Theatre Royal Drury Lane – 1909
Information from Victoria & Albert Museum website
The Whip by Cecil Raleigh and Henry Hamilton was a tale of love and skulduggery among the aristocracy. The plot itself was extremely slim, and was essentially a framework on which to hang the scenes of spectacle and special effects so beloved of audiences.
Captain Grenville Sartorys and Mrs D’Aquila plan to sabotage the chances of the Marquis’s horse ‘The Whip’ by killing the hotly tipped favourite before the big race, the 2000 Guineas. They also attempt to destroy the romance between Hubert, Earl of Brancaster and Lady Diana. But in a thrilling last minute rescue, ‘The Whip’ is saved from a devastating train crash and goes on to win the race (usually!). Mrs D’Aquila’s claim to be Hubert’s wife is shown to be false, and all ends happily.
