RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1981
https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/ff36bt18m
212

LOÈS, Dr. Sabine de

WONG, Mr Kwok Fong

LOSEBY, Miss Patricia

LUK, Mr. George Ping-chuen

WONG, Mr Peng-cheong YEUNG, Mr Walter W.T.

LUM, Miss Ada

MACKENZIE, Mr. John

MACKEOWN, Dr. P.K.

MARDEN, Mrs. J.L.

MCCRARY, Mr. Michael

MCINTYRE, Mr. W.M.

MCKEIRNAN, Rev. Michael

NORONHA, Mr. J.E.

OGDEN, Mr. B.J.N. OU, Miss G.

PAIN, Mr. John H. PICCUS, Mr. R.P. RAE, Mr. John Allan RAWLINSON, Mr. M.C. RAYNER, Dr. Mary RIDE, Lady May RUST, Mr. H.A.

RYDINGS, Mr. H.A., MBE SEED, Mr. Brian SELLETT, Mr. George SERSALE, Miss Shelia M. SHAW, Dr Brian C.

SHAW, Mrs Felicity

SMITH, Rev. Carl. T. SMITH, Mr Leslie C. SPOONER, Mr Michael G. SU, Dr Chung Jen TAN, Mr Khek-seng TANG, Sir Shiu-kin, CBE TANG, Mrs Madeleine THOMAS, Mr Louis F. THOMPSON, Mr. P.J. THROWER, Prof. L.B. THROWER, Dr Stella TON CHEN, Mrs Chp-ching TORRIBLE, Mr Graham R. URE, Mr Gavin M.N, WATSON, Mr K.A.

WAUNG, Mr William Sikying WEINREBE, Mr Harry M. WERLE, Ms Helga WESLEY-SMITH, Dr Peter WILLIAMS, Mr Roger WILLIAMS, Mr Bernard V. WILLIAMS, Mr & Mrs W.D.F. WINKLER, Mrs E.

YOUNG, Miss Pauline

INSTITUTIONAL MEMBER

AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES DEPT. The Director

LOCAL ORDINARY MEMBERS

ABBOTT, Mrs Elizabeth Lee

ADDIS, Mr Stewart

ADDIS, Mrs Diana

AIKEN, Mrs Lorna

AKERS-JONES, Mr D.

ALLCOCK, Mr R.C.

ARCHER, The Hon. Mrs S.

ASHCROFT, Miss Jacqueline P. AUM, Mr K.N.

BARD, Dr S.M.

BARRETTO, Mr Ruy 0.

BATSON, Lt. Col. J.F.S. BEHRENS, Mr Ernst H. BERTRAM, Mr James BIRCH, Dr Alan BLAIKLEY, Mr P.E. BONAVIA, Mrs Judith E. BOWMAN, Mr S.A.W. BOWMAN, Mrs Dorothy BOYLAN, Mrs. Catherine BRAGA, Mr Paul BRAMWELL, Mr Hartley BRANDON, Miss Jacqueline N. BRAUN, Mr Francis BRAY, Miss Jennifer M. BROMFIELD, Mr A.C. BROMFIELD, Mrs Jeanne BROOM, Mr Michael B. BROUWER, Mrs R.P. BROWN, Mr Edward de R. BROWN, Mr Gerald H. BROWN, Dr H.O. BURNS, Dr John P. CAMERON, Mr Nigel

CAMERON, Mrs Susan

CAMPBELL, Mr Mark C.

CANTERS, Mr Rene

CAREY-HUGHES, Dr John

CENTRE OF ASIAN STUDIES
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RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1989
https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8336pm92h
234

in 1846 and kept by the London Missionary Society. (NCH 25.11.1865; SCR 24.11.1865).

14.12.1865 (Thur)

J.M. MORTON: "Woodcock's Little Game” (1864)

T: Farce (1 act)

J.P. PLANCHE: "Faint Heart never won Fair Lady" (1839)

T: Comedy (1 act)

C. SELBY: "The Boots at the Swan" (1842)

T: Comedy (1 act)

C: Amateurs of the Shanghai Volunteer Corps

F: Prologue spoken by Edward Lawrance and Mr. Groom

Th: Lyceum Theatre (1)

N: First performance of the season by the S.V.C.

R: Again only stage names were used in the review.

In Morton's piece, Woodcock's Little Game, Woodcock was played by Mr. DOLEFUL who had "evidently elaborated the part with great care." His only drawback was "a certain monotony in gesture". Another central character was Mrs. Colonel Carver, "inimitably performed by Mrs. St. CHAWLES. The majestic lady's make-up was characteristic and costly and many of her attitudes and tones reminded us of Miss Snowdon [Mary Jane Chippendale, 1837-1888; but she made her debut only in 1863 JH] whose imposing personation of similar female parts has assisted so many Haymarket triumphs". Exceptionally some slight attention was also paid to the staging when the critic wrote about the second scene that the "occasional glimpses of the whirling waltzers and partners-seeking promenaders were skilfully managed". In Faint Heart never won Fair Lady Mr. DOLEFUL again took a leading part, that of Ruy Gomez. However, the Herald was not inclined to accept this gentleman's reading of the character without some exception, as a greater prominence might have been given to the comic element. Lightness, vivacity and élan are indispensable in all characters written, as this one was, for Charles Mathews. However, as he had appeared in a humorous part before, Mr. DOLEFUL was perhaps anxious to show his versatility". Travesty abounded: "The most difficult part was essayed by Miss SOFTLY [as Charles, the King of Spain, a role cast for an actress JH]. For a man to play a lady's part is hard, for a lady to play a man's part is not easy, but for a man to play a man's part as a lady would play it is hardest of all. Charles II, the mischievous, frolicsome schoolboy at large, newly awaking to a sense of royal responsibility, has been a favourite part with some of our cleverest and prettiest actresses and Miss SOFTLY held her own when compared with these formidable competitors"

About the Boots at the Swan the reporter confessed that "we are inclined to think this piece has been acted enough" (but hardly in Shanghai where it was on the boards for the first time). "The elaborate mimicry of the inimitable ROBSON made the deaf Boots as popular with the London public as Sam Weller had been before him, but a peculiar talent alone can render Jacob Earwig interesting to an audience ten thousand miles away from the little theatre in Wych Street* (i.e. the Olympic Theatre in London). (Henry Morley wrote about Robson in this part, 1857: "Mr. Robson, although deaf, is humorously wide awake. He is the Boots who is brisk and alive to all the humour of the street, who would be preternaturally knowing if he could but hear what people say. In word and look and action he is more the gamin than the simpleton. The extravagance of a most laughable farce is heightened by him to the utmost and there is not a long face to be seen while he is busy on the stage"

***

136)

But, to continue with the Herald: "FUNNYDOG, the new low comedian, is a valuable accession to the company. His stable yard dress, wooden attitude and imperturbable face formed a perfect study for Leech and Cruikshank, and the finish with which he played the long, and we confess to us tiresome, drunken scene shows
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