Sets and Settings

Since I have a snow day it seemed fair to catch up on a post I have been intending to write for a while.

Last week I got to see the actors on the skeletal structure of the set. It is always exciting to see a play move from the rehearsal room to the performance space even if all the magical technical elements are not complete. I am always impressed with the way Lifeline's small theater is transformed, and in this case how vast the space feels and how well it holds the many actors.

In spite of weather difficulties the show is currently "in tech" which means all the technical elements are being added and there are some impressive things that will be going into this production but I don't want to give any spoilers.

Instead, I thought it might be worth talking about the locations in

The Moonstone.

Apart from the history of the stone in India and the Siege of Serringpatam, which was discussed in another post, the story starts in Yorkshire in the north of England which is known for its moors (pictured above).

There is not a "shivering sand" or quicksand in Yorkshire but Collins had taken up sailing and purchased books on geography and navigation. There is a "shivering sand" on a Thames estuary north of Herne Bay (I don't know if the

Herne there connects with the naming of Herncastle or if some critics have suggested that is tied to the mythological figure of Herne the Hunter, who haunts the Windsor woods, or if in fact all three are connected or not related at all.)

There is a sandsend near Whitby (pictured at the top) which may suggested as the general vicinity of Frizinghall. Collins had also paid a visit to Richard Monckton Milnes at his home Fryston Hall (pictured at right) which is in Yorkshire so this may have also been a source of inspiration for the location.

Whatever its source Yorkshire has an isolated, haunted atmosphere that Collins uses effectively in the opening part of The Moonstone.

Similarly London is used to great effect in the later half of the novel. The bustling crowds and mix of a variety of classes and peoples in the streets of London provides the perfect cover for passing stolen goods from person to person.

The Moonstone: looking at dates

I thought it might be useful to include some key events that take place in 1848 when The Moonstone is set and 1868 when The Moonstone was written. All information is taken from The Annuls of London and The Timetables of History

1848

London reforms sewer systems since sewage had been directly emptied into the Thames creating health problems such as cholera outbreaks as well as a terrible smell. (For those who followed the Neverwhere blog this is before the Great Stink of 1858 so sewer reform was slow but there had been several cholera outbreaks in the 1840s which started the slow wheels of reform.)

First railway bridge across the Thames carrying the London and South Western line from Richmond to Windsor.

Waterloo station opened in Belgravia. It included a special daily “funeral express to take mourners to Brookwood Cemetery near Woking. (Station pictured at left.)

Chopin gave his first public performance in England in Belgravia which sold out and was considered a great success.

The Communist Manifesto is issued by Marx and Engels.

The Principles of Political Economy by J.S. Mill is published.

Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell is published

The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood begins when William Holman Hunt wrote a letter to Dante Gabriel Rossetti to see if they might share studio space.

Queen’s College was established in Harley street for the higher education of women. Male tutors from Kings college were first used so women took courses with chaperones.

As mentioned in an earlier post revolutions are breaking out across Europe.

1868

The last public execution at Newgate prison was held.

The London Underground was expanding rapidly in all directions to accommodate the transportation needs of the city.

The Victoria Embankment along the Thames opened to foot traffic. (Illustration at left.)

The first traffic light with red and green gas lights was installed between Bridge Street and Great George street. The Express reported on December 8^th , “ which will serve to foot passengers by way of caution, and at the same time remind drivers of vehicles and equestrians that they ought at this point to slacken their speed.”

Horse racing started at a leisure park in Hornsey.

Charles Darwin publishes The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication. (On the Origin of Species was published in 1859 for additional context.)