ABSTRACT
Alice Carr It was the first time that Hardy had had anything to do with a theatrical venture, and some of his suggestions would not stand the test of an audience with a sense of humour. For instance, Hardy wanted the heroine, Bathsheba, to discover a shako1 concealed in a cupboard when she realises that she has been jilted by the faithless sergeant, but when Joe objected, ‘I think it might evoke laughter from the gallery’, he gave up the idea.
