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Adapted from J. R. Planché's extravaganza The Golden Branch (1847), possibly by George Fawcett, this production contained local allusions and 'some judicious excisions and curtailments' (Argus 29 December 1859, p.5). Bell's Life in Victoria theatre critic writes in this respect :
'The pantomime ... is stated to be from the pen of Planché, but we have a shrewd suspicion that that versatile author would scarcely recognise the offspring of his brain in the bantling which was ushered into existence on Boxing night. The compiler appears to have brought Planché, Mark Lemon, Albert Smith, and even Angus Reach, under contribution; and while some jokes are evidently of local coinage, the majority carry us back to Miss Farebrother, Frank Matthews, or the Keeleys at the Lyceum, or Bland at the Haymarket. This pun comes from Camaralzaman and Badoura, that from the Melbourne Punch; this from The Wood Demon and that from Tom Nunn' (31 December 1859, p2.).
One of the topical issues raised was the withdrawal of religious instruction from schools.
The story concerns Princess Dumpy (only daughter of King Humpy) and Prince Humpy (only 'che-ild' of King Brown, tyrant of the Silly Islands), who have both been turned into ugly monsters by a wicked fairy. Their 'dreadfully tangled and confused' story, their fortunes, transformation, and ultimately happy love unfold during the first part of the production, with the final section devoted to the traditional harlequinade.
Production Details
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1859: Theatre Royal, Melbourne, 26 December 1859 - 7 January 1860.
- Proprietor G. V. Brooke; Scenic Art John Hennings.
- Cast incl. Fanny Morgan (Princess Dumpy), George Fawcett (Prince Humpy), Tilly Earl [Mrs John Edouin] (Pastorella, a fairy of the new school), Amy Howard (Mandragora, the wicked fairy), Fanny Young (Suivanta, Princess Dumpy's maid), Emily Holroyd (Transimenus, an enchanted prince), Mr Lambert (King Brown / King Humpy), Harry Jackson (Quiver, Captain of the Guard), Mr Birch (Humguffin), George Leopold, Tom Leopold, Fraulein Fannie [Mrs Tom Leopold] (Columbine), Mrs Hancock (Benignanta, an enchanted queen).
- 11 performances.
- The Argus reports that at one stage during the debut performance, a row broke out within the audience over 'convention politics and Belvidere law, [but this] was very happily appeased by the tact of Mr Lambert, who appealed successfully to the audience for the usual latitude to harmless Christmas jesting' (29 December 1859, p.5).
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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Theatre Royal
1859
single work
review
— Appears in: Bell's Life in Victoria , 31 December 1859; (p. 2)
— Review of Harlequin Prince Humpy Dumpy ; Or, The Magic Eagle and the Golden Branch 1859 single work musical theatre -
Theatre Royal
1859
single work
review
— Appears in: The Argus , 27 December 1859; (p. 5)
— Review of Harlequin Prince Humpy Dumpy ; Or, The Magic Eagle and the Golden Branch 1859 single work musical theatre
-
Theatre Royal
1859
single work
review
— Appears in: The Argus , 27 December 1859; (p. 5)
— Review of Harlequin Prince Humpy Dumpy ; Or, The Magic Eagle and the Golden Branch 1859 single work musical theatre -
Theatre Royal
1859
single work
review
— Appears in: Bell's Life in Victoria , 31 December 1859; (p. 2)
— Review of Harlequin Prince Humpy Dumpy ; Or, The Magic Eagle and the Golden Branch 1859 single work musical theatre
PeriodicalNewspaper Details
This entry has been sourced from research undertaken by Dr Clay Djubal into Australian-written popular music theatre (ca. 1850-1930). See also the Australian Variety Theatre Archive
Details have also been derived in part from the Annotated Calendar of Plays Premiered in Australia: 1850-1869.