Caprice

In Short

Caprice (1917) is Ronald Firbank’s satirical novella following Sarah Sinquier, a vicar’s daughter from the English provinces who steals her father’s antique silver to finance her theatrical ambitions in London. Settling in Shaftesbury Avenue, she renames herself, gathers a cast of bizarre bohemian companions, and buys her way into a West End theater to play Juliet. Driven by Firbank’s signature elliptical dialogue, camp humor, and absurd characterizations, the book parodies the theatrical world and small-town pretension. It endures as a masterclass in modernist satire and comic brevity.

The Story

In a small cathedral town filled with chiming church bells, Sarah Sinquier tires of her quiet life at the Deanery and dreams of stage stardom. Desperate for capital, she raids her family’s pantry, pocketing Tudor silver, Caroline sauceboats, and an apostolic spoon. Leaving behind her father, Canon Sinquier, she boards a train for London.

Upon her arrival, Sarah heads straight for Shaftesbury Avenue. She seeks out Mrs. Bromley, a theatrical agent, only to learn the woman died the previous night. Overwhelmed, Sarah breaks down in a nearby café, drawing the attention of Mrs. Sixsmith and a colorful group of bohemians. Mrs. Sixsmith takes the naive runaway under her wing and arranges for an acquaintance, Sir Oliver Dawtry, to buy Sarah’s stolen family heirlooms for two thousand pounds.

Newly funded, Sarah rents the Source Theatre, a cramped venue with a well beneath the stage. She renames herself, hires a cast, and mounts a production of Romeo and Juliet with herself as the star. She moves into her dressing room alongside Réné Mant, an eccentric young actress who plays Paris in breeches. The production is plagued by chaotic rehearsals, gossip, and rivalries among the cast, which includes the cynical Mr. and Mrs. Smee and the theatrical veteran Lady Mary.

Sarah hosts promotional gatherings for influential London theater critics to secure favorable reviews. On opening night, she prays anxiously in her dressing room before stepping out as Juliet. While the initial performance garners enthusiastic applause, her triumph is abruptly cut short. Offstage, Sarah accidentally falls down an open trapdoor or well beneath the stage and dies instantly.

Following her sudden death, a funeral is held back in her hometown. Mrs. Sixsmith attends and ingratiates herself with the grieving Canon Sinquier. She exaggerates Sarah’s artistic brilliance, omits her moral lapses, and conveniently claims Sarah died owing her a thousand pounds. Realizing the Canon is wealthy and gullible, Mrs. Sixsmith prepares to leech off Sarah's family, completing the story's cynical cycle.

How It Unfolds

The escape from the Deanery Bored by provincial church life, Sarah Sinquier swoops into her family's pantry to steal valuable antique silver before boarding a train to London to pursue a stage career.

An unexpected setback Arriving in Shaftesbury Avenue, Sarah discovers her intended theatrical contact has just died, leaving her weeping in a café until a group of bohemians intervenes.

Selling the heirlooms Mrs. Sixsmith introduces Sarah to Sir Oliver Dawtry, a financier who purchases the stolen silver for two thousand pounds, giving Sarah the capital to launch her venture.

Securing the Source Theatre Sarah leases a small West End venue called the Source Theatre, moves into her dressing room, and begins chaotic rehearsals for Romeo and Juliet with an eccentric cast.

Courting the critics To guarantee favorable publicity, Sarah and her backers host drinks for influential theater critics, using charm, flowers, and social maneuvering to generate buzz.

Opening night and tragedy On her debut night as Juliet, Sarah nervously takes the stage to eager applause, only to suffer a fatal accident offstage immediately following her performance.

The aftermath in the Close At Sarah's funeral, Mrs. Sixsmith smoothly manipulates Canon Sinquier by inventing tales of Sarah’s theatrical brilliance while laying plans to extract money from her family.

The People

• Sarah (Sally) Sinquier: The impulsive daughter of Canon Sinquier who desires fame on the London stage above all else. She steals her family’s silver to finance her ambition, renames herself for her debut as Juliet, and dies in a sudden accident at the peak of her opening night.
• Mrs. Sixsmith: A opportunistic London socialite and bohemian who befriended Sarah in a café. She wants financial gain and social mobility, achieved first by helping Sarah sell her stolen pearls and silver, and later by leeching off Sarah's grieving father.
• Canon Sinquier: Sarah’s well-meaning, oblivious father who spends his days dealing with provincial parish duties. He wants comfort and news of his daughter, but ends up easily manipulated by Mrs. Sixsmith after Sarah's death.
• Réné Mant (Miss Iris): A young actress who shares Sarah’s dressing room and plays Paris in Romeo and Juliet. She wants theatrical recognition and independence from her overbearing family, though she spends much of her time gossiping and complaining about rival performers.
• Sir Oliver Dawtry: A wealthy, apoplectic financier who uses his resources to assist Mrs. Sixsmith and Sarah, purchasing Sarah's stolen heirlooms to fund the production at the Source Theatre.

In Its Own Voice

“Miss Sinquier raised her eyes towards the twin grey spires, threw up her arms, and yawned.”

An early glimpse into Sarah’s utter boredom with her father’s parish and her yearning for a grander life.

“Folding an arm about her friend’s ‘wasp’ waist, Mrs. Sixsmith whirled her deftly round to a wild street air...”

Mrs. Sixsmith introduces the naive country girl to the dizzying, free-spirited rhythms of London bohemian life.

“On the evening of her dissolution, I regret to say there was a most unseemly fracas in the foyer—some crazy wretch demanding back her money...”

Mrs. Sixsmith recounts the absurd lack of decorum at the theater immediately following Sarah’s fatal accident.

What It's Really About

Caprice explores the tension between provincial propriety and modern theatrical vanity. Sarah’s escape from the Deanery represents a rejection of Victorian religious expectations in favor of self-invention, yet her ambition is shallow, driven entirely by a desire for applause, fancy costumes, and media attention.

The novel also scrutinizes artificial social relationships. Sarah's theatrical companions are parasites who value her only for her capital, while Mrs. Sixsmith seamlessly pivots from exploiting Sarah to exploiting her grieving father. Through its sudden, absurd ending, the book satirizes the fragility of youthful delusions and the cold indifference of modern city life, where tragedy is quickly reduced to gossip and unpaid debts.

Why Read It Today

Ronald Firbank's Caprice offers a rapid, highly stylized reading experience defined by witty dialogue, theatrical banter, and comic absurdity. Instead of lengthy descriptions, the story moves entirely through fragmented conversations, dramatic entrances, and satirical subversion of melodramatic tropes. Readers who enjoy comic satire, early 20th-century modernism, or stage parodies will appreciate Firbank's unique voice.

The novel presents a few modest challenges for contemporary readers. Its narrative style relies heavily on impressionistic dialogue without explicit scene-setting, requiring readers to infer plot shifts and character motivations from subtle context clues. Additionally, the casual inclusion of period slang, obscure literary references, and French phrases reflects the bohemian aesthetic of 1917 London.

Despite these era-specific quirks, Caprice remains a delightful, lightweight read. Its sharp humor, quick pacing, and memorable cast of theatrical grifters ensure that Sarah Sinquier’s brief, chaotic misadventure continues to entertain.