Royal53-12-2613The Canterville Ghost

This is Lauren Solivier. Today's play has been adapted from a story by Oscar Wilde. It is a little comedy. It was of course written many years ago, and my friends in America will I'm sure accept the jest in the spirit in which it was written.

I myself will play the Ghost in Oscar Wilde's The Cantaloule Ghost. Introduce myself. I am the Cantaloule Ghost.

The ghost of Sashimand Kantabel, who murdered his wife, the lady Elinor at Kantabel, here in this very room, close on 400 years ago. Through 13 English rains I had haunted the halls and corridors of Kantabel Chase, And from generation to generation I had struck terror into the hearts of the English nobility.

Lords had been driven out of their minds by me. Ladies had died of fright. My career had been brilliant and uninterrupted. At last I had been almost too successful. No more tenants for tentable chase could be found.

I had only the housekeeper to frighten. And then, one day, in 1888, the shutters were flung back again. Tentable chase found a new tenant. Well, Mr. Otis, I'm glad you like the old place. Quite a few hundred years of history have gone to the making of Cantilville.

My ancestors lived here since the days of Richard Cuddley on. Is that right? Yeah, yeah. See, wouldn't that be about the time of Columbus, Lord Cundabell? 300 years before Columbus, Mr. Oates. Well, what do you know about that?

Did you hear that, Mama? 300 years before Columbus. Hey, yes, you're a plenty of history over here in the old country. Yes, you'll have to lay on plenty of plumbing. Yes, I guess that's right, too.