist Cosme McMoon was nothing more than a pseudonym for a well respected accompanist named Edwin McArthur. This is urban myth and not the case at all. Mr McArthur did indeed play for Madam on one occasion but he kept smirking each time she hit a bum note (which was most of them).

Because of this, Florence shielded him behind an oriental screen, to keep his facial gestures hidden from her adoring audience. But in order to follow her vocal efforts, Edwin needed to keep acrobatically popping his head above the screen every 20 seconds - and this caused mass hysteria among the glitterati who attended. He was promptly dismissed and Cosme McMoon was his replacement. Recently a short radio interview with Mr McMoon was discovered and though no longer young he was indeed rather fey. Rumour has it on the internet that in later life he opened a male brothel. But that's another play I think!

As for Florence Foster Jenkins, the most amazing thing to discover was that she was always being described as incredibly happy and hugely popular. How could a woman with so little talent be so full of joy? It's something to do with living the life you always wanted, I think. Pursuing your dreams and being deaf to all criticism. Florence never heard the jeering and laughter, she only heard the applause.

"Glorious!" has been deliberately written in the style of the 1940's/1950's. I wanted to try and re-create those charmingly naïve comedies that audiences so adored six decades ago, along the lines, perhaps, of Arsenic and Old Lace. The result is a play that is deliberately old fashioned, but I think that can be a very positive thing. There aren't too many new comedies these days where everybody hasn't died by the end of Act Two - or at least got seriously ill or depressed. So here is an attempted antidote to all that. It is not political, or modern, nor does it carry with it any great social message. It is designed simply with the hope to amuse and delight.

Perhaps, like me, you will begin by laughing at the exploits of Madam Jenkins - a woman who was undoubtedly a few sandwiches short of an entire picnic..! However, closer inspection reveals a rather admirable figure and someone who you just might fall in love with. Since the West End debut of the play in 2005, Florence has been portrayed in over twenty countries (and in 14 languages) by some wonderful actresses, each of them relishing her feisty, extrovert and unique brand of living. In their hands (and their long suffering throats) Florence sings on - her popularity today greater than ever.

I hope you have fun watching this astonishing story unfold on stage.
Remember - it's all true...