Orts 38,1996

Robin Brooks\u27s play Fav\u27rite Nation which ran at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, London, from the 3rd to the 20th of January is about the relationships between George MacDonald, John Ruskin, Octavia Hill—and Mrs la Touche and her unfortunate daughter Rose. MacDonald tried to assist when Ruskin developed a hopeless passion for Rose—the story is told in the 1924 biography of MacDonald and later in William Raeper\u27s. Octavia Hill\u27s work for the National Trust and other good causes is even better known. One of our members comments that the play was competently acted and rivetting throughout, bringing out well the conflict of passions and idealistic visions in the protagonists. There was however no reference to F. D. Maurice who was a key figure in the actual events, but still remains very little known today to most readers and even students of the period. Also the character of MacDonald himself is not shown as developing during the action, remaining very much as he was about 1860