Chatwick University Criminology Department
Dousing Cauldren
The Dousing
St Guiles Theatre Tradition
If one looks at the upright hand side tower( and the insert) you will see a rather large black cauldron suspended from below an upper floor boarded window
This was once associated with an older of the traditions of our theartre troupe (Pelagia Players) .
Though “officially” ended in the early 1960’s by the powers at large, the tradition was called ( affectionately) The Dousing
No one ever recorded the root origins of this rather quaint little custom. But in all probability it was copied off another theatre group’s similar ritual.
First off, it was never seen as a punishment, by either the group, or the actor/actress that it was carried out on.
But rather it was a clique of honour, and actually a competition was had to see how many times one would be initiated by it in the course of a season of plays. ( the last record holder had gone through it 5 times in the course of 15 shows of 3 different plays mid last century. His name is available, but if We were to write it in here, one would immediately see why we cannot possibly ever reveal it ( we all do so love a mystery)
But if anyone wants to make a guess in the comments, we can give two clues,
British Born
Naturally Red Hair
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The Custom..
What happened is that if an individual actor/actress was singled out in a quite undeniably spontaneous ovation by the crowd for their performance in a play, they would be given the dousing.
The Cauldron would lifted up to the window be filled with water carried in buckets up to the third floor window, then lowered when filled.
The performer would then be positioned underneath( still in costume) and read the poem of Humility( usually a work by the poet John Donne- see bottom).
Once finished reciting, they would bow to the rest of the group, the cauldron tipped over from above, and be doused with the cool water it held.
This was done so that the performers ego would not swell, reminding them that they were only one of the troupe, and not the “One” of the troupe.
As we stated, the practice was supposed to have been halted in the 1960’s, but this writer’s wife was a member of the Pelagia Players troupe in the late 1990’s and states that the ritual was performed at least twice to her knowledge, even though the window appears to be still boarded up…
If by perchance anyone has an old photo of this ritual, we would like to have it In our theatre archives, and perhaps with permissions, post it on this site..
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Humility Poem
John Donne
22 January 1572 – 31 March 1631
No man is an island,
Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thy friend's
Or of thine own were:
Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind,
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee…..
Splash
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
St Guiles Theatre Info
Dousing Cauldren
The Dousing
St Guiles Theatre Tradition
If one looks at the upright hand side tower( and the insert) you will see a rather large black cauldron suspended from below an upper floor boarded window
This was once associated with an older of the traditions of our theartre troupe (Pelagia Players) .
Though “officially” ended in the early 1960’s by the powers at large, the tradition was called ( affectionately) The Dousing
No one ever recorded the root origins of this rather quaint little custom. But in all probability it was copied off another theatre group’s similar ritual.
First off, it was never seen as a punishment, by either the group, or the actor/actress that it was carried out on.
But rather it was a clique of honour, and actually a competition was had to see how many times one would be initiated by it in the course of a season of plays. ( the last record holder had gone through it 5 times in the course of 15 shows of 3 different plays mid last century. His name is available, but if We were to write it in here, one would immediately see why we cannot possibly ever reveal it ( we all do so love a mystery)
But if anyone wants to make a guess in the comments, we can give two clues,
British Born
Naturally Red Hair
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The Custom..
What happened is that if an individual actor/actress was singled out in a quite undeniably spontaneous ovation by the crowd for their performance in a play, they would be given the dousing.
The Cauldron would lifted up to the window be filled with water carried in buckets up to the third floor window, then lowered when filled.
The performer would then be positioned underneath( still in costume) and read the poem of Humility( usually a work by the poet John Donne- see bottom).
Once finished reciting, they would bow to the rest of the group, the cauldron tipped over from above, and be doused with the cool water it held.
This was done so that the performers ego would not swell, reminding them that they were only one of the troupe, and not the “One” of the troupe.
As we stated, the practice was supposed to have been halted in the 1960’s, but this writer’s wife was a member of the Pelagia Players troupe in the late 1990’s and states that the ritual was performed at least twice to her knowledge, even though the window appears to be still boarded up…
If by perchance anyone has an old photo of this ritual, we would like to have it In our theatre archives, and perhaps with permissions, post it on this site..
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Humility Poem
John Donne
22 January 1572 – 31 March 1631
No man is an island,
Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thy friend's
Or of thine own were:
Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind,
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee…..
Splash
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
St Guiles Theatre Info