Royal Adelphi Theatre Seasonal Digest for 1894-1895 Ed. Meredith Klaus

Royal Adelphi Theatre Seasonal Digest for 1894-1895
Ed. Meredith Klaus

Though hampered by a plot fraught with coincidence and what the Theatre described as puerile humor, both the Times and Theatre were generally commendatory, as was usual in their reviews of the Adelphi. The Theatre was slightly perturbed, however, by what it called a dangerous scene--"in which a gentleman, clad in the scantiest of bathing costumes, is called upon to make a love declaration from behind a mass of bulrushes." Fortunately, the scene had "been assigned to Mr. Harry Nicholls, whose personal popularity alone served to extricate him from the dangerous position in which the authors had placed him" (1 October 1894, p. 190).

The Times mentioned a concurrently running French version of the play at the Porte St. Martin Theatre in Paris, noting that "it is a good sign for our playwrights that French theatrical managers are beginning to show themselves almost as ready to translate or adapt English plays as we have been for so long to found our dramas upon French originals" (2 September 1894).

The Theatre commented that much of the plot material was familiar to Adelphi audiences, including

the attempted lynching of a scoundrel in California and his prompt rescue by the hero; the murder of a niggardly banker by a couple of desperadoes in circumstances that point to the dead man's son as the culprit; and finally the destruction of the villain by means of an infernal machine, the explosion of which brings the walls of the laboratory tumbling about his ears, and finally buries him beneath their weight (1 October 1894, p. 189).

Particularly commended among the actors were Terriss, Nicholls, W. L. Abingdon, for his portrayal of the villain's "cowardly, repulsive, and heartless accomplice" a "masterpiece of its kind," and Murray Carson for his portrait of the villain, George Marrable. Carson was apparently able to create a complex villain, at once repulsive (he cheats at cards, steals bonds and contemplates blowing up the hero with a bomb) and attractive (he is a fond and doting father). The rest of the actors and actresses were described in the Theatre as "thoroughly efficient in their respective ways."

Stage effects maintained their usual force and appeal. The bomb explosion, which wrecked both laboratory and villain, was tremendously effective in its shock-effect on the audience. Prior to the climax of the bomb scene, the audience was expecting the explosion to take place on stage, which would have made it relatively tame. However, at the critical moment the villain picked up the bomb and heaved it out of the window. After the smoke cleared, the stage was littered with debris, some of which had crushed the villain.

Equally stirring was the sole other piece of the season, The Girl I Left Behind Me. The title is somewhat misleading, apparently, as the Times noted that Post Kennion, in the Blackfoot country of Montana, had almost as many female as male inhabitants (1 January 1895, p 6). General Kennion, in fact, was more to be commended in his role as doting father to his daughter Kate, than for his military prowess. The post was in fact surrounded by threatening and warlike Indians (or "Redskins" as the Times denominated them) throughout the play and only saved by the timely return of the hero, Lieutenant Hawkesworth, played by William Terriss. The plot, as the Times remarked, is based on a love story rather than a military adventure (15 April 1895).

The Theatre also criticized errors in staging, pointing especially to the "general's home [which] reminds one of a Vanderbilt mansion in Fifth Avenue rather than an unpretentious dwelling-place in the wilds of a North-Western State." The Theatre maintained that since it was an American play, it needed "an American expert, or some English stage-manager who knew exactly how it should be presented" (1 May 1895, p. 294). Despite its faults, The Girl I Left Behind Me, which opened 13 April 1895, ran through the end of the season (10 August).

MK

Royal Adelphi Theatre Seasonal Digest for 1895-1896

Ed. Thirza Cady

The plot revolves around a distinguished Parisian fencing master and his daughter. She has been compromised before the start of the story, and has a child. During the course of the play, her father discovers her secret, and through various plot maneuvers comes face to face with the villain of the piece, Count Henri de Rochefiere, in a duel to the death.

There are a number of issues germane to the plot. One of these is that the daughter becomes the object of the affections of a coastal pilot. However, she refuses his offer of marriage due to her previous dishonor.

Another issue is the continued dishonorable conduct of the count who kills a disarmed man during the course of a duel. The slain man was a close friend of the pilot, the daughter's new suitor. The count is brought to trial for his alleged crime, and it is in this context that the dueling master has his chance to avenge his daughter's dishonor.

The scene of the duel in the court is one of those extolled by the Times. Another is the launching of a pilot boat in a rampaging storm--ambitious staging that was admired by the reviewer.

The cast of the play was made up of the resident players of the time, led by William Terriss and Jessie Millward in the title roles. Harry Nicholls had the task of sustaining "almost the whole comic element," and W. L. Abingdon took the role of the villain. Terriss took his usual heroic role, assisted by Charles J. Fulton, the pilot, and Vincent Sternroyd as the French officer.

Again, the production itself gained plaudits. The stage was filled with marching, kilted regiments that provided a magnificent military show designed to stir the patriotic British heart.

Jessie Millward "was hardly at her best as the female villain of the piece, but that was the fault of the character rather than of the actress" (Theatre, 1 February 1896, p. 100.) She was absent from the cast from the end of January 1896 until almost the end of February.

One of the Best played through the first part of June, with the theatre darkened on Good Friday. Near the end of April, Edward Sass was replaced by J. Cole in the role of Lt. General Coventry, and J. D. Beveridge replaced Athol Forde as Jason Jupp. Both replacements lasted until the end of the season (June 6, 1896).

George Rowell claims that a supernumerary in One of the Best was Richard Archer Prince who was tricked by Abingdon into believing he was to understudy Terriss. A mock rehearsal was called and Prince became the object of much ridicule. He was not rehired after the run of the play because few supernumeraries were needed. In fact, a large number were required. In his unbalanced state, he came to blame Terriss for these indignities (William Terriss and Richard Prince, pp. 65-66).

This was the first season that the Adelphi used its telephone to sell tickets. Although the theatre had subscribed to the Exchange System (number 2645) of the United Telephone Company as early as 1885, it had apparently restricted use of the phone to business calls. At twenty pounds a year, most families could not afford to be private subscribers. In order to encourage domestic use of the telephone, the company published extracts from articles extolling its virtues. "Sometimes my husband telephones to me from the City that 'he has asked two friends to dine with us in the evening; to be sure to give them a good dinner, and to order a carriage to take us to the theatre in the evening'" (Three Victorian Telephone Directories).

TC