AustLit

A burlesque on the Arthurian theme, Akhurst's version is partly based on both Tennyson's Idylls of the King and Sir Thomas Mallory's collection of ancient metrical romances. The production typically featured local allusions and topical issues throughout, including Collins Street, the Jones vs Randell case (which saw the Commissioner of Railways triumph over Constitutional Association, led by Mr Jones), and personalities such as the Fenians and Otto von Bismarck. The Age theatre critic writes of Akhurst's treatment that 'The dialogue is smartly written, and abounds (as all burlesques must necessarily do) in puns, good, bad and indifferent... It is not on his puns alone, however, that Mr Akhurst depends for the success of his pieces. He is exceedingly happy in his selection of music and King Arthur is replete with melodic gems of great beauty' (2 November 1868, p.3). The critic also notes that the production contained a number of amusing comic songs, several of which were written (or re-written) to satirise well-known personalities. Notable here were 'The Late Lamented Jones' (sung by Henry R. Harwood), 'Beautiful Nell' (duet between Marian Dunn and Docy Stewart), and 'The Cantering Cad of Collins Street (sung by Richard Stewart).

The musical element included ballets and songs of both operatic style and popular styles. 'Popular London airs of the day' were 'Pull, Pull Together Boys', 'Riding on the Donkey', 'Bold Burgendy Ben', 'The Five O'clock Bus', 'Smart Isobella', 'Pretty Polly, Do Say Yes', 'Tootal, Tootal on the Cornet', and 'The Galloping Snob'. Other songs included 'La Polka Des Sabots' (Varney), 'Couplets of the King (from La Belle Helene), 'Valse Song, Joyous Life', 'Voici le Sabre' (from the Grand Duchess of Gerolstein), 'Volta la Terres (from Un Ballo in Maschere), 'Valse Song' (from Gounod's Romeo and Juliet), 'Come Home, Father', and a Grand Plantation Walk-around (Age 6 November 1868, p.4). Advertising in the South Australian Register in March 1870 indicates that a new 'local' song, 'That's What They Say About It,' had been introduced into the production (8 Mar. 1870, p.1).

Nellie Stewart, in her autobiography My Life's Story, writes that 'the music of The Grand Duchess was used almost in its entirety in [the] burlesque of King Arthur' (p.22).