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Executive Committee Charles Wyndham, Chairman. John Hare, George Alexander, Cyril Maude, Charles Hawtrey, H. B. Irving, Herbert Trench. Herbert Tree, Director, Arthur Bourchier, Organising Secretary. General Committee Oscar Asche, H. Granville Barker, F. R. Benson, Dion Boucicault, Arthur Chudleigh, Arthur Collins, Edward Compton, Robert Courtneidge, Frank Curzon, Tom. B. Davis, George Edwardes, Johnston Forbes-Robertson, Charles Frohman, J. M. Gatti, William Greet, Weedon Grossmith, Frederick Harrison, Martin Harvey, Seymour Hicks, Laurence Irving, Gerald du Maurier, W. Melville, F. Melville, Herbert Sleath, Otho Stuart, Edward Terry, Fred Terry, J. E. Vedrenne, Lewis Waller, James Welch. Walter R. Creighton, Acting Secretary. Stage Manager - Cecil King Associate Stage Manager - Stanley Bell. General Manager – Henry Dana. The Decorations have been designed and supervised by Perey Macquoid, R.I. I. Prologue. Written by Owen Seaman. Spoke by Johnston Forbes-Robertson. First, to our Lord the King his kingly due – Homage that not from custom takes its cue, But speaks unprompted, and by that free choice Wherein the heart along instructs the voice! Next, to our Lady Queen the thoughts that rise When love and reverence look on gentle eyes! Then to our welcome guests from overseas A loyal pledge to do our best to please, And prove our Art beneath this royal dome Almost as good as what they get at home. You may remark that all our programme's course Are drawn from relatively ancient sources, Whose worth has stood the killing test of Time; For, though of extant authors in their prime The adequacy never was in doubt, To choose was odious ; so we left ‘em out. The name of Shakespeare was at once selected, As being widely known and much respected ; Two samples we shall serve of that large brain – One in a light, and one a heavier, vein. You'll gather, from his scene at Windsor set, We keep our wives (like Christmas) merry yet ; Anon you'll hear the great Triumvir shed Post-mortem comments over Caesar dead, And judge if Anthony's oration reaches The level of our after-dinner speeches. Meanwhile in "David Garrick's" personation We feign a counterfeit intoxication, Not from experience but with fancy's aid, Assisted by a little lemonade.
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Then in "The Critic" you will please compare The eighteenth century's undefeated air With our more modest ways, who loath a puff, Especially of other people's stuff. And, last, in rare Ben's phantasy of Spring, A pretty dish to set before a King. Though as a habit Spring has long deceased, And Zephyr's new address is somewhere East, Lissome of limb, a galaxy of grace, Secured to illustrate our best traditions (With their respective managers' permissions), No loss of human charm shall you deplore ; We're just as beautiful – and rather more. So runs our scheme. Here follow, by your favour, Some observations of a general flavour, Pertinent (let us hope) to this our sport, And, anyhow, appropriately short. Sire! We are mummers, and we make pretence Of tears or laughter at the Truth's expense ; It is our calling, under Art's disguise, Thus to divert imaginative eyes ; And sometimes, in our more expensive scenes We even play at being kings and queens. But he, the glory of our golden age, Wisely remarked that all the world's a stage. Where every man alive must play his part Unaided by the mysteries of Art. Such is your burden, in the day's full beam Playing your part, to be the thing you seem ; So stand you crowned, to serve your country's need, No King of shadows, but a King indeed. We, too, we chartered actors, you must know, Move not for ever in a painted show ; But off the stage (and sometimes even on) We have our own affairs to think upon. Now all our thoughts, these many days, are spent On the one care – to compass your content ; For none, among your many costlier dowers, Brings you a love more absolute than ours. So, when to-night, with what of skill we may, We say our words (those who have words to say), If here and there a pensive pause is made While memory searches for a line mislaid, Kindly regard such lapses as unique, And due, no doubt, to Coronation Week. Lastly, at his request who made this verse Which it has been my business to rehearse, I am to say, "Forgive his dullard rhymes ; Prologues are tedious at the best of times ; And such a time is this, when no one grudges Mercy a chance to mollify the judges When a free pardon lets us go acquit, And loyalty excuses lack of wit. Tis but a prelude-touch ; the play's the thing Wherein to snatch a conquest of the king!" As for applause, the first and last of factors In the complacence of former actors, Who, not content to achieve the artist's aim, Must get the House to "signify the same," – For us, whose single end is your delight With or without applause, we ask to-night For just the sympathy that understands ; Give us your hearts and never mind your hands! Sire, at your service! Let the task begin Where such approval we are set to win – A task, but ever light the labour is That love inspires. God save your Majesties! Owen Seaman.
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II. Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor The Letter Scene. Act I., Scene III. Mistress Ford – Mrs. Kendal, Mistress Page – Miss Ellen Terry, Mistress Quickly – Mrs. Calvert, Sir John Falstaff – Rutland Barrington. III. David Garrick By T. W. Robertson. Act II. David Garrick – Charles Wyndham, Simon Ingot – Louis Calvert, Mr. Smith – Harry Paulton, Mr. Brown – Edward Terry, Jones – Weedon Grossmith, George – Frank Atherley, Mrs. Smith – Marie Illington, Araminta Brown – Sydney Fairbrother, Ada Ingot – Mary Moore. Scene : A room in Simon Ingot's House. Stage Manager – Reginald Walter.
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Julius Caesar (continued) Lewis, Violet, Lindley, Beatrice, Lion, Leon M., Lisle, Lilian, Lloyd, Frederick, Luff, William, Lytton, Henry A., Macdona, Charles, Macready, Lisa, Magrath, C., Mailtand, Ruth, Mallett, Groge, Malvern, Gerald, Marmont, Percy, Mayeur, Eugene, McCarthy, Daniel, McCrae, Duncan, Melford, Austin, Meltzer, Harold, Moore, hilda, Morand, M. R., Morley, Stella, Morrell, Henry, Morton, Cavendish, Muirhead, A. H., Musgrave, Kenyon, Nares, Own, O'Neill, Edward, Orby, Eileen, Owen, Reginald, Paxton, Sydney, Pearce, Walter, Pearson, Hesketh, Peirce, Ernest, Pemberton, Guy L., Percy, Esme, Pereyval, T. Wigney, Permain, F. W., Playfair, Nigel, Porter, Caleb, Powell, David, Price-Evans, Donald, Quartermain, Chas, Randall, Frank, Ravenscroft, Amy, Relph, Phyliss, Reynolds, E. Vivian, Richards, Ciceley, Rigby, Edward, Robertshaw, J., Robertson, John, Rockman, Ray, Rose, Cecil, Ross, Frederick, Ross, F. Clive, Roughwood, Owen, Saintsbury, H. A. Sargent, Fred, Sheldon, Suzanne, Shore, Ross, Snowden, Eric, Stanhope, Fredk., Stanmore, Frank, Stewart, Athol, Strong, Austin, Stuart, Otho, Styles, Leslie, Swinley, E. Icn, Sworder, Cyril, Tearle, Godfrey, Temple, Richard, Terry, Denis, Thimm, Daisy, Thomas, Agnes, Tonge, H. Asheton, Tonge, Philip, Tosh, High Maurice, Trevor, Norman, Trevor, Spencer, Turnbull, John R., Twyford, J. Henry, Vedrenne, Mrs., Vernon, Cyril, Vernon, Frank, Walker, Chris, Watts, Lionel, Webster, Ben, Weguelin, T., White, J. Fisher, Whytal, Mrs. Russ, Wiehe, Dagmar, Wiltshire, Victor, Willis, Hubert, Wright, Fred. Produced under the direction of H. Granville Barker. Scene painted by Walter Hann. V. The Critic or A Tragedy Rehearsed By Richard Brinsley Sheridan. Puff – Arthur Bourchier, Sneer – Charles Hawtrey, Dangle – George Grossmith, Jun., Stage Manager – Edward Sass, Prompter – Holman Clark – Property Master – Edmund Gurney, Stage Door Keeper – W. Lestocq, Herr Schillinkz, Conductor – Courtice Pounds, 1st Scene Shifter – Robert Loraine, 2nd Scene Shifter – Charles Rock, 3rd Scene Shifter – Frederick Volpe, 4th Scene Shifter – George Graves. Characters in Mr. Puff's Tragedy, "The Spanish Armada." Lord Burleigh – J. D. Beveridge, Governor of Tilbury Fort – Gerald du Maurier.
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The Critic (continued) Earl of Leicester – Laurence Irving, Sir Christopher Hatton – Edmund Payne, Sir Walter Raleigh – Arthur Williams, Master of the Horse – Edward Compton, Beefeater – J. H. Barnes, Justice – Sydney Valentine, Son – E. M. Robson, Constable – Alfred Lester – Don Ferolo Whiskerandos – Cyril Maude, The Two Nieces, Pollina – Gertie Millar, Ellena - Lily Elsie, Jusitce's Lady – Violet Vanbrugh, Confidante – Marie Tempest, Queen Elizabeth – Winifred Emery, Tilburina – Lady Tree, 1st Sentinel – George Alexander, 2nd Sentinel – Norman Forbes, 1st Extra Jusitice – George Barrett, 2nd Extra Justice – George Bealby, Court Usher – C. Hayden Coffin, Black Page – Master Burford Hampden, Britannia – Kate Rourke. The Critic (continued) Left Bank – Kenneth Douglas, Thames – C. M. Lowne, Right Bank – Dennis Eadie, Avon – May Palfrey, Ouse – Mona Harrison, Severn – Florence Glossop-Harris, Tyne – Maude Godden, Tweed – Sybil Carlisle, Mersey – Jean Harkness, Dee – Evelyn Hope, Trent – Ethelwyn Arthur-Jones, Humber – Grace Croft, Wye – Florence Lloyd, Shannon – Daisy Markham, Boyne – Beatrice Ferrar, Mississippi – Lila Barcley, Missouri – Ethel Warwick, Ganges – Sheila Heseltine, Nile – Olive Terry.
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The Critic (continued) People in Court Adeline Bourne – Nora Lancaster, Henrietta Cowen – Kitty Loftus, Louie Emery – Beatirce May, Pollie Emery – Norma Whalley, Vane Featherstone – Cecil Armstrong, Helen Hay – J. C. Buckstone, Madie Hope – John Harwood, Constance Hyem – A. E. Matthews, Clara Jeeks – Bertram Steer. The Action of the Play takes place on the Stage of a Theatre. Prodcued by Arthur Bourchier. Music arranged by Adolf Schmid. Dresses designed by Dion Clayton Calthrop. Stage Manager, William Burchill. VI. Ben Johnson's Masque. The Vision of Delight. The Prologue written by Herbert Trench. Prologue – Mrs. Patrick Campbell, Delight – Lily Brayton, Wonder – Mrs. Langtry, Phantasy – Lena Ashwell, Peace – Marion Terry, Night – Clara Butt, Morning – Agnes Nicholls, Grace – Evelyn Millard, Love – Constance Collier, Harmony – Gertrude Kingston, Revel – Lillah McCarthy, Sport – Evelyn D'Alroy – Laughter – Lilian Braithwaite. The Twelve Hours Alice Crawford, Kate Cutler, Fay Davis, Beryl Faber, Mabel Hackney, Margaret Halstan, Jean Mackinlay, Decima Moore, Eva Moore, Julie Opp, Nancy Price, Saba Raleigh.
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The Vision of Delight (continued) Spring – Marie Löhr, Cupid – Florrie Lewis. Beauties of Spring Fair, Lydia Bilbrooke, Viva Birkett, Pauline Chase, Maud Cressall, Lettiee Fairfax, Grace Lane, Doris Lytton, Margery Maude, M. Ronsard. Dark, Hilda Antony, Sarah Brooke, Laura Cowie, Enid Leslie, Dorothy Parker, Enid Rose, Christine Silver, Dorothy Thomas, Hilda Trevelyan. Phantasies, Mary Barton, Dorothy Bell, Esme Beringer, Elise Craven, Iris Hawkins, Annie Huges, Mary Jerrold, Auriol Lee, Beryl Mereer, Dorothy Minto, Athene Seyler, Haidee Wright. Produced under the direction of Herbert Tree. Music specially composed by W. H. Bell (Kindly lent by Lena Ashwell). Dresses designed by Perey Anderson, and executed by B. J. Simmons. Dances arranged by Fred Farren. Scenery by R. McCleery. VII. The National Anthem Sung by Madame Clara Butt. God save our gracious King, Long live our noble King. God save the King ; Send him victorious Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us, God save the King. O Lord our God, arise, Scatter his enemies And make them fall ; Confound their politics, Frustrate their knavish tricks, On Thee our hopes we fix, God save us all. Thy choicest gifts in store, On him be pleased to pour, Long may he reign ; May he defend our laws, And ever give us cause To sing with heart and voice God save the King.
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A Note on the Plays. It will be observed that the works of modern authors do not appear in the programme of the Gala performance. The Letter scene from The Merry Wives of Windsor and the Forum scene from Julius Caesar do not need description. But a few words in regard to the other pieces they prove interesting. The latest in date of the trio is David Garrick. It goes back, in its English version, some forty-five years. It was written by T. W. Robertson, the author of the Caste series of comedies, and produced in London, at the Haymarket Theatre, on April 30th, 1864, by E. A. Sothern, the famous representative of Lord Dundreary. Oddly enough, the play owes its origin to a French writer, De Melesville, whose Sullivan is one of several plays, by various authors, based on the idea of a celebrated actor curing a foolish girl of her infatuation by, as Theophile Gautier expressed it, exhibiting himself in private life under the most repulsive conditions. Sothern made the part of David Garrick his own, and his mantle fell upon the present impersonator of the character, Sir Charles Wyndham, who revived the drama at the Criterion Theatre on at November 13th, 1886, and on several subsequent occasions. In the provinces, the part is intimately associated with Mr. Edward Compton. The Critic was the last play of importance written by the author of The School for Scandal. In a sense, it is not original since the idea of parodying the drama was much older than the Duke of Buckingham's comedy, The Rehearsal, performed at Drury Lane 1671. Sheridan's brilliant wit and masterly dialogue, however, counted much more than mere invitation or story, and The Critic was a lasting, as well as an instant, success. It was produced at Drury Lane, of which theatre Sheridan was then the manager, on October 30th, 1779. As was the case with The School for Scandal, the manuscript of the play was sent to the theatre scene by scene. Three days before the date fixed for the performance, the piece was incomplete and the actors were in despair. Thomas King, the stage manager under the first representative of Puff, was at his wits' ends, and, in conjunction with Sheridan's father-in-law, set in motion advice for bringing the reckless author to his senses. After a night rehearsal of the play, King lured Sheridan into a snug room in the theatre, where, in addition to a table with writing materials and a good fire, there was a dish of anchovy sandwiches and two bottles of claret. Sheridan was informed that he would be kept a prisoner until he had finished his work, and, appreciating the humour, if not the gravity, of the situation, "he ate the anchovies, finished the claret, wrote the scene, and it laughed heartily at the ingenuity of the contrivance." The Critic was a great success from the first. The town laughed at its wit and the keen edge of its satire. For a time, the preposterous melodramas which it ridiculed were abolished from the stage. Unfortunately, it is too long to be represented its entirety when it is only an item in a programme, but, even in a compressed version, it is sufficiently brilliant and amusing to set the house in a constant peal of merriment. It has, almost since its initial production, been a favourite piece for performance at benefits and on similar occasions. The mere enumeration of the well-known actors who have appeared in it from time to time would occupy far more space than can be given here. A very remarkable cast, however, was that on the occasion of the farewell benefit to Charles James Matthews, at Covent Garden, On January 4th, 1870. Matthews (1803-78) was the best Puff of his day, and he was supported by Alfred Wigan as Dangle, Barry Sullivan as Sneer, Charles Matthews, Jun., as the Under Prompter, J. B. Buckstone as Lord Burleigh, Arthur Sketchley as the Prompter, and Mrs. Keeley as the First Niece. The Vision of Delight, by Ben Jonson (1573-1637), was the Christmas entertainment at the Court of King James I, in the year 1617-18. Jonson wrote many of these masques for the Court, and his own beauty of imagination was allied to the mechanical and artistic invention of the great architect, Inigo Jones (1573-1652), who were supplied the scenic arrangements. These masques were very elaborate and they frequently involved the expenditure of vast sums of money. They took place, as a rule, at Whitehall, and the performers were the members of the Court, who, on their first appearance, more masks: hence the description of these entertainments. Jonson wrote the masques for King James almost continuously during the reign of that monarch, and many interesting particulars of these performances have come down to us in the records of Sir Henry Herbert, who was the Master of the Revels in the reigns of James I., Charles I., and Charles II. The popularity of the masque was at its height in the days of James I., who preferred such light entertainments to serious plays. Austin Bereton.
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Programme of Music. Dances from "Henry VIII." – Edward German, Petite Suite de Concert – S. Coleridge-Taylor, Overture, "Julius Caesar" – Raymond Rose, Pomp and Circumstance, March No. 2 – Edward Elgar, Souvenir de Printemps – Joseph Holbrooke. Musical Director – Adolf Schmid. Chorus Master – Alfred Bellow. J. Milles & Co. Ltd., Printers, Wardour Street, W.
