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from Shanghai on the 20th. Despite that, the "soirée" was "kept up to a late hour with great spirit". The programme consisted of tunes by Dabney, de Costa and Tripp: one of them was called "Japanese make yourselves ready" (NCH 26.5.1855).
23.1.1856 (Wedn)
E. MAYHEW: "Make your Wills” (1836)
T: Farce (1 act)
W. BROUGH: "No 1 Round the Corner" (1854)
T: Farce (1 act)
J.M. MORTON: "Whitebait at Greenwich" (1853)
T: Farce (1 act)
C: Amateurs
F: Music
Th: D
N: Once more politics crept into the theatre since, due to the Anglo-French campaigns in the Crimean War, "the proscenium was very tastefully emblazoned with the arms and ciphers of the Allies”. The drop scene now represented the "Lake of Geneva with the far famed Castle of Chillon” (far famed because of Lord Byron's poem "The Prisoner of Chillon"). For a change the Herald allowed itself some criticism of the amateurs, but about the costumes only: "We are perfectly aware of the great difficulties which beset the wardrobe department of the Theatre here, but still we think that two or three alterations might be made with advantage. It must be remembered that the assumption of a part on the stage requires the submergence of the individual into his assumed character. Proteus must not be more unlike his last shape than the actor must be unlike his mere self and the difficulty of effecting this is enormously increased by an appearance in every-day costume. In melodramatic pieces some decided change is absolutely necessary because success depends on the power of exciting the sympathies of the audience for the various situations of the actors and it is quite impossible that the desponding accents of one young gentleman or the grasping villainy of another (both of whom we know to be very good fellows and far from desponding or hypocritical characters) in the garb of 1856 can excite these sympathies. In Farce it is less important because the effect depends upon a successful appeal to our sense of the ludicrous and this may be done by situations which are quite within the range of every-day life. (...) It also struck us that a little more attention to the chronology of dress would be attended with increased effect; there were two or three anachronisms: for instance the mob cap of Mrs. Foreright (a most admirable 'make-up' by the way) hardly accorded with the modern elegance of Clara; or the venerable beard of the implacable Mr. Ireton with the modern costume of his disinherited son. It is astonishing how greatly unity in these matters adds to the effect of such performances and in spite of the difficulties of such performances and in spite of the difficulties of securing dresses we think a consultation between the Manager and the performers might produce a harmony which would be attended with the best effect”. The music too was thought to be "ineffective", but for the remainder it was, as usual, amusing, with Whitebait at Greenwich as the hit of the evening. The character of Buzzard — by no means a graceful one — was played with great effect and we heartily congratulate Mr. SLOWCOME upon the power he displayed". In Make your Wills the reviewer could not "forbear mentioning the excellent impersonation of Joseph Bragg by Mr CLAY" (NCH 26.1.1856).
21.2.1856 (Thur)
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J.S. COYNE: "The Infanticidal Farce" (1846)
T: Farce (1 act)
Mrs. C.G.F. GORE: "A Good Night's Rest" (1839)
T: Farce (1 act)
J.M. MORTON: "Slasher and Crasher" (1848)