DOI issue:
November 25, 1865
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16876#0225
November 25, 1865.] PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI, 213
“It all Depends upon Putting the Leggin’s on Neatly, to look
like reg’lar-built Nickernockers ! ”
KING JOHN” IN PRIVATE.
Sir,
I wrote to you, some time since, drawing the attention of
Shakespearian amateurs generally to the opportunities afforded by the
great William for developing what the professionals would correctly
term “small parts.” I gave you a practical illustration in my per-
formance of Friar John in Romeo and Juliet. I wish to tell your
readers, exempli gratia, (which I hope they’ll follow,) what I did with
another small part that all the members of our Amateur Dramatic Club
had refused.
We selected King John for our representation.
After forming my idea, I went to Drury Lane to see what was done
with the drama in that place. I saw Mr. Phelps as King John,
and Master Percy Roselle as Prince Arthur. The child is
apparently too young for the character; but, be that as it may, he
is the best Prince that ever I saw, and so powerfully did he appeal
to the sympathies of his audience, that I know more than one
member of the male sex present who was obliged to use his opera-
glasses every other minute and blow his nose violently. Mr. Ander-
son was capital, and so was Mr. Barsby, but all the French
people, the Dauphin and so forth, ought to imitate the pronun-
ciation of Mr. Fechter or Madame Celeste. 1 had a great mind to
write to the management, and inform them that I thought someone
was tickling the legs of the old citizen of Angers, who appears on the
walls of that obstinate town: he seemed uncomfortable. Is there any
historical evidence to show that it wasn’t the season at Angers when
King John called on them, and so there were only two elderly gentle-
men stopping in the town ? That, however, was not my point. Our
performance preceded my visit to Drury Lane, and we had all sorts of
people on our walls—old men, young men, the Mayor, and little dirty
town boys come to see what was going on. (At least this is what I advised
them to have, but we could only get one man, and he was so frightened
that he couldn’t parley at all, but yielded to the Prompter, who
appeared on the walls of Angers with his marked edition of the play.)
What character, you will ask, did I play ? Sir, I chose Peter. Peter,
Sir, is the fanatic who prophesied that King John should on Ascension
Day yield up his Crown: and Peter was right.
I accepted the part on condition that I might “ do what I liked with
it,” and have a procession, it I wished, at my own expense. I saw what
the depths of this part were. First, as to the dress. He was a sort of
hermit; something between that and a ballad-singer. His fame as a
Prophet {vide play) had reached, probably, across the wide Atlantic,
and certainly far beyond the shores of England. He wouldn’t prophesy
for nothing: therefore he would have received presents: therefore he
would be rich; therefore he would be dressed gorgeously. But how
I does a Prophet dress when he dresses gorgeously ? 1 was at my wits’
end, until somebody said Mario, and my mind reverted to Le Prophete.
The very thing: so after a short consultation with my costumier, I
I adopted a style of dress closely resembling that of the Operatic Jean.
A dress of Jean! wasn’t that an idea! Admirable!
He appears in Act IV., Sc. 2, and on the stage are noblemen, gentle-
men, and the King himself. Falconbridge introduces Peter. I refused
to come in until the line, “ Not knowing what they fear and full of
fear,” had been given. Then, by pre-arrangement and paying extra
men in the orchestra, there was a flourish of trumpets and a beating of
drums. Whereupon Falconbridge exclaims, “And here’s a Prophet,”
and before he concludes his line, Peter is to enter, preceded and accom-
panied as follows:—
Five Heralds.
Knights Templars who have come from the Holy Land in order to see Peter.
[Here the Band strike up the celebrated March from “ Le Prophete.”
Deputation of Foreigners who had heard of Peter, with drums.
Deputation of Deaf Gentlemen who hadn’t heard of Peter, with ear-trumpets
Arabs laden with Camels, and other presents for the Holy Man.
Citizens of Pomfret. The Mayor, Ladies of Pomfret.
(Supposed to be a supporter of Peter.)
A Rich Relation who hates Peter.
The Family of the Prophet. His Grandfather, a Centenarian
Somebody who knew Peter at home.
Acolytes. Effigy of Peter, the Hermit. Acolytes.
(His ancestor.)
Servants bearing presents made to the Prophet.
Servants bearing instruments from the Prophet’s Laboratory.
Black Boy carrying a Girl carrying a Stuffed Black Boy carrying a
Crucible. Crocodile. Brazier.
Peter's Private Secretary.
Music Publishers of the Period who want the Copyright of
Peter’s Songs.
The Prophet’s Clerk.
Four Halberdiers carrying on their bucklers
Peter of Pomfret.
Behind him “ treading on his heels ” come “ many hundreds.”
They cheer him. Boys shout. Flourish of Trumpets.
Then Falconbridge continues his speech, and Peter dissents or
assents, as the case may be. Now Peter has but one line to say, and
any one who knows what “ business ” or “ pantomime ” means, will
be able to make this speech immensely telling. He is accused of pro-
phesying the King’s death, and then
King John. “Thou idle dreamer, wherefore didst thou so ? ”
[Peter beckons to his Clerk, who whispers in his ear. They whisper
in each other's ears. The Clerk departs to fetch Peter’s books.
In the meantime the deputations and his admirers offer him
presents, the rich relation stands apart and scowls on him, and
the family, who have never seen the King, make the most of the
present opportunity. The Prophet rejects the presents, and in
pantomime intimates that he despises his rich relation. The
Clerk returns with folios and not e-books. Peter consults them,
to see if the charge brought against him is correct, and whether,
according to custom, he had booked that particular prophecy,
Finding that he has given the tip, he closes the volume, wipes his
spectacles, while the rich relation smiles sarcastically, and walks
down to the centre of the Stage. Mysterious music. Black boys
bring crucible and brazier. Thunder, lightning. Peter goes
through an incantation. People shudder. After this,
Peter {calmly). “ Foreknowing” {slowly) “that the Truth” {politely
takes Falcon bridge’s helmet as if for the cannon-ball trick) “ will—fall
out—so ! ” [Cannon-ball falls out of helmet. Great applause. Thunder.
King John. “ Hubert, away with him ! ” &c., &c. {Fight between
partisans: quieted by Peter.) “Let him be hanged ! ”
[Peter falls on his grandfather's shoulders, is torn from his weeping
family, shakes hands with his rich relation, who promises in pan-
tomime that he will be good to his children: then Peter falls
into Hubert’s arms, and is carried out.
You may by this possibly understand to what perfection I brought
this small part. Let this be a lesson to all Managers, Actors, and
honest students of Shakspeare.
The Organ of the Kirk.
Church music is beginning to find favour in the Scottish Kirk. In
Glasgow organs have been lately introduced into four of the Established
Churches. Perhaps there are still a few of the disciples ct John Knox
in whose eyes organs are obnoxious. There are, however, other instru-
ments that even they might be induced to tolerate. They will still
perhaps object to the organ that it is “ akist fu’ o’ whistles,” but they
cannot possibly make that objection to the bagpipe.
HIGHLY PROBABLE.
We understand that in consequence of the high price of meat, the
Beef-eaters at the Tower have all turned Vegetarians.
Advice to Captain Coles.—Go into a towering passion.
“It all Depends upon Putting the Leggin’s on Neatly, to look
like reg’lar-built Nickernockers ! ”
KING JOHN” IN PRIVATE.
Sir,
I wrote to you, some time since, drawing the attention of
Shakespearian amateurs generally to the opportunities afforded by the
great William for developing what the professionals would correctly
term “small parts.” I gave you a practical illustration in my per-
formance of Friar John in Romeo and Juliet. I wish to tell your
readers, exempli gratia, (which I hope they’ll follow,) what I did with
another small part that all the members of our Amateur Dramatic Club
had refused.
We selected King John for our representation.
After forming my idea, I went to Drury Lane to see what was done
with the drama in that place. I saw Mr. Phelps as King John,
and Master Percy Roselle as Prince Arthur. The child is
apparently too young for the character; but, be that as it may, he
is the best Prince that ever I saw, and so powerfully did he appeal
to the sympathies of his audience, that I know more than one
member of the male sex present who was obliged to use his opera-
glasses every other minute and blow his nose violently. Mr. Ander-
son was capital, and so was Mr. Barsby, but all the French
people, the Dauphin and so forth, ought to imitate the pronun-
ciation of Mr. Fechter or Madame Celeste. 1 had a great mind to
write to the management, and inform them that I thought someone
was tickling the legs of the old citizen of Angers, who appears on the
walls of that obstinate town: he seemed uncomfortable. Is there any
historical evidence to show that it wasn’t the season at Angers when
King John called on them, and so there were only two elderly gentle-
men stopping in the town ? That, however, was not my point. Our
performance preceded my visit to Drury Lane, and we had all sorts of
people on our walls—old men, young men, the Mayor, and little dirty
town boys come to see what was going on. (At least this is what I advised
them to have, but we could only get one man, and he was so frightened
that he couldn’t parley at all, but yielded to the Prompter, who
appeared on the walls of Angers with his marked edition of the play.)
What character, you will ask, did I play ? Sir, I chose Peter. Peter,
Sir, is the fanatic who prophesied that King John should on Ascension
Day yield up his Crown: and Peter was right.
I accepted the part on condition that I might “ do what I liked with
it,” and have a procession, it I wished, at my own expense. I saw what
the depths of this part were. First, as to the dress. He was a sort of
hermit; something between that and a ballad-singer. His fame as a
Prophet {vide play) had reached, probably, across the wide Atlantic,
and certainly far beyond the shores of England. He wouldn’t prophesy
for nothing: therefore he would have received presents: therefore he
would be rich; therefore he would be dressed gorgeously. But how
I does a Prophet dress when he dresses gorgeously ? 1 was at my wits’
end, until somebody said Mario, and my mind reverted to Le Prophete.
The very thing: so after a short consultation with my costumier, I
I adopted a style of dress closely resembling that of the Operatic Jean.
A dress of Jean! wasn’t that an idea! Admirable!
He appears in Act IV., Sc. 2, and on the stage are noblemen, gentle-
men, and the King himself. Falconbridge introduces Peter. I refused
to come in until the line, “ Not knowing what they fear and full of
fear,” had been given. Then, by pre-arrangement and paying extra
men in the orchestra, there was a flourish of trumpets and a beating of
drums. Whereupon Falconbridge exclaims, “And here’s a Prophet,”
and before he concludes his line, Peter is to enter, preceded and accom-
panied as follows:—
Five Heralds.
Knights Templars who have come from the Holy Land in order to see Peter.
[Here the Band strike up the celebrated March from “ Le Prophete.”
Deputation of Foreigners who had heard of Peter, with drums.
Deputation of Deaf Gentlemen who hadn’t heard of Peter, with ear-trumpets
Arabs laden with Camels, and other presents for the Holy Man.
Citizens of Pomfret. The Mayor, Ladies of Pomfret.
(Supposed to be a supporter of Peter.)
A Rich Relation who hates Peter.
The Family of the Prophet. His Grandfather, a Centenarian
Somebody who knew Peter at home.
Acolytes. Effigy of Peter, the Hermit. Acolytes.
(His ancestor.)
Servants bearing presents made to the Prophet.
Servants bearing instruments from the Prophet’s Laboratory.
Black Boy carrying a Girl carrying a Stuffed Black Boy carrying a
Crucible. Crocodile. Brazier.
Peter's Private Secretary.
Music Publishers of the Period who want the Copyright of
Peter’s Songs.
The Prophet’s Clerk.
Four Halberdiers carrying on their bucklers
Peter of Pomfret.
Behind him “ treading on his heels ” come “ many hundreds.”
They cheer him. Boys shout. Flourish of Trumpets.
Then Falconbridge continues his speech, and Peter dissents or
assents, as the case may be. Now Peter has but one line to say, and
any one who knows what “ business ” or “ pantomime ” means, will
be able to make this speech immensely telling. He is accused of pro-
phesying the King’s death, and then
King John. “Thou idle dreamer, wherefore didst thou so ? ”
[Peter beckons to his Clerk, who whispers in his ear. They whisper
in each other's ears. The Clerk departs to fetch Peter’s books.
In the meantime the deputations and his admirers offer him
presents, the rich relation stands apart and scowls on him, and
the family, who have never seen the King, make the most of the
present opportunity. The Prophet rejects the presents, and in
pantomime intimates that he despises his rich relation. The
Clerk returns with folios and not e-books. Peter consults them,
to see if the charge brought against him is correct, and whether,
according to custom, he had booked that particular prophecy,
Finding that he has given the tip, he closes the volume, wipes his
spectacles, while the rich relation smiles sarcastically, and walks
down to the centre of the Stage. Mysterious music. Black boys
bring crucible and brazier. Thunder, lightning. Peter goes
through an incantation. People shudder. After this,
Peter {calmly). “ Foreknowing” {slowly) “that the Truth” {politely
takes Falcon bridge’s helmet as if for the cannon-ball trick) “ will—fall
out—so ! ” [Cannon-ball falls out of helmet. Great applause. Thunder.
King John. “ Hubert, away with him ! ” &c., &c. {Fight between
partisans: quieted by Peter.) “Let him be hanged ! ”
[Peter falls on his grandfather's shoulders, is torn from his weeping
family, shakes hands with his rich relation, who promises in pan-
tomime that he will be good to his children: then Peter falls
into Hubert’s arms, and is carried out.
You may by this possibly understand to what perfection I brought
this small part. Let this be a lesson to all Managers, Actors, and
honest students of Shakspeare.
The Organ of the Kirk.
Church music is beginning to find favour in the Scottish Kirk. In
Glasgow organs have been lately introduced into four of the Established
Churches. Perhaps there are still a few of the disciples ct John Knox
in whose eyes organs are obnoxious. There are, however, other instru-
ments that even they might be induced to tolerate. They will still
perhaps object to the organ that it is “ akist fu’ o’ whistles,” but they
cannot possibly make that objection to the bagpipe.
HIGHLY PROBABLE.
We understand that in consequence of the high price of meat, the
Beef-eaters at the Tower have all turned Vegetarians.
Advice to Captain Coles.—Go into a towering passion.