202
Byeplay showed that, although his first appearance here, it is by no means his first attempt at acting". But another anti-French jibe was added when he wrote: "Mrs. NESBIT and Miss DEXTER play indifferently and we are rather proud of it — for as they only profess to play English female characters it was no wonder that they did not feel at home". These acid comments drew forth a letter from "Another Man on the Bund" in the Herald of May 2 in which a counterweight was offered: "Are we to take the opinion of this would-be orator in preference to the unanimous opinion of the rest of the community? What meant those thunders of applause repeated again and again in a manner that has never been heard in Shanghai and the repeated calls at the fall of the curtain; are we to believe that a piece that has had an almost unprecedented run in both England and America and in the former country was played by the express command of Her Majesty at her own palace is worthless or so bad because condemned by 'The Man on the Bund?' (...) My own and the general opinion outside is that The Man on the Bund at the time of writing the above was either labouring under a severe attack of bile or intensely disgusted that the acknowledged best performance ever given here should have been given without the assistance of himself or his darling Peter Proteus". After, at any rate his disappointment about Still Waters, in A Capital Match Mr. BRUSHWOOD restored "The Man on the Bund" to his comfort and equanimity, nay more, utterly overturned our critical gravity and made us laugh like the veriest schoolboy at a favourite pantomime". Mr. Beverly NEWCOME made his debut and he appeared to be quite at home in the naval character and we admired his style almost as much as the widow did. And the widow; none other than Mrs. NESBIT. It was also the occasion on which the critic showed his disapproval of the new interior of the theatre: "'On entering the Thespian temple, I observed that there had been a change in the decoration of it - I cannot add improvements. The same taste which had furnished me with a posting bill streaked all over with lightning threatened to overwhelm me with a fall of flowers and garlands from the roof and treat me as if I were a prima donna or the boeuf gras of a Parisian festival". Yet, thinking about Mrs. Nesbit, he continued ironically: "What will a man not undergo when a woman is on the tapis! So, in imminent danger of being garlanded, like the Ass of Silenus [attendant of Bacchus usually represented as riding on an ass, drunken and crowned with flowers — JH] in a classic fresco, I took my seat and, unfolding my portentous play bill, began to scan it over at my leisure". (NCH 25.4.1857).
8.10.1857 (Thur)
M. BARNETT: "The Serious Family" (1849)
T: Comedy (3 acts)
B.N. WEBSTER: "The Golden Farmer" (1832)
T: Domestic drama (2 acts)
J.S. COYNE: "Binks the Bagman" (1843)
T: Farce (1 act)
C: The "Union Theatrical Company of the U.S.S. San Jacinto"
Th: On board ship
N: More entertainment had been given by the crew of this ship, but this is the only one which has been recorded.
R: Specially noticed was the prison scene in The Golden Farmer wherein the robber "takes a tender farewell of his beloved wife and infant daughter Louisa. It brought moisture to the eyes of many". Could it be of laughter, bearing in mind the ruling travesties? (NCH 10.10.1857). The San Jacinto was a U.S. warsteamer with a crew of 218.
29.12.1857 (Tue)
Entertainment by Mr. George Henri, a conjurer and ventriloquist. Th: Theatre Royal (C)
202
byeplay showed that, although his first appearance here, it is by no means bis first attempt at acting". But another anti French jibe was added when he wrote: "Mrs. NESBIT and Miss DEXTER play indifferently and we are rather proud of it — for as they only profess to play English female characters it was no wonder that they did not feel at home". These acid comments drew forth a letter from "Another Man on the Bund" in the Herald of May 2 in which a counterweight was offered: "Are we to take the opinion of this would be orator in preference to the unanimous opinion of the rest of the community? What meant those thunders of applause repeated again and again in a manner that has never been heard in Shanghai and the repeated calls at the fall of the curtain; are we believe that a piece that has had an almost unprecedented runt in both England and America and in the former country was played by the express command of Her Majesty at her own palace is worthless or so so because condemned by 'The Man on the Bund?” (...) My own and the general opinion outside is that *The Man on the Bund at the time of writing the above was either labouring under a severe attack of bile or intensely disgusted that the acknowledged best performance ever given here should have been given without the assistance of himself or his darling Peter Proteus". After, at any rate his disappointment about Still Waters, in A Capital Match Mr. BRUSHWOOD restored "The Man on the Bund" to his **comfort and equanimity, nay more, utterly overturned our critical gravity and made us laugh like the veriest schoolboy at a favourite pantomime". Mr. Beverly NEWCOME made his debut and he appeared to be quite at home in the naval character and we admired his style almost as much as the widow did. And the widow; none other than Mrs. NESBIT. It was also the occasion on which the critic showed his disapproval of the new interior of the theatre: "'on entering the Thespian temple, 1 observed that there had been a change in the decoration of it - I cannot add improvements. The same taste which had furnished me with a posting bill streaked all over with lightning threatened to overwhelm me with a fall of flowers and garlands from the roof and treat me as if I were a prima donna or the boeuf gras of a Parisian festival". Yet, thinking about Mrs. Nesbit, he continued ironically: "What will a man not undergo when a woman is on the tapis! So, in imminent danger of being garlanded, like the Ass of Silenus Jattendant of Bacchus usually represented as riding on an ass, drunken and crowned with flowers — JHJ in a classic fresco, I took my seat and, unfolding my portentous play bill, began to scan it over at my leisure". (NCH 25.4.1857).
8.10.1857 (Thur)
M. BARNETT: "The Serious Family" (1849)
T: Comedy (3 acts)
B.N. WEBSTER: "The Golden Farmer" (1832)
T: Domestic drama (2 acts)
J.S. COYNE: "Binks the Bagman* (1843)
T: Farce (1 act)
C: The "Union Theatrical Company of the U.S.S, San Jacinto*
Th: On board ship
N: More entertainment had been given by the crew of this ship, but this is the only one
which has been recorded.
R: Specially noticed was the prison scene in The Golden Farmer wherein the robber "takes a tender farewell of his beloved wife and infant daughter Louisa. It brought moisture to the eyes of many". Could it be of laughter, bearing in mind the ruling travesties? (NCH 10.10.1857). The San Jacinto' was a U.S. warsteamer with a crew of 218.
29.12. 1857 (Tue)
Entertainment by Mr. George Henri, a conjurer and ventriloquist. Th: Theatre Royal (C)
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