Billed as 'an original, mirthful, mystical, sophistical, cabalistical, phantastical, cryptical, onomantical, metrical and musical extravaganza,' the storyline is said to displayed 'no affinity to the great original in any respect and furnishes a totally dissimilar narrative.' The Sydney Morning Herald theatre critic writes further: 'The plot is indeed entirely the author's composition, or adaptation" (28 Dec. 1975, 15). Walch included numerous references to the Sydney scene, personalities and politics within the libretto and burlesqued a number of Shakespearian tragedies and performers. Some scenes also bear similarity to his previous productions Australia Felix (1873) and Adamanta (1874).
The prologue introduces New Year (as Old Year disappears) who allocates tasks to the Signs of the Zodiac. Venus and the Demon meanwhile declare their rivalry and the latter strikes the first blow by arranging for King Glorio's daughter, Beauty, to be kidnapped by the Beast, 'a sort of ourang-outang monarch with an apish army' who has long sough the hand of the young princess. In this plot he is aided by the Rose Queen's foe, Nightshade, and King Glorio's conniving Prime minister, Advelorem. Beauty is subsequently taken to the Isle of Monkeys and given a day to marry the Beast. The Rose Queen calls on the Pilgrim of Love, who has already wooed and won the heart of Beauty, to save Beauty and gives him two magic roses to help his quest. Complications arise, however, not the least being the theft of one of the magic roses by Beauty's older sister, Aquilina. This forces the Pilgrim to temporarily abandon his pursuit of Beauty until he recovers the rose. He eventually makes his way by ship to the Isle of the Monkeys, escorted by King Glorio and other members of the court, and with the aid of the Rose Queen and her fairies saves Beauty from her awful fate.
The synopsis of scenery and incidents as published in the Sydney Morning Herald are:
Prologue: Roofs of Houses near the General Post Office, and the Twelve Signs of the Zodiac;
Act 1 Scene 1. The Graden of Roses (incl. The Fairy Flower Statues, The Spelling Bee and The Talisman); Grand Ballet and Minuet;
Scene 2. Ante-Chamber in King Glorio's Palace;
Scene 3. Grand Square near the City Gates (incl. The King's Procession, and The March of the Amazons);
Act 2 Scene 1. Grand Salon on Board the King's Ship (incl The Magic Bird);
Scene 2. Grotesque Chamber in the Beast's Palace;
Scene 3. Monkey Land;
Scene 4. The Beast's Palace;
Scene 5. Cave Dungeon beneath the Beast's Palace (incl. The Lover's United).
Grand Transformation Scene: 1. The Silver Lakes in the Cave of Content; 2. The Floral Conservatory on the Boarders of Fairy Land; 3. The Temple of Apollo in the Vestibule of Coins and Jewels; 4. On the Boarders of Dreamland; 5. The Home of the Peri in the Pellucid Waters of the Crystal Lake; 6. The Rainbow of Ferns.
[Source: Australian Variety Theatre Archive]
