About Our Words: Edward
Barbara Durlacher of Johannesburg was impressed by William Ruleman's review of the play Edward by John Waddington-Feather.
The play appeared scene by scene in Open Writing. Click on
Barbara writes
What a marvellous review! Much appreciated and enjoyed.
I was only a very small girl at the time of the Abdication Crisis, and living in Johannesburg our geographic situation removed the English-speaking section of the South African population from direct participation in this important and sad decision.
However, as history tells us, the Dominions and Colonies were all invited to participate in giving their views on Edward's decision and I can still remember my father and mother's grave faces and absolute disbelief and sadness when he finally renounced the throne to marry a twice-divorced American nobody and henceforward neither he nor Wallis was welcome in his homeland.
Unfortunately, the balance of Edward's sad and unfulfilled life illustrated more clearly than words could do, exactly how unsuited he was to public life without the secure structure of Majesty to support him, and also just how shallow and ephemeral the so-called "greatest love story of the century" proved to be.
Many thanks for a most erudite and interesting review.
http://www.openwriting.com/archives/2011/06/john_waddington.php
