Lady Constance Malleson Explained

Honorific Prefix:Lady
Constance Malleson
Birth Name:Constance Mary Annesley
Birth Date:24 October 1895
Birth Place:Castlewellan Castle, Northern Ireland
Death Place:Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Nationality:British
Other Names:Colette O'Niel
Occupation:writer and actress
Years Active:1915–1936

Lady Constance Malleson (24 October 1895 – 5 October 1975) was a British writer and actress (appearing as Colette O'Niel). The daughter of Hugh Annesley, 5th Earl Annesley, Malleson studied at the Royal Academy of Drama Art and was a popular theatre performer.

During her twenty-year acting career she appeared in numerous productions across the United Kingdom including several productions at prominent theaters in London's West End and in Maurice Elvey's 1918 silent film Hindle Wakes. Before retiring from acting Malleson wrote and produced The Way a three act starring Una O'Connor, Charles Carson, and Moyna Macgill.

Active in pacifist and social reform efforts, Malleson spent the remainder of her career traveling and writing. She released several novels and autobiographical accounts, including In the north : autobiographical fragments in Norway, Sweden, Finland, 1936-1946 about her experiences in Scandinavia administering relief efforts in response to the Russo-Finnish War. Among her most notable releases is the 1933 novel The Coming Back. Though she denied the suggestion, it is understood as a roman à clef regarding Malleson's relationship with philosopher and political activist Bertrand Russell, with whom she shared an interest in pacifism. Friends until Russell's death, the pair were romantically involved from 1916 to 1920, during Malleson's mutually open marriage to actor Miles Malleson.

Biography

Early life

Malleson was born Constance Mary Annesley on 24 October 1895 at Castlewellan Castle in Castlewellan, Northern Ireland. She was the youngest child of Hugh Annesley, 5th Earl Annesley, and his second wife Priscilla Cecilia Armytage-Moore. Annesley's sister, Lady Clare Annesley, was a feminist and pacifist who stood as a Labour Party parliamentary candidate in the 1920s and 1930s. She also had two half siblings, Lady Mabel Annesley and Francis Annesley, 6th Earl Annesley, from her father's first marriage to MabelWilhelmina Frances Markham.[1] Malleson was home schooled by tutors until her father's death in 1908, at which time she was sent to Down House in Kent. Unimpressed with the school, she referred to it in her 1931 autobiography, After Ten, as "Damned Hell", demonstrating an early contempt for aristocratic decorum.

Career

Annesley enrolled at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1913 after attending finishing school in Dresden and studying French in Paris.[2] While there she met Miles Malleson, whom she married on 12 April 1915 at the age of 19. The couple divorced in December 1922 after Miles failed to comply with a decree for restitution of conjugal rights obtained by Constance on 15 May the same year.[3] [4] After graduating she spent the 1922 season with the Plymouth Repertory Theatre as lead actress.[4] [5] Malleson took up acting because she believed "that every woman ought to be able to earn a living."[6] She was concerned with fair wages for all actors, going on to speak publicly about the importance of securing the minimum wage of 3 pounds a week and payment for rehearsal for everyone, not just lead actors.

Malleson appeared in many West End productions, including The Orphans at the Lyceum Theatre,[7] and at least one film, Hindle Wakes. She joined the Hull Repertory Theatre Company for the 1925 season appearing in several productions including Peter and Paul and Advertising April, alongside actor Colin Clive, and a C. K. Munro production of At Mrs. Beam's.[8] [9] [10] Malleson believed that the short run plays that define repertory theatre were important for the development of young dramatists because they provided an opportunity to see how an audience reacts to one's work.[11] In March 1928, Malleson produced a stage version of her three-act play The Way at the Arts Theatre Club in London. The cast, which included Una O'Connor and Charles Carson, was headed by Moyna Macgill in the role of Rosaleen Moore, a part written for her by Malleson. The play, which debuted on 25 March, was performed twice and was reviewed by The Times as a "pretentious sham!"[12]

During the First World War, her pacifist opinions brought her into contact with Bertrand Russell. The pair met in 1916 at a trial for Clifford Allen, then, chairman of the No-Conscription Fellowship.[13] [14] Having mutually agreed to an open marriage with her husband, Malleson and Russell carried on a relationship until 1920.[15] During that time Russell struggled with how seriously Malleson took her career and her continued involvement with other men. Their affair eventually ended because she did not want children.[16] [17] The pair remained friends and corresponded until Russell's death in 1970. He didn't feel that acting made sufficient use of her talents and encouraged a writing career after she rejected his suggestion to become more politically active. It was Russell who submitted Malleson's first published short story, "The End", which was released in the September 1919 edition of the English Review under the pseudonym Christine Harte.[18] Malleson eventually sold her letters from Russell and other mementos to McMaster University for inclusion in the Bertrand Russell Archives.

Writing and travel

After retiring from acting Malleson moved to the country, traveled and authored several books. Her autobiography was published in 1931 followed by her first novel, The Coming Back in 1933. Despite claiming it as fiction the work is considered a roman à clef regarding her relationship with Russell. Described by John G. Slater as a "thinly disguised account", the novel features Russell as an astronomer from Cambridge, named Don Gregorio del Orellano, with other characters acting as stand ins for prominent people in Malleson's relationship with Russell, including Dora Russell, Clifford Allen, T.S. Eliot and Maurice Elvey. Malleson would later disown the work claiming it to be a "feeble first effort."

Malleson traveled extensively throughout her life including visits to the Middle East and Africa, in addition to frequent trips to the Nordic countries. She carried out lecture tours in the Nordic countries during the 1930s and 1940s, speaking on social reform topics including mental health and blood supply.[19] In 1941, while working in Finland assist with relief efforts in response to the Russo-Finnish War, Malleson found herself stranded in a remote area of the country when the Germans took control of the country to fight Russian forces. She escaped by rowing 25 miles to Helsinki in a boat, where she was held for several days, before securing passage to Stockholm aboard a Swedish warship.[20] Her time in the Nordic countries resulted in the publication of In the North: Autobiographical Fragments in Norway, Sweden, Finland in 1946.

Death

Malleson died in a nursing home near Bury St Edmunds on 5 October 1975.

Stage roles

TitleYear(s)RoleTheatrescope=col class="unsortable" Notesscope=col class="unsortable"
scope=rowThe World of Boredom1915SuzanneQueen's TheatreJuly [21]
scope=rowL'Enfant Prodique1916Phrynette[22]
scope=rowFishpingle1916Lady Margaret MaltraversHaymarket TheatreMay
scope=rowPhyl1918Maybel PonsonbyGaiety TheatreMay
scope=rowThe King and Queen1919IlaThe Comedy TheatreFebruary
scope=rowThe Trojan Women1919HelenRoyal Victoria HallOctober[23] [24]
scope=rowSakuntala1919AnasuyaWinter GardenNovember
scope=rowAbraham Lincoln1921Mrs. OtherleyLyceum TheatreJuly
scope=rowDeburau1921Mme. RébardAmbassadors Theatre3–26 November 1921
scope=rowThe Rise of Silas Lapham1922Nan CoreyLyric Theatre20–24 February 1922
scope=rowThe Orphans1923HenrietteLyceum Theatre28 February – 7 April[25]
scope=rowThe Country Wife1924SqueamishRegent Theatre17–18 February
scope=rowJohn Gabriel Borkman1925Mrs. WiltonHull Repertory Theatre CompanySeptember[26]
scope=rowPeter and Paul1925EvaHull Repertory Theatre CompanySeptember[27]
scope=rowYoung Heaven1925[Lead actress]Hull Repertory Theatre CompanyOctober[28]
scope=rowAdvertising April1925Rachel ShawHull Repertory Theatre CompanyNovember[29] [30]
scope=rowAt Mrs. Beam's1925Miss Cheezle
scope=rowFrom Morn to Midnight1926LadyRegent Theatre9–20 March [31]
scope=rowThe Cradle Song1927The VicaressHull Repertory Theatre CompanyOctober[32]
scope=rowBelindaUnknownUnknownUnknown[33]

Works

Publications

Stage plays

Short stories and articles

External links

Notes and References

  1. Slater. John G.. Lady Constance Malleson, "Colette O'Niel". Russell: The Journal of Bertrand Russell Studies. 31 December 1975. 20. 10.15173/russell.v0i4.1435. 12 August 2016. 1913-8032. free.
  2. Book: Clark. Ronald. The Life of Bertrand Russell. 2011. Bloomsbury Publishing. Colette. 978-1-4482-0215-7. https://books.google.com/books?id=tFK_zRyCQd4C. 18 December 2016. en.
  3. News: Decree Against and Actor - Malleson vs Malleson. 43206. The Times. 5 December 1922. London, England. 5. Mrs. Mary Constance Malleson, whose maiden name was Annesley, was granted a decree nisi dissolving her marriage with William Miles Malleson, an actor, because he failed to comply with a decree of restitution of conjugal rights and because of his adultery..
  4. News: Obituary - Miss Colette O'Niel: Actress and writer. The Times. 59521. 8 October 1975. London, England. 16.
  5. News: C.E.B.. Bid for Popularity. 12441. Daily Mail. 19 August 1925. Hull, England. 4. The leading lady, Miss Colette O'Niel, who is the daughter of Countess Annesley, has had considerable stage experience. After graduating at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art she studied in Paris and Dresden. She has played with Miss Sybil Thorndyke and was leading lady of the Plymouth Repertory Theatre for a season..
  6. News: Tea Table Talk . Barry Dock News . 1919-08-29 . 10107/4618173 . free . Welsh Newspapers.
  7. Web site: Melville Collection. University of Kent Information Services - Special Collections. 2 November 2015.
  8. Gardiner. Bennitt. Colette O'Niel: a Season in Repertory. Russell: The Journal of Bertrand Russell Studies. 1976. 23–34 . 26–36. 10.15173/russell.v0i2.1461 . 144045322 . 2 November 2015. free.
  9. News: C.E.B.. Packed Out! Hull Little Theatre's Splendid Send Off. 12458. Daily Mail. 8 September 1925. Hull, England. 3. The women were uniformly good. Miss Colette O'Niel played the part of an old maid with quiet distinction, while Miss Margaret F. Ross...
  10. Book: Rowell. George. Jackson. Anthony. Jackson. Tony. The Repertory Movement: A History of Regional Theatre in Britain. 1984. Cambridge University Press. 978-0-521-31919-5. 71.
  11. News: Portia. Miss Colette O'Niel - Address to Hull Women - The Real Actor's Intense Love of His Work. 12503. Daily Mail. 30 October 1925. Hull, England. 3.
  12. News: Arts Theatre Club - "The Way." by Constance Malleson (Colette O'Niel). The Times. 44851. 26 March 1928. London, England. 10.
  13. Bell. Robert H.. Bertrand Russell and the Eliots. The American Scholar. Summer 1983. 52. 3. 309–325. 41210949.
  14. Book: Russell. Bertrand. The Autobiography of Bertrand Russell. Routledge. 978-1-317-83503-5. 18 December 2016. en. 2014-04-23.
  15. Book: Wallace. Irving. Wallace. Amy. Wallechinsky. David. Wallace. Sylvia. The Intimate Sex Lives of Famous People. 2008. Feral House. 978-1-932595-29-1. 492–493. en.
  16. News: Burn. Michael. Bertrand Russell: St. George and the Dogma. 58481. The Times. 18 May 1972. London, England. 18.
  17. Tait. Katharine. Russell and Feminism. Russell: The Journal of Bertrand Russell Studies. 31 December 1978. 29–32. 10.15173/russell.v0i1.1485. 18 December 2016. 1913-8032. free.
  18. Turcon. Sheila. A Bibliography of Constance Malleson. Russell: The Journal of Bertrand Russell Studies. 1 December 2012. 32. 2. 10.15173/russell.v32i2.2233. 18 December 2016. 1913-8032. free.
  19. Book: Foster, John Wilson. Postscript. May 2008. http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199232833.001.0001/acprof-9780199232833-chapter-16. 18 December 2016. Postscript. 'The Ladies' Road': Women Novelists 1922–1940. 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199232833.001.0001. 978-0-19-923283-3.
  20. News: Titled Lady Rows Amid Minefield. The Daily News. 11 November 1941. Perth, WA. 11.
  21. Book: Who's who in the theatre. 1922. Pitman. London. 626–627.
  22. News: Queen Alexandra and "L'Enfant Prodique". The Times. 41094. 19 February 1916. London, England. 10. It was played by the original cast, except that Colette O'Niel (Lady Constance Malleson) took the part of Phrynette, Mlle. Andrée Mielly being Pierrot and M. Gilbert Dalleu Pierrot père..
  23. Turcon. Sheila. What did Colette know and when did she know it?. Russell: The Journal of Bertrand Russell Studies. 2010. 30. Winter 2010–2011. 149–154. 10.1353/rss.2010.0004 . 2 November 2015.
  24. News: Euripides at The Old Vic. The Times. 42231. 15 October 1919. London, England. 10.
  25. Book: Wearing. J.P.. The London stage, 1920-1929: a calendar of productions, performers, and personnel. 2014. Rowman & Littlefield. 978-0-8108-9302-3. 1034. Second. 2 November 2015.
  26. News: Drama at the Little Theatre - Clever Performance of Ibsen's "John Gabriel Borkman". 12476. Daily Mail. 29 September 1925. Hull, England. 7. ...while Colette O'Niel, as the divorced Mrs. Wilton, made the most of the typical vamp character.
  27. News: Hull Little Theatre - Performers Who Will Be Seen in Next Week's Play. 12462. Daily Mail. 12 September 1925. Hull, England. 2.
  28. News: Mixed Fair at Little Theatre - Fine Dramatic Acting and Excellent Comic Relief. 12482. Daily Mail. 6 October 1925. Hull, England. 5.
  29. News: Little Theatre Anti-Climax - Unworthy Finish to Highly Successful Season. 12512. Daily Mail. 10 November 1925. Hull, England. 8.
  30. News: C.E.B.. Musical and Dramatic. 12509. Daily Mail. Hull, England. 6.
  31. Book: Skal. David J.. Rains. Jessica. Claude Rains: An Actor's Voice. 2009. University Press of Kentucky. 978-0-8131-3885-5. 304. 2 November 2015.
  32. News: C.E.B.. Musical and Dramatic. 13123. Daily Mail. 28 October 1927. Hull, England. 8. The Hull Repertory Theatre have a splendid play to offer on Monday next, that exquisite comedy, "The Cradle Song." of Martinez Sierra. Practically an all-woman cast is necessary, and patrons of the Little Theatre will welcome back the popular actress Colette O'Niel, which in addition to the clever performers Mr Whatmore is fortunate to have in this company will be Rita Trekelle in an important part..
  33. Gardiner. Bennitt. The Wisdom of Colette. Russell: The Journal of Bertrand Russell Studies. 1980. 37–40 . 31–39. 10.15173/russell.v0i1.1231 . 143999414 . 2 November 2015. free.
  34. News: C.E.B.. Musical and Dramatic. 13224. Daily Mail. 24 February 1928. Hull, England. 8. A forthcoming production at the Arts Theatre Club, London, will be of more than passing interest to Hull Little Theatre supporters. "The Way" a three-act play by Constance Malleson (Colette O'Niel), is to be given on Sunday evening, March 25th, and the following Monday afternoon by a company headed by Moyna McGill, for whom the leading part was written. Miss O'Niel will produce..