Mr Everyman: A Play

Typescript and manuscript drafts, [?1953], of Clifford Dyment's play 'Mr Everyman', consisting of one main typescript draft, often heavily emended in pencil and ink, together with later manuscript drafts of some scenes and parts of scenes, and occasional other fragments.
The play comprises the Prologue (ff. 3-24); Act I, scenes 1-4 (ff. 25-79); Act I, scenes 5-6 (corresponding to Act II, scenes 1-2 in the later draft NLW MS 24082C) (ff. 79 verso-90); Act II, scenes 1-2 (Act II, scenes 3-4) (ff .91-109); Act II, scene 3 (omitted from NLW MS 24082C) (ff. 110-113); Act II, scenes 4-5 (Act II, scenes 5-6) (ff. 114-131); Act II, scene 6 (Act III, scene 1) (ff. 132-137); Act II, scene 7 (Act III, scene 2) (ff. 138-144); Act III, scenes 1-3 (Act III, scenes 3-5) (ff. 145-175); Act II, scene 4 (omitted from NLW MS 24082C) (f. 176); Act III, scene 5 (Act III, scene 6) (ff. 177-187); and the Epilogue (ff. 188-192). Some of the manuscript sections are written on the reverse of routine letters and other papers, including a typescript fragment of Dyment's autobiography The Railway Game (London, 1962), pp. 33-34 (f. 164 verso), two leaves of another memoir (ff. 59 verso, 60 verso), and the last six leaves (numbered 11-16) of a prose piece, possibly an outline for a film or television script (ff. 149 verso, 150 verso, 160 verso-163 verso (versos only)).

Multiple drafts have been collated scene by scene, in presumed chronological order.

Original title ('Mr Everyman: A Play [crossed through and replaced with 'Comedy'] by Clifford Dyment' on f. 1).

Some leaves damaged, with no loss of text.

For a later version of the play see NLW MS 24082C.

Published