The Aspern Papers by Michael Redgrave adapted from Henry James

This was an adaptation of a Henry James story for the stage. Beatrix Lehmann played the old woman character. The problem with the play was that if you approached it from the "Aspern papers" point of view there was nothing to it at all. Everything you learned about them, or any potential mystery, was explained in the first scene and it never got any more resolve than that. The main character explains the back story that the old woman used to be beautiful and in love with the poet, that she has his letters, but won't let anyone see them. As the main plot goes that never develops at all. It just repeats what he says in the beginning. The play instead focuses on the relationship between the letter hunter and the old woman's great niece, as he tries to romance her to get the younger woman to give him the letters. She realises what a cad he is and in the end doesn't help him, as he fails to help her. In a way their relationship seems to mirror the pattern of the one he wants to know about. However, the dialogue isn't witty enough or the mystery deep enough to give the play much force or interest.