AustLit

An advertisement for the Prince of Wales Opera House production of John Oxenford's East Lynne and Robert Whitworth's The Derby Day (act two only) on 12 September 1868.

An advertisement for the Prince of Wales Opera House (aka Prince of Wales Theatre) production of Morris Barnett's Sarah the Creole; or, Snakes in the Grass on 14 September 1868. The evening's performance, under the patronage of New South Wales Governor, Earl Belmore, is a benefit for the Royal Alfred Australian Volunteer Fire Company.

The version of the advertisement published on 14 September 1868 includes the additional information that the evening's entertainment will conclude with Whitebait at Greenwich.

An advertisement for the Royal Victoria Theatre production by William Gourlay and his family of 'Mrs. M'Gregor's Levee' on 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 September 1868. Additional items on the program, with some nightly variation, include Joseph Lunn's The Rights of Woman, Henry Mayhew's The Wandering Minstrel, and 'The Loves of Dumbiedikes and Jeannie Deans' from Walter Scott's Heart of Midlothian.

(It is not clear from the advertisement, see for instance the 9 September 1868 advertisement, whether the excerpt from Heart of Midlothian was directly from Walter Scott's novel or from one of the Heart of Midlothian stage adaptations.)

The Empire provides a summary of the contents of British journals for July 1868. The journals referenced are: the Fortnightly Review, the Contemporary Review, the British Quarterly, Fraser, Cornhill, Macmillan's Magazine, Gentleman's Magazine, Tinsley's Magazine, Belgravia, Temple Bar, Colburn's New Monthly, St James's Magazine, London Society, Table Talk, All the Year Round and Chambers's Journal.

The writer of this prose piece goes 'in search of an hour's entertainment' in Sydney and finds himself in a theatre where the audience 'is composed entirely of the male sex' and where drinks are regularly plied by attentive waiters. The writer describes, in some detail, the interior of the theatre and the musical items presented. He concludes: 'There being an intermission of some minutes, we left, having accomplished our task and obtained an hour's amusement.' (Neither the venue nor the exact location of this 'amusement' is provided in the article.)

The Empire hopes that the public will 'come forward liberally and supplement the funds' available to the Royal Alfred Australian Volunteer Company by their attendance at the Prince of Wales Theatre on 14 September 1868. The evening's entertainment is a production of Morris Barnett's Sarah the Creole; or, Snakes in the Grass.

The 'Flaneur' muses on Sydney's recent political and social occurrences. His subjects include the establishment of Moore Park, the keeping of records on deceased persons, and a plea to end slavery in the Australian colonies.