Publisher's Synopsis
Two interpretations of Arthur W. Pinero's "The Rocket"
1) From: "Dramatic Notes," Volume 12:
"Arthur W. Pinero's farcical comedy "The Rocket," which was originally produced at the Prince of Wales's, Liverpool, July 30th, 1883, and brought to London to the Gaiety on Dec. 10th of the same year, with great success, the Chevalier's expression, ""What a mess I'm in!"" becoming a popular phrase. The dialogue is full of wit and humour, and the plot cleverly worked out. In a few words, the Chevalier is really named Mable; he has been entrusted with the care of a young girl, Florence, by his brother John Mable. The Chevalier has tried to make of her a decoy, but she has remained a charming, ingenuous girl, and so has won the affection of Jocelyn Hammersmith. Through this engagement the Chevalier gains an introduction to the mother, Lady Hammersmith, a silly, gushing widow; and she agrees to elope with him, as she is rather afraid of her son. She takes with her for propriety's sake her friend Rosaline Fabrequette, who is encouraging the attentions of an idle young nobleman, Lord Leadenhall, Rosaline imagining that the Chevalier, her husband, who has deserted her, is dead. Her recognition of him upsets all the Chevalier's schemes, and reduces him to a state of most abject, but irresistibly comic, misery."
2) From: "The Saturday Review of Politics, Literature, Science and Art," Volume 56:
"Its hero is the immemorial comic scoundrel-braggart and coward, liar and trickster, hypocrite and shark; pursuer of amorous eld and swindler of fond youth; with an alias, and a vanished wife, and a secret, and a tendency to the perpetration of grotesque bigamy. The heroine is the old familiar ingenue, who is supposed to be depravity's daughter, but who is really of respectable antecedents and somebody's long-lost child. Mix with these a long lost brother, a foolish widow, a nice young man, a kick, a "masher," a termagant in pursuit, an unused telegram, a feigned toothache (as a means of disguise), a "property" poodle, a universal rendezvous by accident, a harlequinade of flight and capture, and any other funeral baked meats of farce you can call to mind, and you have said much of Mr. Pinero's 'new and original comedy.' ""
