DOI issue:
August 21, 1886
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17656#0099
August 21, 1886.] PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI 93
REPORTS FROM THE GUNS.
(By D. Cbajibo, Jtjniok.)
In the Absence of Cover, Standing Cora interfered An abundance of Stubble favoured Preserves show a Falling Second Breads are Small
Birds were Wild. with Shooting. Operations. Off. and Weak.
A Wide Stretch of Mower. A Deer Run. Some Birds are rather Backward. A Strong Covey. Caper-Cailzie.
GODWIN'S GUILE;
A Stoby oe the Fool's Revenge.
Deae Me. Nibbs,
As you have asked me to report upon the recent doings at the
Opera Comique, I obey your commands. You must know, then, that
some little while ago this theatre was opened, with rather a flourish of
trumpets, under the management of Mr. E. W. Godwin, the great
authority upon Art and Costume. The campaign did not commence
with a new piece, hut reliance was placed upon The Fool's Revenge,
a clever adaptation of Le Roi s'Amuse, by the late Tom Tayloh, in
which—so rumour said—a well-known "professional Beauty" and
her sister had made their first appearance. The opening night was,
I am given to understand, a perfect triumph. Every place in the
house, 1 believe, was taken, and I am under the impression that even
Royalty was present. From the fact that the bill had to be
strengthened shortly^ afterwards, I feared that perhaps the " good
business " of the initial performance might have been transitory.
My apprehensions were soon verified, as, upon visiting the theatre
about a week or ten days ago, I found the numbers of those then
present insufficient (to put it mildly) to warrant a display of a
placard bearing the legend of "House quite full—standing room
only." It is unnecessary to say that no such misleading announce-
ment was made either in the lobby, which looked dull, or the entrance-
hall, which had the appearance of not being much frequented.
However, the two Plays (the Tragedy already mentioned was supple-
mented with Br. Davy) were interesting, and fairly acted. The
mounting of The Fool's Revenge was magnificent—dresses admir-
able, and scenery splendid. The " interiors " of the Ducal Palace,
and the house of the " Old Condottiere" in this clever piece, quite
realised Italian life at the end of, I think, the fifteenth century. The
two "professional Beauties" were very beautiful, and both of them
knew their parts. It would perhaps be difficult to find a better'' Fool"
than Mr. Hebma.nn Yezin, and Mr. Heebeet played another varia-
tion of the character with nearly equal success. The piece ended
■with rather a feeble tag from one of the "Beauties," to the effect that
she (the Beauty) was ready to answer for some deed or other (I think
it was poisoning her husband, or something equally excusable)
when called upon so to do. I have a foolish fancy that this was
not the last line in Mr. Taylob's adaptation, but I may be wrong.
Of Br. Bavy I can say little, as the attendant who furnished me
with a playbill rightly informed me that it did not contain a cast of
that piece. However, Mr. Vezin I distinctly recognised in the hero,
and to the best of my belief spotted one of the "Beauties" in the
part originally filled by poor Nellie Moose at the Haymarket. Mr.
vezln of course was Mr. Vezln, and the Beauty was better than she
had been in the Fool',s Revenge. Altogether, the Orchestra and
myself, and the rest of the audience had a very pleasant evening.
A few nights ago I repeated my visit, on the occasion of the pro-
duction of a comedy called Bachelors. As Mr. Buchanan was
associated, in the authorship, I was sure that the play would be
"true to life," and felt comfortable about the appropriateness of
the scenery, thanks to the fact that the theatre was under the
management of Mr. E. W. Godwin. The curtain rose upon one of
the most magnificent rooms I had ever seen, although it appeared
strangely familiar to me, which, however, had a decidedly foreign
appearance. I soon discovered that it was not intended to be foreign,
being merely an apartment in Bachelors' Hall. This thoroughly
English dwelling-place was tenanted by three Bachelors—a Q..C., a
Doctor of Medicine (who, I fancy, must have been intended to be
hiding away from the police, as he was not very well disguised in a
very false moustache), a Professor of Music, and also by a House-
keeper, her daughter, and a would-be comic Butler.
I soon ascertained that the Housekeeper was anxious to marry her
daughter to the Professor of Music, as the richest of her three
employers, from which I fancy the practice of the Q.C. (who, appa-
rently, was a leader in the Probate, Divorce, and Admiralty Divi-
sion) and the Doctor (whose patients, seemingly, received his
professional visits at eight in the morning) could not have been very
considerable. Later on, I found that the Q..C. had a nephew who
somehow or other had to marry a widow, to fulfil a legal necessity to
secure a fortune ; and who, consequently, did not wish to contract
the marriage. With the traditional shrewdness of one called within
the Bar, the O.C. strongly recommended his relative to refuse to
contract the match, his sole reason for giving this sage advice being
that bachelorhood was better than marriage. Then the wealthy
Professor of Music (who had, I believe, amassed his large fortune by
giving lessons on the piano in a provincial town) somehow or other
became|engaged to the widow, a friend of hers, and the Housekeeper's
daughter all at once. Then everything was explained, and the O.C.
(shrewd to the last) married the landlady.
This charming story of simple English life was illustrated (as I
have already hinted), with the most magnificent scenery. I have
said that the view of a dining-room in Bachelors' Hall, was magnifi-
cent, but words fail to express the splendours of the boudoir of the
widow—gorgeous colouring, beautiful decorations, even the sky seen
without was of pure Italian blue—Italian blue ! '' Italian blue!" As I
write a light grows in upon me. Where had I seen that beautiful
apartment in Bachelors' Hall before ? Where had I gazed upon the
familiar magnificence of thewidow's boudoir in more melancholy
days ? Answer to both questions—in the Fool's Revenge ! As the
Hall in the Ducal Palace ? As the room in the " Old Condottiere's "
house P I am afraid it was indeed the case! I can write no more !
I did think; yes, I did think, that with a theatre under the manage-
ment of Mr. E. W. Godwin that we should be certain of appropriate
scenery. To mount a quiet domestic Comedy of simple (very simple)
English life like Bachelors with "interiors" belonging to Italy at
the end of the fifteenth century was too much for
__Charles—Yoitb Felend.
A Pious Histeion.—To judge from the report of the finish of
Mr. Wilson Baebett's speech at his farewell theatrical banquet,—
when he invoked such a blessing on the company there assembled as
might benefit them during his temporary absence in America,—
should an under-study be at any time wanted to occupy the Rev.
Stewaet Headlam's pulpit, the Bishop of London need only send
to the Princess's Theatre. If Mr. Baeeett were a trifle stouter he
might make up for an Anglican dignitary, though there is something
in his face perhaps a little too Roman. We hope his American trip
will be successful, although {absit omen!) the voice of the WaKNEe
was heard from the chair on the occasion of this gushing farewell.
Why " farewell" ? Surely it is au revoir ?
REPORTS FROM THE GUNS.
(By D. Cbajibo, Jtjniok.)
In the Absence of Cover, Standing Cora interfered An abundance of Stubble favoured Preserves show a Falling Second Breads are Small
Birds were Wild. with Shooting. Operations. Off. and Weak.
A Wide Stretch of Mower. A Deer Run. Some Birds are rather Backward. A Strong Covey. Caper-Cailzie.
GODWIN'S GUILE;
A Stoby oe the Fool's Revenge.
Deae Me. Nibbs,
As you have asked me to report upon the recent doings at the
Opera Comique, I obey your commands. You must know, then, that
some little while ago this theatre was opened, with rather a flourish of
trumpets, under the management of Mr. E. W. Godwin, the great
authority upon Art and Costume. The campaign did not commence
with a new piece, hut reliance was placed upon The Fool's Revenge,
a clever adaptation of Le Roi s'Amuse, by the late Tom Tayloh, in
which—so rumour said—a well-known "professional Beauty" and
her sister had made their first appearance. The opening night was,
I am given to understand, a perfect triumph. Every place in the
house, 1 believe, was taken, and I am under the impression that even
Royalty was present. From the fact that the bill had to be
strengthened shortly^ afterwards, I feared that perhaps the " good
business " of the initial performance might have been transitory.
My apprehensions were soon verified, as, upon visiting the theatre
about a week or ten days ago, I found the numbers of those then
present insufficient (to put it mildly) to warrant a display of a
placard bearing the legend of "House quite full—standing room
only." It is unnecessary to say that no such misleading announce-
ment was made either in the lobby, which looked dull, or the entrance-
hall, which had the appearance of not being much frequented.
However, the two Plays (the Tragedy already mentioned was supple-
mented with Br. Davy) were interesting, and fairly acted. The
mounting of The Fool's Revenge was magnificent—dresses admir-
able, and scenery splendid. The " interiors " of the Ducal Palace,
and the house of the " Old Condottiere" in this clever piece, quite
realised Italian life at the end of, I think, the fifteenth century. The
two "professional Beauties" were very beautiful, and both of them
knew their parts. It would perhaps be difficult to find a better'' Fool"
than Mr. Hebma.nn Yezin, and Mr. Heebeet played another varia-
tion of the character with nearly equal success. The piece ended
■with rather a feeble tag from one of the "Beauties," to the effect that
she (the Beauty) was ready to answer for some deed or other (I think
it was poisoning her husband, or something equally excusable)
when called upon so to do. I have a foolish fancy that this was
not the last line in Mr. Taylob's adaptation, but I may be wrong.
Of Br. Bavy I can say little, as the attendant who furnished me
with a playbill rightly informed me that it did not contain a cast of
that piece. However, Mr. Vezin I distinctly recognised in the hero,
and to the best of my belief spotted one of the "Beauties" in the
part originally filled by poor Nellie Moose at the Haymarket. Mr.
vezln of course was Mr. Vezln, and the Beauty was better than she
had been in the Fool',s Revenge. Altogether, the Orchestra and
myself, and the rest of the audience had a very pleasant evening.
A few nights ago I repeated my visit, on the occasion of the pro-
duction of a comedy called Bachelors. As Mr. Buchanan was
associated, in the authorship, I was sure that the play would be
"true to life," and felt comfortable about the appropriateness of
the scenery, thanks to the fact that the theatre was under the
management of Mr. E. W. Godwin. The curtain rose upon one of
the most magnificent rooms I had ever seen, although it appeared
strangely familiar to me, which, however, had a decidedly foreign
appearance. I soon discovered that it was not intended to be foreign,
being merely an apartment in Bachelors' Hall. This thoroughly
English dwelling-place was tenanted by three Bachelors—a Q..C., a
Doctor of Medicine (who, I fancy, must have been intended to be
hiding away from the police, as he was not very well disguised in a
very false moustache), a Professor of Music, and also by a House-
keeper, her daughter, and a would-be comic Butler.
I soon ascertained that the Housekeeper was anxious to marry her
daughter to the Professor of Music, as the richest of her three
employers, from which I fancy the practice of the Q.C. (who, appa-
rently, was a leader in the Probate, Divorce, and Admiralty Divi-
sion) and the Doctor (whose patients, seemingly, received his
professional visits at eight in the morning) could not have been very
considerable. Later on, I found that the Q..C. had a nephew who
somehow or other had to marry a widow, to fulfil a legal necessity to
secure a fortune ; and who, consequently, did not wish to contract
the marriage. With the traditional shrewdness of one called within
the Bar, the O.C. strongly recommended his relative to refuse to
contract the match, his sole reason for giving this sage advice being
that bachelorhood was better than marriage. Then the wealthy
Professor of Music (who had, I believe, amassed his large fortune by
giving lessons on the piano in a provincial town) somehow or other
became|engaged to the widow, a friend of hers, and the Housekeeper's
daughter all at once. Then everything was explained, and the O.C.
(shrewd to the last) married the landlady.
This charming story of simple English life was illustrated (as I
have already hinted), with the most magnificent scenery. I have
said that the view of a dining-room in Bachelors' Hall, was magnifi-
cent, but words fail to express the splendours of the boudoir of the
widow—gorgeous colouring, beautiful decorations, even the sky seen
without was of pure Italian blue—Italian blue ! '' Italian blue!" As I
write a light grows in upon me. Where had I seen that beautiful
apartment in Bachelors' Hall before ? Where had I gazed upon the
familiar magnificence of thewidow's boudoir in more melancholy
days ? Answer to both questions—in the Fool's Revenge ! As the
Hall in the Ducal Palace ? As the room in the " Old Condottiere's "
house P I am afraid it was indeed the case! I can write no more !
I did think; yes, I did think, that with a theatre under the manage-
ment of Mr. E. W. Godwin that we should be certain of appropriate
scenery. To mount a quiet domestic Comedy of simple (very simple)
English life like Bachelors with "interiors" belonging to Italy at
the end of the fifteenth century was too much for
__Charles—Yoitb Felend.
A Pious Histeion.—To judge from the report of the finish of
Mr. Wilson Baebett's speech at his farewell theatrical banquet,—
when he invoked such a blessing on the company there assembled as
might benefit them during his temporary absence in America,—
should an under-study be at any time wanted to occupy the Rev.
Stewaet Headlam's pulpit, the Bishop of London need only send
to the Princess's Theatre. If Mr. Baeeett were a trifle stouter he
might make up for an Anglican dignitary, though there is something
in his face perhaps a little too Roman. We hope his American trip
will be successful, although {absit omen!) the voice of the WaKNEe
was heard from the chair on the occasion of this gushing farewell.
Why " farewell" ? Surely it is au revoir ?