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A conversation between Kenneth MacMillan and Mary Miller at the Royal Ballet School, Feb 1990, in which Kenneth MacMillan answers questions about his career

Material relates to the life and career of Isadora Duncan and to content for the programme for the first performance of the ballet at the Royal Opera House. It comprises:

1. Typed letter from Genevieve Oswald, Curator of the Dance Collection at the New York Public Library confirming that there is no known recording of the voice of Isadora Duncan. Signed and dated 6 Nov 1980
2. Index card with handwritten note: William Bolitho In one of his books an excellent piece on Isadora Duncan. Unsigned and undated
3. Four page catalogue for an exhibition tracing the history of the Duncan Family, held at the Archives for the Performing Arts, San Francisco, and opening on 26 May 1977 to commemorate the centenary of the birth of Isadora Duncan. Typed on blue paper, two pages folded, with illustrations
4. Programme for A Centenary Tribute to Raymond and Isadora Duncan, an exhibition by and about the Duncans, collected by Ligoa Duncan, a Presentation of the Ukranian Institute of America. The programme includes details of the opening night performance. Booklet of eight pages, endpapers of blue onion paper and card covers, illustrated with black and white photographs. With handwritten notes on the covers, some by Kenneth MacMillan
5. Photocopy of a press-cutting speculating on whether Kenneth MacMillan is about to create a new full-length ballet for Lynn Seymour who is returning to The Royal Ballet, Evening Standard 21 Nov 1979
6. Black and white photograph of Isadora Duncan dancing in Greece. Photograph courtesy of The Bancroft Library, University of California, undated
7. Four typed pages of an article, Isadora by Gillian Freeman, describing working on the scenario for the ballet with Kenneth MacMillan
8. Photocopy of the cast list for the programme at the Royal Opera House, with some corrections and notes from Janet Judd, Press Officer for The Royal Ballet, to Kenneth MacMillan
9. Photocopy of five typed pages of a programme note, Isadora: A Brief Life by Gillian Freeman, giving a brief biography of Isadora Duncan
10. Photocopy of three typed pages of a programme note, Isadora: Spirit of the Age? by Edward Thorpe, considering Isadora's character and art in relation to the artistic and social movements of the period
11. Photocopy of two typed pages of a programme note, Music Notes for Isadora, Richard Rodney Bennett, by Barry Wordsworth, with a covering note from Janet Judd, Press Officer for The Royal Ballet
12. Photocopy of seven typed pages of a programme note, Kenneth MacMillan Principal Choreographer of The Royal Ballet, by Mary Clarke, giving a biography of Kenneth MacMillan with details of his most significant ballets, longer than the note printed in the programme
13. Photocopy of a page from The Daily Mail 21 Apr 1913, reporting the death by drowning of Isadora's two children, inscribed on the reverse 'For Kenneth - with love - Mary [Miller] x' (large)

The Chairs and The Lesson were the first plays that Kenneth MacMillan directed for the theatre. The double bill opened on 16 Jul 1982 at the New Inn Theatre, London. Material comprises

1. Single cash bound book with handwritten notes by Kenneth MacMillan on the mood of the play, the characters, and notes for the performances. 30 pages with notes, two for Dance of Death, the subsequent play he directed
2. Copy of typed letter requesting performing rights for the plays. Unsigned, n.d.
3. Programme for the performances, with The New Inn St Marys Rd Ealing W5 written by Kenneth MacMillan in pencil on the cover
4. Typed letter from John Holloway to Kenneth MacMillan, with audience breakdown and payment details. Also thanking Kenneth MacMillan for the success of the double bill and inviting him to work at the New Inn whenever he likes. With two pages of accounts, n.d.
5. Typed Petty Cash claim from Adam Harrison to Kenneth MacMillan, with five receipts, 19 Jul 1982
6. Typed letter from Adam Harrison, Stage Manager, to Kenneth MacMillan with final details, 7 Aug 1982
7. Handwritten letter from Armand [Gerrard] at The Touring Office apologising for being unable to find backing to take the plays to Edinburgh, 11Jul 1982
8. Handwritten letter from Shelagh Fraser asking Kenneth MacMillan to read a play she has written, 12 Jul (1982)
9. Handwritten letter from Richard Denning apologising to Kenneth MacMillan for pulling out of the production, 20 Jul 1982
10. Handwritten good luck postcard from Mary [Miller] to Kenneth MacMIllan, n.d.
11. Handwritten postcard from Mary [Miller] to Kenneth MacMillan, n.d.
12. Handwritten letter from 'Prince Charles' to 'Lord MacMillan' with congratulations, 26 Jul 1982

Kenneth MacMillan worked closely with Gillian Freeman on the scenario for Isadora and with Mary Miller on the selection of words to be spoken as part of the ballet. The material in this file reflects the collaborative process of preparing the scenario and the spoken dialogue. It comprises

1. Postcard from Gillian Freeman to Kenneth MacMillan thanking him for his letter and breakdown. Handwritten, postmarked 26 Jul 1976
2. Three page typed Story Breakdown by Kenneth MacMillan with handwritten annotations by Kenneth MacMillan in pen and ink, felt-tip pen and pencil. With timings for each of the two acts
3. Typed letter from Gillian Freeman to Kenneth MacMillan discussing the first draft and with ideas for dancers for two roles, 4 Sep 1978.
4. Photocopy of 13 typed pages, 12 of scenario with words to be spoken by Isadora and stage directions, one with an edited version of one of the passages of words. Kenneth written in pencil by Mary Miller on the front page
5. Photocopy of 16 typed pages of scenario with words selected by Mary Miller to be spoken by Isadora, with details of the publications the excerpts are taken from. Act One is of seven pages with an additional paragraph inserted on a small piece of paper. With Kenneth App. 8 minutes written in pencil on the first page of Act One and further pencil notes in the text. Act Two is of eight pages with Kenneth (more pages to come) written in pencil on the first page of Act Two and further pencil notes in the text. Pencil annotations by Mary Miller
6. Photocopy of 12 typed pages of scenario as above with slight variations and with pencil annotations by Kenneth MacMillan
7. 14 typed pages of scenario with words, with titles for each scene but no stage directions. Annotated throughout by Kenneth MacMillan in felt-tip pen and pencil, and with a sketch of a stage setting on the reverse of the final page
8. Photocopy of item 7, 14 typed pages of scenario with words, with details of published sources and page references in the margins
9. Three typed pages and one photocopy of a typed page, one small page has the words in English translation of The Marseillaise, the other three pages describe the scene of the Marseillaise dance and speech with Hecklers
10. 15 typed pages of Notes and Revised Draft for a ballet by Kenneth MacMillan, Scenario by Gillian Freeman comprising title page, time line for Isadora Duncan's life, two pages of main characters and 11 pages of scenario. With annotations by Kenneth MacMillan in felt-tip pen and pencil. June 1979
11. 14 typed pages of Isadora Revised draft with dialogue comprising title page, one page of notes from Gillian Freeman to Kenneth MacMillan and 12 pages of scenario. July 1980
12. 18 typed pages of Isadora Revised draft with extended dialogue comprising title page and 17 pages of scenario. With annotations by Kenneth MacMillan in felt-tip pen and pencil. August 1980
13. 15 typed pages of Isadora dialogue with stage directions comprising title page with code for abbreviations for the Sources of Quotations which are used in the text. The sources and page references are given in the margins. With annotations by Kenneth MacMillan in felt-tip pen and pencil. April 1981
14. 14 typed pages of Isadora dialogue with stage directions. Similar to item 13 but without title page or the sources in the margins, and with some minor changes to the text. Script taken from My Life and other reported conversations by Mary Miller written in pencil by Mary Miller on the first page
15. 14 typed pages of Isadora dialogue with stage directions. Similar to item 14 but with some additional pieces of paper pasted in. With annotations by Kenneth MacMillan in felt-tip pen and pencil
16. 13 typed pages of Isadora with title page Isadora A ballet in two Acts by Kenneth MacMillan Dialogue - including excerpts from Isadora Duncan's memoirs and other sources by Mary Miller Copyright - Kenneth MacMillan 1981, revised October 1981, and 12 pages of dialogue with stage directions. Kenneth written in pencil on title page by Mary Miller
17. 14 pages of story breakdown with timings, handwritten or photocopied and annotated by Kenneth MacMillan. There are two pages for Act I and Act II scenes 1-13 written in black felt-tip pen, then three pages for Act I and Act II scenes 1-18 in blue felt-tip pen with pencil additions. The latter three pages have been photocopied onto A3 paper three times and each set of copies has different handwritten annotations by Kenneth MacMillan (large)