Mortadello, or the Angel of Venice. A Comedy.
London: First Impressions, 1992. First Edition Thus. Softcover. Small quarto. (ii)+ xvi + 122 pp. Cream printed wrappers. The softcover "First Impressions" printing of Crowley's play originally published by Wieland in 1912. Crowley hoped to persuade the renowned American actor and singer Paul Robeson (1898-1976) to put on a production of the play, in which Robeson would take the part of the character Orlando, 'a Negro of the Tunisian Sudan.' Robeson read the play but declined, explaining: "I'm afraid it's no use. You see, there are certain lines and gestures which the British public would not care to see enacted between a Negro and a white woman. As for the American stage, why, if I were to produce it over there, someone in the audience would get up and shoot me with a revolver!" This copy signed by publisher Anthony Naylor on the title page and comes from the collection of Clive Harper with his discreet book-label neatly tipped in at the rear. Harper is well- known as the bibliographer of Austin Osman Spare, for updating the Aleister Crowley bibliography in the 2011 Teitan Press collection of Gerald Yorke's writings, and as someone who has lent his expertise to numerous other publications. Appears unused - thus a tight, clean Fine copy. Item #65778
Price: $55.00