Plays by D.J. Munrow
Exercise Book
1950s (made)
1950s (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This exercise book contains handwritten manuscripts of four plays by David Munrow, produced during his childhood in the 1950s. The plays are very well written, containing complex stage directions and showing great wit and intelligence of presentation. The stage direction and subject matter of each play reveals David’s childhood interest in theatre and children's literature: Seaward Ho! is about a boy's desire to run away to sea, where he is beset by a cruel captain and a shark. The second of the plays, Barnacle Bill, is a pirate tale with names lifted directly from Treasure Island. The third, Harris Tweed Does It Again, is David Munrow's imagining of John Ryan's popular bumbling secret agent, who appeared in the seminal British comic Eagle. The last, unfinished work is a comic interpretation of an aristocratic love story titled A Fight for a Lady.
Accompanying the plays are other childhood objects belonging to David Munrow: three of his favourite teddy bears ‘Humph’, ‘Ginge’ and ‘Eddy’ and a series of letters written by David to these bears. David adored his bears and cast them as some of the principle ‘actors’ in his plays where they appear in the cast list as ‘H. Bear’, ‘G. Bear’ and ‘E. Bear.’
This collection of objects provides a wonderful insight into the early interests and imagination of a child who went on to become a well-known musician and broadcaster.
Accompanying the plays are other childhood objects belonging to David Munrow: three of his favourite teddy bears ‘Humph’, ‘Ginge’ and ‘Eddy’ and a series of letters written by David to these bears. David adored his bears and cast them as some of the principle ‘actors’ in his plays where they appear in the cast list as ‘H. Bear’, ‘G. Bear’ and ‘E. Bear.’
This collection of objects provides a wonderful insight into the early interests and imagination of a child who went on to become a well-known musician and broadcaster.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Plays by D.J. Munrow (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Paperback exercise book with stapled paper pages and cover; inside text handwritten in ink |
| Brief description | Exercise book containing four handwritten plays: 'Seaward Ho!'; 'Barnacle Bill'; 'Harris Tweed Does It Again'; 'A Fight for a Lady'. By David Munrow, England 1950s. |
| Physical description | A faded green paperback exercise book with ruled lines inside. Front cover title, 'EXERCISE BOOK.' Filling two thirds of the exercise book are plays, handwritten in blue ink. |
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| Production type | Unique |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Given by Gillian Munrow in memory of her husband David Munrow |
| Object history | The four plays, three finished and one unfinished, were written by David Munrow during his childhood in Birmingham, probably when he was aged between nine and twelve. David Munrow was born in Birmingham on 12th August 1942, the only child of academic parents. He attended King Edward's School in Edgbaston, where he excelled both academically and musically. After attending Cambridge University, then studying for a Masters at the University of Birmingham, David became a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company's wind band, providing incidental music at their performances between 1966 and 1968. David founded the Early Music Consort of London during this time, an ensemble with which he would be associated for the rest of his life. He also taught at the University of Leicester and the Royal College of Music. Beginning in 1971 David Munrow presented the BBC Radio 3 series Pied Piper, Tales and Music for Younger Listeners. Through the show David introduced children to a wide variety of musical genres, and during his five years broadcasting the series he attracted large audiences of child and adult listeners. In addition to his broadcasting and academic careers, David performed on more than fifty recordings of early music. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Association | |
| Summary | This exercise book contains handwritten manuscripts of four plays by David Munrow, produced during his childhood in the 1950s. The plays are very well written, containing complex stage directions and showing great wit and intelligence of presentation. The stage direction and subject matter of each play reveals David’s childhood interest in theatre and children's literature: Seaward Ho! is about a boy's desire to run away to sea, where he is beset by a cruel captain and a shark. The second of the plays, Barnacle Bill, is a pirate tale with names lifted directly from Treasure Island. The third, Harris Tweed Does It Again, is David Munrow's imagining of John Ryan's popular bumbling secret agent, who appeared in the seminal British comic Eagle. The last, unfinished work is a comic interpretation of an aristocratic love story titled A Fight for a Lady. Accompanying the plays are other childhood objects belonging to David Munrow: three of his favourite teddy bears ‘Humph’, ‘Ginge’ and ‘Eddy’ and a series of letters written by David to these bears. David adored his bears and cast them as some of the principle ‘actors’ in his plays where they appear in the cast list as ‘H. Bear’, ‘G. Bear’ and ‘E. Bear.’ This collection of objects provides a wonderful insight into the early interests and imagination of a child who went on to become a well-known musician and broadcaster. |
| Associated objects |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | B.35-2016 |
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| Record created | November 18, 2016 |
| Record URL |
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