AustLit

The dramatic action concerns the arrest, conviction and incarceration on Devil's Island of French artillery officer, Captain Alfred Dreyfus.

The play's settings are : Act 1; Sc1. The Happy Home of Dreyfus ; Sc 2. Courtyard of Mdlle Du Pay's Hotel ; Sc 3. Intelligence Department of War Office ; The Arrest of Dreyfus ; Act 2. Sc 1. A Street in Paris ; Jewish Riots ; Sc 2. Another Street in Paris ; Sc 3. The Cherche Midi Prison ; The Court Martial ; Sc 4. The Prison Corridor ; On the Way to Degradations ; Sc 5. The College, Military Square ; The Degradation ; Act 3. The Isle Du Diable (or Devil's Island) ; The Prison Cell ; Tableau 1. The Prisoner at Exercise ; Persecution and Attempt to Drive Dreyfus to Suicide ; Tableau 2. Bureau of the Minister for War ; Dreyfus Placed in Irons and Strapped to Bed ; Tableau 3. A Street in Paris ; Supposed Suicide of Colonel Henry ; Act 4; Sc 1. Madame Dreyfus's Residence at Rennes ; Dreyfus's Return ; Sc 2. A Street in Rennes ; Sc 3. The Market Square, Rennes ; The President's Pardon (ctd. Sydney Morning Herald 21 October 1899, p2).

'The plot is the effort of D'Artagnan, the Gascon gallant, to serve the, Queen, and so save her from the snares of Richelieu, who is pictured as endeavouring to compass the downfall of her Majesty in order to promote his ends with the King. To accomplish his purpose the Cardinal employs Milady, an adventurous, beautiful, but unscrupulous woman whose purpose it is the duty of D'Artagnan to frustrate. The hero fulfills his mission, after many exciting and sensational adventures, which help to create a plot of intense interest and graphic impressions. In some respect, the authors do not adhere closely to the book, but the departure may be justified inasmuch as it adds to the melodramatic effect... ('Three Musketeers at the Criterion', p.2).

Bert Royle's text for the burlesque is said to follow the original storlyline closely, though much of the dialogue and all of the songs were 'obviously new.' It is likely, however, that some of the material may well have been based on an earlier burlesque of the Black-Eyed Susan story, staged in 1890 by John F. Sheridan, and for which Royle contributed lyrics to J. A. Robertson's music. One of the most ludicrous incidents in the burlesque, records the Sydney Morning Herald critic was the scene in which 'a boat full of tars who rowed gaily over the waves, and then, to the delight of the whole house, walked upon the stage with the shell of the boat round their waists.' Another particular highlight was Crosstree's escape over a human bridge formed by four acrobats (6).

Musical numbers incorporated into the narrative included the songs 'Too Long A-Lingering' (sung by Fred Dark), 'The Gipps Street Buccaneers' (trio), 'At Four O'clock in the Morning' (Forde); and a nautical dance performed by the 'tiny' child Kitty Lohr.

Staged with no less than twelve scenes in its three act division, along with the traditional harlequinade and transformation fantasy, and with many of the scenes again subdivided, the production was said to 'bristle with incident' (Sydney Morning Herald 24 December 1894, p.6). Topical allusions, 'atrocious puns' and 'awful political squibs' aimed at prominent local politicians were said to be numerous. Indeed, the Herald's theatre critic records that 'during a casual lapse into plot, one gathers from the dialogue that the house that Jack was to build was a new house for the Legislature of this long-suffering colony. This transpires in fitful flashes in the utterance of heroic metre that permits itself generous license as to scansion; but it is made perfectly plain in the elaborate set piece that is arranged to illustrate the idea' (6).

Musical highlights included the songs 'I Don't Suppose You Have' (sung by Florrie Forde), 'The Charming Slave Ballet;' and 'The Fire Ballet,' with the latter having been devised by George Rignold. Set in the witch's cave, and performed by the Fairy Butterflies, this sensation dance required the dancers to be surrounded by flames, an effect which was claimed had never been tried on any stage in Australia. The Sydney Morning Herald review describes the ballet thus:

Several highly materialised spooks... [dance] a la Macbeth round a cauldron. Presently they set fire to a pile of faggots underneath, and the cauldron is transformed into a sort of shell, wherein rests a beautiful maiden. The flames rise, surround her, and play furiously about her beautiful form, but she preserves a serene smile as one whose conscience is easy and who has a heavy life insurance policy. Then she rises and dances gracefully amid the flames, and soon she is joined by dozens of others (p.6).

Other highlights included 'Christmas in England - Revels in the Snow,' 'The Ascent of the Flying Machine,' and 'The Ogre's Palace of Cards

A number of performers from the 1894 Her Majesty's (Sydney) season were engaged for a tour under the title the Royal Variety and Ballad Company. Jack the Giant Killer's 'Grand Pantomime Harlequinade,' which had been invented and arranged by Will Perman, was staged as a second part extravaganza (with the first part being essentially a minstrel/vaudeville programme. Advertising for the Brisbane Theatre Royal season indicates that the harlequinade was staged in two scenes: Sc 1. 'Regent Street in Humpybong'; Sc 2. 'Any Place You Know Of.'

[Source: Australian Variety Theatre Archive]

Written and arranged expressly for the Theatre Royal by Frank Ayrton and localized by Nat Gould, Babes in the Wood was essentially an Australianised adaptation of the much travestied story. Produced by George Rignold this Christmas pantomime is said to have been staged in the traditional fashion, although a significant change was made to the narrative development by presenting the babes as cousins in order to provide a 'proper amount of "sweethearting'" ('Musical and Dramatic Notes,' Sydney Morning Herald 19 Dec. 1891, p.5).

The pantomime was viewed by one critic as having been produced according to the necessities of the cast, however, and as a consequence 'the youthful innocence [of the babes] was not essayed, and the treatment [could] at best be described as serio-comic.' In this regard the critic found that the credibility of the work suffered in no small way because of the age of the 'too old boy,' and the 'too saucy girl' suggested that the play was 'over-burdoned with dialogue and characterless music' ('Amusements,' p.5).

Opening in the familiar 'Home of Pantomime,' a glittering stalactite cave, the Gnome King, the Spirit of Pantomime and Father Christmas are proffered subjects for the story until finally they settle on The Babes in the Wood. The scene then changes to the exterior of Sherwood Castle where the audience is introduced to the main characters: the babes, their wicked uncle Sir Rupert de Guile, the two burlesque ruffians Roger Ruthless and Timothy Trembline, and Robin Hood and Maid Marion. The dramatic action loosely follows the usual story, with the babes being lost in the woods and various situations, both comic and pathetic ensuing.

The second act presented a series of 'Dances Of All Nations,' a 'Toy Review' and a cascading fountain of water which flowed beneath coloured lights, while third act highlights were played out in the rich interior of a baronial hall, and included a 'powder and puff' gavotte and a grotesque musical interlude performed by the Leslie Brothers. The transformation scene saw the stage become a blaze of colour with the dazzling framework of flowers and fruits leading to the traditional harlequinade.

Written and arranged expressly for George Rignold this 1891 production, according to the Sydney Morning Herald's theatre critic, 'wisely kept to the story which every child knows... without any complication elements' ('Dick Whittington at Her Majesty's,' p.5). The story emerges from the enmity existing between King Rat and Fairy Silvertone over the fortunes of young Dick Whittington. After having declared war on the Fairy Queen, she vows to protect Dick with the aid of Truth and Industry.

Some of the scene highlights included a ballet of Australian flowers, a raft scene, a battle between Cat and Rats at the palace of the Emperor of Morocco, and a scene at the Guildhall with a procession of various trades. The Herald's review also makes favourable comment on the 'many songs full of local and topical hits,' and records that Maggie Moore, who appears in almost every scene, also has 'at least one song in each' (p.5).