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CARL T. SMITH
INNOVATIONS
In 1886 a musical sketch was introduced entitled “Cups and Saucers". It was written by George Goldsmith, Junior, as a satire against the craze of the day for collecting blue and white china at exorbitant prices. There were only two characters, one male, one female, the latter played by Mrs. Fraser-Smith, wife of the editor of the Hong Kong Telegraph. It contained the song "Foo-chow chan aring, ching a ring China”.
The Club announced another serious production for 1888, "The Rivals". There was the inevitable comparison with the earlier performance of "The School for Scandal".
When it was announced that the A.D.C. had resolved to play Sheridan's comedy of "The Rivals", many residents entertained the feeling that they had undertaken too much, although against this idea it could well be argued that the performances here of "The School for Scandal” were most enjoyable, it was argued that Sheridan's masterpiece was placed before the Hong Kong public when the A.D.C. was in the heyday of its existence. Furthermore, the successions of costume and scenery possible in "The School" were not available in “The Rivals". Looking at both of these performances, however, and taking into account the gorgeousness of scenery and dressing in "The School" as well as the exceptional ability of several of the actors who have passed away from these shifting scenes, we do not find that the A.D.C. did an unwise thing in deciding upon "The Rivals". The Amateurs and the public have had their share of burlesque and of modern pieces of late; and it was, we think, a healthy change to come back to the legitimate comedy of the last century.
The reviewer noted that two of the actors in "The Rivals" were well on their way to filling up a gap left by the retirement of Mr. Hockey (Mr. Atwell Coxon) and Mr. Treab (Mr. Beart), an accomplished comedian. One of the newcomers was Mr. James Whittall, later to become a taipan at Jardine Matheson and Company,
A first of a series of Christmas pantomimes was staged in 1889. It had "splendid spectacular effects, light and appropriate