AustLit

Adapted by Marcus Clarke from W. S. Gilbert and Gilbert A' Beckett's burlesque of the same name (1873), The Happy Land is a two act satire in blank verse and prose, which targets a tinder-dry political subject - the row between Graham Berry's Liberal government and the Legislative Council. Clarke's text, which adheres fairly closely to the English play in all but the local detail, contains explicit and controversial references to Melbourne politics, personalities and issues, was not surprisingly banned in Melbourne by the government censor.

The story begins with reports being brought to Fairyland from Melbourne which indicate that Victoria must be the Eldorado as claimed in the press. The fairies send Victoria three of their most popular 'statesmen' to teach the government the principles of 'Popular Government.' The fairy statesmen form into government and opposition and examine the former's suitability for office by distributing portfolios to the most venal and incompetent. The opposition grow discontented and determine to strike a blow for liberty. In the end the Fairies decide that Popular Government is too expensive a luxury.

• NB: Robert Percy Whitworth and Henry E. Walton have also been credited authorship of The Happy Land. See 'Note' below for further insight into this issue.

[Source: Australian Variety Theatre Archive]

A joint creation by Henry Walton and 'a local author' (possibly Marcus Clarke), Agapemone is described in advertising as an 'original serio-comic, musical, satirical and political play' (Age 18 February 1880, p.4), that chronicles the Liberal Ministry during the pre-election period. The Age notes that the play was rumoured to be 'similar to the Happy Land comedy, which proved such an ignominious failure at the Academy of Music a few weeks ago.' In this respect the apparent similarities were no doubt due to Agapemone's pointed references to the Victorian government's suppression of the earlier Marcus Clarke work. The chief characters are: 'Immortals,' Fairy B (representing Chief Minister, Graham Berry), Fairy O'L (Attorney-General, Mr O'Loghen), Fairy W. (Commissioner of Railways, Mr Woods) and Fairy H. A. ('Henderson Africanus'); and 'Mortals,' the Hon Mrs A, the Hon Mrs B, and the Hon Mrs C.

The entertainment consisted of a dialogue between the various characters, which allowed the Victorian political institutions, and the Berry government in particular, to be ridiculed. The Age critic indicates that 'the hackneyed abuse and the tittle-tattle of the Conservative press over the previous three years was dished up in as disagreeable and offensive language as possible. The critic goes on further to suggest that 'those who went expecting to enjoy a clever performance, or even a few good jokes, must have been sadly disappointed. There [is] hardly anything in the play worth being called comical; what there was in it pretending to be of that character was too vulgar and contemptible to excite honest laughter… it is not likely that Acapemone will have a long run' (20 February 1880, p.3). The Argus critic, on the other hand, viewed the production more positively, writing: 'The hits at the present government, some of which are very hard, seemed to be immensely enjoyed by the audience, which was quick to understand the allusions' (20 February 1880, p.5).

Although advertised as incorporating music in the production, the details of this are unclear. The relationship it bears with The Happy Land, both through authorship and content, suggests, however, that the 'comedy' if not a burlesque may not have been too dissimilar to the burletta genre.

[Source: Australian Variety Theatre Archive]