BERNARD SHAW’S BLUNDERS.

Putaruru Press, Volume VIII, Issue 354, 4 September 1930, Page 7

BERNARD SHAW’S BLUNDERS.

POINTED OUT BY AMATEUR. Mr Bernard Shaw admits having committed two “stupid blunders” —his own expression—in his play, “ Back to Methuselah,” and is having corrections made in the new edition of the play. The blunders were pointed out to him by Mr W. H. Sherwood, an amateur actor who has been appearing in the play at Leeds. Here is Mr Sherwood’s version of what happened:— “ During rehearsals of * Back to Methuselah ’ I noticed that there were two pieces of dialogue in the play that could be improved by slight alteration. “ For instance, Zoo, one of the women characters, is unable to understand The Elderly Gentleman when

he says ‘ I beg your pardon yet in the second act she herself uses the same expression. “ She also speaks of a war in which ‘ none of the soldiers were killed.’ In my view, that seemed unreasonable. “ I wrote to Mr Shaw pointing out these passages.” In reply to Mr Sherwood’s letter ; back came the usual post card from G.B.S. “ Many thanks for the corrections,” he wrote. “ Zoo had better say, ‘My fault this time,’ instead of ‘ I beg your pardon,’ and * hardly any of the soldiers were ’ instead of ‘ none of the soldiers was.’ I have instructed my printers to alter the plates accordingly.” When interviewed by a London Sunday Express representative Mr Shaw made The Great Confession. “ Mr Sherwood was right,” he announced. “He is a man of intelligence, and he showed me clearly that I had made two stupid blunders in the play. ! “ What’s that ? Have I ever before made alterations on the advice of peo- ; pie appearing in my plays ? “ Well, what a stupid question. Of I course I have. I’m always correcting ' my works. Silly mistakes keep crop- ; ping up. Is any author immune from j them ?

“ I am glad to accept correction from anybody provided they know what they are talking about. I’m always making mistakes, but, dash it all, man, I am only human, even if I am Bernard Shaw.”