[
    {
        "id": 211779,
        "series_id": 26,
        "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine",
        "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊",
        "series_use_hku_proxy": false,
        "document_key": "RAS-1989",
        "page_number": 194,
        "title": "RAS-1989",
        "content_text": "169\n\nyear after a visit to Hong Kong\" for another run of several weeks. As was usual with repertory companies of this kind their output was vast, ranging from Planché's The Invisible Prince to Shakespeare's Richard III from which the fifth act only (\"A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!\") was given \"somewhat disappointingly\".\n\nOne other touring company is mentioned in the early Shanghai annals: the Thorne Company, which consisted of \"seven gentlemen and two ladies\" whose talents had been \"extolled by the Hong Kong press\", and which came to the Yangtze port in January 1865. Conflicting reports make it difficult to judge whether the group was praised as much in Shanghai as in Hong Kong. According to the Herald it had given a \"successful representation of the Octoroon (by Dion Boucicault, on January 11 1865) and announced a second performance for the 14th\". However, the Shanghai Commercial Record wrote that \"the patronage bestowed on the Thorne Troupe was extremely small. Indeed when they opened on Wednesday evening last (January 11) it was literally to an empty house, for we hear there was actually no one present to view the performance. The company were so disgusted that they left next day for San Francisco\". So many years later there is obviously no way in which we can verify either of these assessments, but it only stresses how unfortunate it is that the sources for the study of early Shanghai are not more abundant.\n\n152x\n\nA special feature of some of these travelling groups should be noticed, namely the existence of benefit performances. Benefits had been known in Britain from the late 17th century; generally speaking the net proceeds of such a performance went to a member of the company, but gradually it was realised that the system had more disadvantages than advantages\n\ne.g. actors were frequently paid low salaries because of the, often highly uncertain, supplementary income that could be derived from the benefits. One of the first to try to abolish them was Madame Vestris in the 1830s, but they existed well into the 1870s. Both the Faylor and Lewis companies had kept the custom. Thus it was announced that on November 26 1864 \"the benefit of J.B. Creswick under the distinguished patronage of the Consular authorities\" would be given; on December 9, \"Mr. H. Birch's benefit took place\", and so on for nearly every member of the company.",
        "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-1989.txt",
        "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8336pm92h",
        "rank": 0
    },
    {
        "id": 211839,
        "series_id": 26,
        "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine",
        "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊",
        "series_use_hku_proxy": false,
        "document_key": "RAS-1989",
        "page_number": 254,
        "title": "RAS-1989",
        "content_text": "229\n\n19.4.1865 (Wedn)\n\nW.B. GILL: \"Aurora Floyd burlesqued\" J. TOBIN: \"The Honeymoon\" (1805)\n\nT: Comedy (5 acts)\n\nN.N.:\n\nA Rourer*\n\nC: Lewis A.D.C.\n\nTh: Lyceum Theatre (1)\n\nN: Mr. W.B. Gill's benefit\n\nR: SCR 22.4.1865; no review\n\n21.4.1865 (Fri)\n\nW. EDQUIN: A Christmas Pantomime\n\nC: Lewis A.D.C.\n\nTh: Lyceum Theatre (1)\n\nN: Mr. Willie Edouin's benefit\n\nR: At a rather odd time of the year there was a Christmas Pantomime written by Willie Edouin, a member of the company (of Survey). Again the Shanghai Commercial Record was enthusiastic: \"This bold venture was completely successful. The local hits were clever and met with great applause. The usual jokes, fun and frolic were duly given and some of the jumping very dexterously gone through. The get up and accessories of the said pantomime deserve all praise and the dresses and costumes were remarkably tasteful. JULIA EDOUIN danced with her usual grace and elegance. Miss NYE was particularly pretty and helped in a great way to make the performance lively and amusing”. All in all it “would be long remembered by those who saw it as a decided hit in the theatrical annals of Shanghai\". About Jenny NYE the Record wrote further: \"The lightness and airiness of her motion and unaffected style did much to relieve some very heavy and stilted acting. Her manner is composed and, never attempting to do too much, always ends in doing well. Simplicity of manner is not a fault and a graceful quietness in acting has often more effect than the lofty dignity of a Tragedy Queen\" (SCR 5.5.1865).\n\n25.4.1865 (Tue)\n\nD. BOUCICAULT: \"The Colleen Bawn\" (1860)\n\nT: Drama (3 acts)\n\nC: Lewis A.D.C.\n\nTh: Lyceum Theatre (1)\n\nR: Tonight Dion Boucicault's most famous Irish play, The Colleen Bawn, was given. The Record (5.5.1865) thought it a \"bold step for any company to attempt in Shanghai\". But the result was a success: \"the actors entered into their parts with a determined earnestness to succeed and on the whole it may be classed as a creditable performance\". Earlier, however, it had stated that the play \"depends much more on scenery than on acting\", a judgement that was hardly likely to please the author as it was not his intention to write a purely melodramatic piece, that indeed often heavily relied on spectacular Stage effects.\n\n26.4.1865 (Wedn)\n\nW. SHAKESPEARE: \"Richard III”, act V\n\nT: Tragedy\n\nN.N.: The Frantic Husband**\n\nand probably:\n\nA. MAYHEW & H.S. EDWARDS: \"The Goose with the Golden Eggs\" (1859) T: Farce (1 act)\n\nC: Lewis A.D.C.\n\nTh: Lyceum Theatre (1)",
        "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-1989.txt",
        "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8336pm92h",
        "rank": 0
    },
    {
        "id": 211845,
        "series_id": 26,
        "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine",
        "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊",
        "series_use_hku_proxy": false,
        "document_key": "RAS-1989",
        "page_number": 260,
        "title": "RAS-1989",
        "content_text": "235\n\nthat in more congenial parts Mr. FUNNYDOG will help to compensate us for the loss of that most genial of humourists, our incomplete BRUSHWOOD\". The critic ended with the following advice: \"For the future it would be better to rehearse three pieces and play two of them the first night; then in the event of a second performance the piece which was received on the first occasion with the heartiest plaudits might be repeated, preceded or followed by the new Drama held ready and in reserve. We are inclined to offer this suggestion owing to the various complaints which we have heard of the lateness of the hour at which Thursday's entertainment concluded, and also from a selfish wish perhaps to have two dramatic treats instead of one” (NCH 16.12.1865).\n\n## APPENDIX I\n## Authorlist of plays staged in Shanghai 1850-1865\n\nIn this list full titles of the plays staged in Shanghai will be found as well as first nights in London (these generally according to Nicoll. History of English Drama).\n\nP: Performance in Shanghai\n\n?: The play is listed under more than one author\n\n| Author | Play Title | First Night in London | P: Performance in Shanghai |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| AYTON, Richard (1786-1823) | \"The Rendez-Vous\" | 21.9.1818 | 24.3.1852 |\n| BARNETT, Morris (1800-1856) | **The Serious Family** | 30.10.1849 | 8.10.1859; 23.3.1865; 28.4.1865 |\n| A BECKETT, Gilbert Abbott (1811-1856) | \"The Roofscrambler” | 15.6.1835 | 12.12.1850 |\n|  | **Siamese Twins** | [14.4.1834] | 5.5.1853 |\n|  | **The Turned Head** | 3.11.1834 | 27.1.1865 |\n| BERNARD, William Bayle (1807-1875) | \"A Practical Man\" | 20.10.1849 | 8.3.1854 |\n| BOUCICAULT, Dion (1822-1890) | **The Colleen Bawn or the Brides of Garryowen** | 29.3.1860 | 25.4.1865 |\n|  | \"The Octoroon or Life in Louisiana\" | 6.12.1859 | 7.1.1865; 13.1.1865; 14.1.1865 |\n|  | \"Used Up\" (with C. Mathews) | 1.6.1846 | 26.1.1853; 8.2.1857 |\n| BRIDGEMAN, John Vipon (1819-1889) | **I've Been Eaten My Friend!** | 8.9.1851 | 22.3.1854 |\n| BROOKS, Charles William Shirley (1816-1874) | \"Anything for a Change\" | 7.6.1848 | 14.5.1854 |\n| BROUGH, Robert Barnabas (1828-1860) | \"Crinoline\" | 18.12.1856 | March 1863; 16.3.1863; 1.4.1863 |\n|  | **Medea or The Best of Mothers with a Brute of a Husband** | 14.7.1856 | 28.12.1864 |\n| BROUGH, William (1826-1870) | 'Apartments: Visitors to the Exhibition may be accommodated. A piece of extravaganza to suit the times' | 14.5.1851 | 23.3.1853 |\n|  | \"The Area Belle\" (with A. Halliday) | 7.3.1864 | 30.9.1865 |\n|  | \"Conrad and Medora or Harlequin Little Fairy at the Bottom of the Sea\" | 26.12.1856 |  |\n\n138",
        "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-1989.txt",
        "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8336pm92h",
        "rank": 0
    },
    {
        "id": 211856,
        "series_id": 26,
        "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine",
        "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊",
        "series_use_hku_proxy": false,
        "document_key": "RAS-1989",
        "page_number": 271,
        "title": "RAS-1989",
        "content_text": "246\n\nKing, F.H.H. and P. Clarke: “A Research Guide to China Coast Newspapers 1822-1911”, Cambridge (Mass), 1965.\n\nKosch, Wilhelm: \"Deutsches Theater Lexikon\", Klagenfurt, 1960.\n\nKounin, I.I.: \"The Diamond Jubilee of the International Settlement of Shanghai\", Shanghai, n.d. (c. 1939).\n\nKunitz, Stanley (Ed.): \"British Authors of the 19th Century\", N.Y., 1936.\n\nLang, H.: “Shanghai considered socially\", Shanghai, 1875.\n\nLanning, G. and S. Couling: \"The History of Shanghai\", Vol. I.; Shanghai, 1921. MacGuire, Paul: \"The Australian Theatre\", Melbourne, 1948.\n\nMacLellan, J.W.: \"The Story of Shanghai from the opening of the port to foreign trade\". Shanghai, 1889.\n\nMakepeace, Walter, Gilbert E. Brooke and R. St. J. Bradwell (Ed): 'One Hundred Years of Singapore\", 2 vols.; London, 1921.\n\nMaybon, Charles B. & J. Fredet: \"Histoire de la Concession Francaise de Changhai'', Paris, 1929.\n\nMaude, Cyril: \"The Haymarket Theatre, Some Records and Reminiscences\" London, 1903. Mullin Donald (Ed.): \"Victorian Actors and Actresses in Review\", Westport, 1983 National Union Catalogue.\n\n1\n\nNicoll, Allardyce: \"A History of English Drama 1660-1900\", 6 vols,; Cambridge 1952ff. Pal, John: \"Shanghai Saga\", London, 1963.\n\nPearsall, Ronald: \"Victorian Popular Music\", Newton Abbot, 1973.\n\n\"The Player's Library. A Catalogue of the Library of the British Drama League”, London, 1950.\n\nPope, W.J. Macqueen: \"Haymarket, Theatre of Perfection\", London, 1948. Reynolds, Ernest: \"Early Victorian Drama (1830-1870), New York, 1965 (reprint of 1936 edition).\n\nRiemann, Hugo: \"Musik Lexikon\", Berlin, 1916 (8th edition).\n\nRowell, George (Ed.): \"Nineteenth Century Plays”, Oxford, 1972.\n\n“Shanghai Alamanac” 1855, 1856, 1858, 1862; Shanghai, 1854ff years.\n\n**Shanghai t'ung yen-chiu tzu-liao (Shanghai Research Materials), Hong Kong 1972 (reprint of 1936 edition).\n\nSmith, C.; \"The Hong Kong Amateur Dramatic Club and its predecessors\" in: \"Journal of the Hong Kong Branch of the R.A.S.\", Vol. 22 (1982), p. 217-251. Thomson, Peter: \"Plays by Dion Boucicault\", Cambridge, 1984.\n\nToll, Robert C.: 'Blacking Up. The Minstrel Show in 19th century America”, New York, 1974.\n\nTroubridge, St. Vincent: \"The Benefit System in the British Theatre”, London, 1967. Wearing, J.P.: \"American and British Theatrical Biography\", London, 1979. White, Walter: \"China Station 1859-1864\", London, 1972.\n\nWilliams, Harold S.: \"Tales of the Foreign Settlements in Japan\", Tokyo, 1972. Wright, Arnold and H.A. Cartwright: \"Twentieth Century Impressions of Hong Kong. Shanghai and other Treaty Ports of China\", London, 1908.\n\nAbbreviations:\n\nNOTES\n\nBGM: Boletim do Governo de Macao.\n\nNCH: North China Herald.\n\nSCR: Shanghai Commercial Record.\n\n1\n\nPerformance 6.5.1852. NCH 8.5.1852.\n\nOnly passing attention has been paid to the early theatre in Shanghai: Lanning & Couling. p. 429-430: MacLennan: p. 85-86.",
        "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-1989.txt",
        "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8336pm92h",
        "rank": 0
    }
]