RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1982 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/mk61z420p 232 CARL T. SMITH The opportunity to give a world premiere came about in this fashion. Early in the year Mr. Sinclair directed students at the University of Hong Kong in two Dunsany plays. They did not attract much public attention, but Sinclair sent photographs of the production along with some newspaper notices to Lord Dunsany. As a result, he wrote a play about the Gold Isles and sent the manuscript to Mr. Sinclair with the intention that it also should be performed by the students. Unfortunately, they were not able to do so, so Sinclair, as one of the popular A.D.C. directors, decided to have a Dunsany evening and include "The Compromise of the King of the Golden Isles". It was full of colour, filled with pomp and ceremony. It is interesting to note that the late Noel Croucher served as a bodyguard in one of the crowd scenes and that Sinclair had consulted Sir Robert Kotewall and Mr. Fung Yuk-shum to get authenticity for the Chinese costumes and other details. In 1926 the A.D.C. performed Dunsany's most successful play "If." His plays have been described as "decorative drama". Many of them had settings in the Near and Far East. W. Sinclair was both an innovator and a man of cosmopolitan tastes. During the years he produced plays for the A.D.C., the repertoire ranged from Shakespeare to the future and from fantasy to realism. The Hong Kong Mummers presented "Twelfth Night" in 1913. It was directed by Mr. Siegler, a name assumed by Mr. Sinclair for some of his early productions in Hong Kong. He later abandoned this pseudonym. "Twelfth Night" was billed as the first amateur production of Shakespeare in the Far East. This claim was corrected by the Tokyo A.D.C., which had presented "As You Like It" in 1906, "Midsummer Night's Dream" in 1911, and "The Merchant of Venice" in 1912. The Hong Kong A.D.C. had assisted Miss Janet Waldorf and her small company of professionals in "As You Like It" in 1899. It was scheduled for an outdoor performance on the Parade Ground, but this was rained out and it was held in the Theatre Royal. Weather did permit a second performance on the Parade Ground. In 1922, the A.D.C. under Sinclair produced "The Tempest". "The Blue Bird" by Maeterlinck was given in 1914. It was ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1982 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/mk61z420p 249 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27 Mar. 1912 — "The Gondoliers" (Gilbert and Sullivan, 1889) 1912/13 25, 26 Oct. 1912 "A Pair of Spectacles" (Sydney Grundy, 1890) given in 1913/14 — 1914/15 — 17, 19, 21 Dec. 1912 "An Ideal Husband" (O. Wilde, 1895) 25, 28, 29, 30 Oct., 1 Nov. 1913. Hong Kong Mummers (personnel same as A.D.C.) "Twelfth Night" Shakespeare. 21, 26 Feb. 1914 — Centennial Performance: Three Episodes "A Privy Council" (W. Drury and R. Price, 1904). "Between the Soup and the Savoury" (Gertrude Jennings, 1910) "The Open Door" (Alfred Sutro, 1906) 7, 10, 14 Nov. 1914 — "The Blue Bird" a fairy play (M. Maeterlinck, transl. by A. T. Mattes, performed London 1909) 2, 6, 9 Jan. 1915 "Snow White and the Frog Prince" a fairy ballet in 3 parts and 4 tableaux. 1915/16 — 14, 16, 11 Mar. 1916 — "An Angel in the House" (B. M. Hastings and E. Phillpotts, 1915): 1916/17 — 15, 16, 18, 30 Dec, 1916 - "Kismot" oriental, spectacular (E. Knoblauch, 1911) 1917/18 23 Feb. 1918 1918/19 A.D.C. Mr. A. P. Stokes assisted by members of "Acid Drops" "Five Birds in a Cage" "The Rest Cure" 23 Apr. 1918 "The Witness for the Defence" (A. E. W. Mason, 1911) 7, 9 Nov, 1918 - "The Barton Mystery" a spoofic fantasy (Walter Hackett, 1916) 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29 Mar. 1919 "Pinkie and the Fairies" a fairy play. (W. G. Robertson, music F. Norton, 1909) 1919/20 — apparently no production. 1920/21 28, 30 Oct., 3 Nov. 1920 Four Dunsany Plays "The Golden Doom" (1912) "The Glittering Gate" (1909) "The Lost Silk Hat" (1913) amateur musicians: Interval Chinese "Compromise of the King of the Golden Isle", world premiere ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1982 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/mk61z420p 250 CARL T. SMITH 1921/22 - no production. 1922/23 1923/24 12, 13, 18, 21 Oct. 1922 - "I'll Leave it to You" (N. Coward, 1920) 26, 27, 28, 30 Dec. 1922, 1, 2 Jan. 1923 - "The Tempest" (Shakespeare) 8, 10, 12, 15 Dec. 1923 "R.U.R." (Rossum's Universal Robots) (Karel Capek, transl. by P. P. Silver, adapted by N. Playfair, 1922) 1924/25 25, 26, 27, 28 Feb. 1925 - "French Leave" (Reginald Berkely) farcial comedy 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22 Jan. 1925 - "St. Joan" (G. B. Shaw, 1923) 1925/26 2, 3, 4, 5 Dec. 1925 - "A Little Bit of Fluff" farce 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Mar. 1926 — “If” (Lord Dunsany, 1921) 1926/27 13, 15, 17, 18, 19 Nov. 1926 Dramatic Medley "A Matter of Time" (Ronald Jeans) "The First and the Last" (John Galsworthy, 1921) "The Burglar and the Girl" (Mathew Boulton, 1913) "The Man in the Bowler Hat” (A. A. Milne, 1925) 19, 22 Mar. 1927 "The Last of Mrs. Cheyney" - Frederick Lonsdale, 1925) 1927/28 19, 21, 22, 23 Nov. 1927 - "Bulldog Drummond" (H. C. McNeile and Gerald du Maurier, 1921) 1928/29 16, 20, 24 Nov. 1928 "The Sport of Kings" (Ian Hay, 1924) performed at Star Theatre, Kowloon. 19, 21, 22, 23, 26 Feb. 1929 - "On Approval" (Frederick Lonsdale, 1926) 1929/30 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 Mar. 1930 - "And So to Bed" 1930/31 12 Nov. 1930 — performance at Helena May Institute "Snobs" "Half an Hour" 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 Nov. 1930 "The Middle Watch" a romance of the Royal Navy (Stephen King-Hall and Ian Hay, 1929) 7, 10, 11, 13, 14 Mar. 1931 - "Art and Mrs. Bottle" (Benn W. Levy, 1929) "Dear Brutus" (James Barrie, 1917) last A.D.C. performance at the Theatre Royal, City Hall. 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 Nov. 1931 1931/32 ― ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1989 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8336pm92h 168 so called Christy's Minstrels --- a famous group in the United States, yet it may be doubted severely whether it was the same one that visited Shanghai. Eight years later, the first company to come down to Shanghai from Hong Kong, where they had also been playing, was the one led by a Mr. C.R. Faylor. On February 10 1864 Lytton's The Lady of Lyons was on the bill as the opening piece, but the Herald thought it a failure in consequence of "that portion of the company which had been collected in Shanghai and pressed into service". How this is to be understood is not quite clear. Did Faylor's company consist of only a few actors, who were to be supplemented by local worthies? But then, who else could they be but amateurs, the darlings of the foreign community? However this may be, on May 9 at an evening in which also the "Royal Shanghai Ballet d'Action" [so far for fancy names!] participated, the "celebrated comedy Nature and Philosophy or Eighteen Years Labour Lost” was given. As members of the company were mentioned Mr. and Mrs. C.R. Faylor, Mr. and Mrs. E. Yeamans and Major Pegus. Amateurs almost always adopted stage names in order to hide their real identity, but with professional actors it may be assumed these names were real. 45 A more substantial contribution to the amusement of the Shanghai public was made by Lewis' Dramatic Company. It was of Australian origin and the "musical director and manager" was Charles Edouin. Other members of the group were Tilly Earl, Mrs. Gill, Lizzie Naylor, Jenny Nye, T. Andrews, Henry Birch, J.B. Creswick, W.B. Gill and nearly the whole Edouin (or, rather, Bryer) family: Julia, Rose, John and Willie. Rose (1844-1925) married G.B. Lewis and became later an actress at, among others, the Maidan Theatre in Calcutta. Her brother Willie (1846-1908; his real name was John Edward Bryer) first appeared in public when he was six; after the tour to Australia, India, China and Japan he played in Melbourne, California, New York and London.46 In 1862 the "Lewis' Equestrian Australian Troupe" had visited the port with "six of the best horses ever landed in China**,** but in 1864 the company had turned to drama and from October 6 until their departure in December an eight week season provided an unprecedented shower of farces, burlesques and even some quality pieces like Sheridan's The Rivals and the prison scene from Shakespeare's King John (Act IV, sc. 1), in which the role of prince Arthur was played by an actress, Julia Edouin, who took "the house by storm".48 The success of the company was apparently so great that they returned in March of the following 47 ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1989 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8336pm92h 223 harmonium by D.H. ENGEL 17. "Eupeidee" (German student song and chorus) Th: Olympic Theatre (H) R: An advertisement only was published in the Herald of 29.10.1864. From it we learn that tickets could be obtained at the premises of Hiram Fogg & Co (ship chandlers, general store and auctioneers; one of the oldest foreign firms in Shanghai, located at the southern end of the Bund); Hall & Holtz (see 29.6.1864); A.A. Hayes Jr (Olyphant & Co, Nanking Road, ex Park Lane); and Herbert Cope (Geo Barnet & Co, Kiangsi Road (ex Church Street) and Hankow Road (ex Custom House Road)). It also becomes clear that there were at that moment at least two theatres in the Settlement: the Lyceum and the Olympic. The programme is interesting for the number of composers which have now been forgotten (Silcher, Kücken, Becker, Werner, etc.) and the piano arrangements of well-known opera arias. 12.11-18.11.1864 W. BROUGH: “Conrad and Medora” (1856) T: Burlesque pantomime (1 act) J.B. BUCKSTONE: “Married Life" (1834) T: Comedy (3 acts) J.W. MARSTON: "A Hard Struggle" (1858) T: Domestic drama (1 act) W. SHAKESPEARE: “King John”, prison scene (Act IV, scene III) Furthermore: “Cinderella”, possibly by H.J. BYRON (1860) or T. TAYLOR (1845). "Wonder"; no contemporary pieces are listed in HED; only: Mrs. S. CENTLIVRE: “The Wonder. A woman keeps a secret” (1714) and H. CAREY: "A Wonder or an honest Yorkshireman" (1735). C: Lewis A.D.C. Th: N.N. (E) R: The Lewis company continued to draw large houses and ventured even to put a Shakespeare scene on the programme, from King John. It proved to be "the hit of the week". In it starred Miss Julia EDouin and Mr. Henry BIRCH: "The acting was perfect. Miss Julia EDouin doing the fullest justice to the character of Prince Arthur and indeed taking the house by storm!" (NCH 19.11.1864). 19.11.1864 Sat H.J. BYRON: “Aladdin or the Wonderful Scamp” (1861) T: Burlesque extravaganza (1 act) C: Lewis A.D.C. TH: N.N. (U) N: Benefit of Miss Tilly Earl who played the role of Aladdin R: NCH 26.11.1864 23.11.1864 (Wedn) R.B. SHERIDAN: "The Rivals" (1775) T: Comedy (5 acts) C: Lewis A.D.C. TH: N.N. (P) N: Benefit of Mrs. Gill who played the role of Mrs. Malaprop. R: NCH 26.11.1864 26.11.1864 (Sat) H.J. BYRON: "Aladdin or the Wonderful Scamp” (1861) T: Burlesque extravaganza (1 act) ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1989 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8336pm92h 229 19.4.1865 (Wedn) W.B. GILL: "Aurora Floyd burlesqued" J. TOBIN: "The Honeymoon" (1805) T: Comedy (5 acts) N.N.: A Rourer* C: Lewis A.D.C. Th: Lyceum Theatre (1) N: Mr. W.B. Gill's benefit R: SCR 22.4.1865; no review 21.4.1865 (Fri) W. EDQUIN: A Christmas Pantomime C: Lewis A.D.C. Th: Lyceum Theatre (1) N: Mr. Willie Edouin's benefit R: 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). 25.4.1865 (Tue) D. BOUCICAULT: "The Colleen Bawn" (1860) T: Drama (3 acts) C: Lewis A.D.C. Th: Lyceum Theatre (1) R: 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. 26.4.1865 (Wedn) W. SHAKESPEARE: "Richard III”, act V T: Tragedy N.N.: The Frantic Husband** and probably: A. MAYHEW & H.S. EDWARDS: "The Goose with the Golden Eggs" (1859) T: Farce (1 act) C: Lewis A.D.C. Th: Lyceum Theatre (1) ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1989 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8336pm92h 240 RODWELL, James Thomas Gooderham (d. 1825) "A Race for Dinner" (15.4.1828). P: Announced in March 1854 but not performed. "The Young Widow or A Lesson for Lovers" (1.11.1824), P: 27.4.1865 SELBY, Charles (1802?-1863) "The Boots at the Swan" (5.4.1843). P: 14.12.1865 **A Fearful Tragedy in the Seven Dials". P: 15.2.1860 **A Lady and a Gentleman in a Peculiarly Perplexing Predicament" (9.8.1841), P: 13.2.1864 **The Unfinished Gentleman'' (1.12.1834). P: 17.6.1865 SHAKESPEARE, William (1564-1616) "King John" (1594–1596). P: 12.11.-18.11.1864 (Prison scene, Act IV.1 only) **Richard III" (1592-1593). P: 26.4.1865 (Act V only) SHERIDAN, Richard Brinsley (1751 1816) **The Rivals" (17.1.1775). P: 28.9.1858; 23.11.1864 SUTER, William E. (1812-1882) ? "Lady Audley's Secret" (22.2.1863). P: 28.12.1864 TALFOURD, Francis (1827-1862) "A Household Fairy" (24.12.1859), P: 26.11.1864 TAYLOR, Tom (1817-1880) ? "Cinderella" (12.5.1845). P: 12.11.-18.11.1864; 28.4.1865 "Still Waters Run Deep" (3.3.1856). P: 23.4.1857; 15.3.1860 TOBIN, John (1770-1804) ? "The Honeymoon" (31.1.1805). P: 19.4.1865 TOWNLEY, Rev. James (1714-1778) "High Life below Stairs" (31.10.1759), P: 21.4.1851 WEBSTER, Benjamin Nottingham (1797-1882) ? "Aurora Floyd' (11.3.1863). P: 26.11.1864; 17.4.1865 ? "The Golden Farmer or the Last Crime" (26.12.1832). P: 8.10.1857 WILLIAMS, Thomas John (1824-1874) "Nursery Chickweed" (12.11.1859), P: 28.3-5.4.1865 "On and Off" (6.6.1861). P: 25.4.1864 APPENDIX II An alphabetical list of plays staged in Shanghai 1850-1865 The Adventures of Bonnie Prince Charlie or the Rising of 1745: N.N.; 13.6.1864. Aladdin or the Wonderful Scamp: H.J. Byron; 2.9.1864, 19.11.1864, 29.4.1865, Anything for a Change: C.W. Brooks; 15.5.1854. Apartments: W. Brough; 23.3.1853. The Area Belle: W. Brough & A. Halliday; 30.9.1865. Attic Story: J.M. Morton; 6.5.1852. Aurora Floyd: C.S. Cheltnam? C.H. Hazlewood? J.B. Johnstone? B. Webster? 26.11.1864, 17.4.1865. ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1989 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8336pm92h 242 High Life below Stairs: J. Townley; 21.4.1851. The Honey Moon: W. Linley? J. Tobin? 19.4.1865. A Household Fairy: F. Talfourd; 216.11.1864. I couldn't help it: J. Oxenford; 13.4.1865. III Treated Il Trovatore: H.J. Byron; 22.6.1864, 29.6.1864. The Infanticidal Farce: J.S. Coyne; 21.2.1856. The Invisible Prince: J.R. Planché; 23.3.1865. The Irish Tutor: R. Butler; 5.5.1853. Isabella: J.B. Buckstone; 28.3.-5.4.1865. I've Eaten My Friend: J.V. Bridgeman; 22.3.1854. Kenilworth: N.N.; 28.3.-5.4.1865. King John: W. Shakespeare; 12.11.-18.11.1864. A Kiss in the Dark: J.B. Buckstone; 26.3.1857. The Knights of the Round Table: J.R. Planché; 24.5.1865. A Lady and a Gentleman in a Peculiarly Perplexing Predicement: C. Selby; 13.12.1864. Lady Audley's Secret: C.H. Hazlewood? G. Roberts? W.E. Suter?; 28.12.1864. The Lady of Lyons: E. Bulwer Lytton; 10.2.1864. The Lady of Lyons: H.J. Byron?; 22.10.-28.10.1864, 29.4.1865. Lend me Five Shillings: J.M. Morton; see p. 15. A Lesson for the Ladies: J.B. Buckstone; 8.4.1865. As Like as Two Peas: H. Lillo; 16.3.1858. Little Toddlekins: C.J. Mathews; 26.5.1864. Love Laughs at Locksmiths: G. Colman the Younger; 9.5.1864, Love, Law and Physics: J. Kenney; 28.1.1851. A Lucky Escape: C.S. Cheltnam; 25.4.1864. The Maid and the Magpie: H.J. Byron; 8.10.-14.10.1864, 15.10.-21.10.1864, 15.4.1865. Make your Wills: E. Mayhew; 23.1.1856. Married Life: J.B. Buckstone; 12.11.-18.11.1864. Medea: R.B. Brough; 28.12.1864. A Most Unwarrantable Intrusion: J.M. Morton; 22.3.1854, 1.4.1864, Nature and Philosophy: N.N.; 9.5.1864. The Nigger Doctor and his Patient Patient: N.N.; 14.8.1856. No!: W.H. Murray? F. Reynolds?; 23.2.1852. No 1 round the corner: W. Brough; 23.1.1856. Nursery Chickweed: T.J. Williams; 28.3.-5.4.1865. The Octoroon: D. Boucicault; 7.1.-13.1.1865, 14.1.1865, On and Off: T.J. Williams; 25.4.1864. Our Wife: J.M. Morton; 13.2.1863, 17.2.1863. Perdita: W. Brough; 8.4.1865. Poor Pillicoddy: J.M. Morton; 15.3.1860, 26.5.1864. A Practical Man: W.B. Bernard; 8.3.1854. Princess Springtime: H.J. Byron; 10.11.1865, 20.11.1865. A Race for Dinner: J.T.G. Rodwell; announced but not performed. Raising the wind: J. Kenney; 9.2.1858, 30.3.1864, 4.4.1864. The Rendez-vous: R. Ayton; 24.3.1852. Retained for the Defence: J. Oxenford; 25.4.1864. The Review; G. Colman the Younger; 24.3.1852. ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1989 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8336pm92h Richard III: W. Shakespeare; 26.4.1865. The Rivals: R.B. Sheridan; 28.9.1858, 23.11.1864. A Roarer: N.N.; 19.4.1865. Rob Roy; C.H. Hazlewood? W.H. Murray? 28.3.-5.4.1865. A Roland for an Oliver: T. Morton Sr; 23.2.1852. Roofscrambler: G.A.à Beckett; 12.12.1850. The Rose of Castille: A.G. Harris; 8.10.-14.10.1864. The Rough Diamond: J.B. Buckstone; 13.4.1865. The Serious Family: M. Barnett; 8.10.1857, 2.6.1859, 23.3.1865, 28.4.1865. Siamese Twins: G.A.à Beckett; 5.5.1853. A Silent Woman: T.H. Lacy; 29.6.1864. Sink or Swim: T. Morton Jr; 16.2.1857. Slasher and Crasher: J.M. Morton; 21.2.1856. Still Waters Run Deep: T. Taylor.; 23.4.1857, 15.3.1860. Sweethearts and Wives: J. Kenney; 11.4.1865. Take that girl away: L.S. Buckingham; 15.2.1860; 3.12.1864. Time tries all: J. Courtney; 5.5.1858, 10.5.1860, 21.3.1865. To Paris and back for £5: J.M. Morton; 10.5.1860, 21.3.1865. The Turned Head: G.A.à Beckett; 27.1.1853. Turn out!: J. Kenney; 10.11.1865, 20.11.1865. 'T Was I: J.H. Payne; 27.4.1865. The Two Bonny Castles: J.M. Morton; 22.3.1854, 8.5.1865. The Unfinished Gentleman: C. Selby; 17.6.1865. Urgent Private Affairs; J.S. Coyne; 5.5.1858. Used Up: D. Boucicault & C.J. Mathews; 26.1.1852, 27.1.1853, 18.2.1857. The Wandering Minstrel: H. Mayhew; 24.5.1865. Where There's a Will There's a Way: J.M. Morton; 26.3.1863. Which is which?: W.B. Gill; 27.3.1865. Whitebait at Greenwich: J.M. Morton; 23.1.1856, 16.2.1859, 26.5.1864. The White Horse of the Peppers; S. Lover; March 1863, 16.3.1863. A Wonder: H. Carey S. Centlivre?: 12.11.-18.11.1864, Woodcock's Little Game: J.M. Morton; 14.12.1865. The Young Widow: J.T.G. Rodwell; 27.4.1865, 243 Page 268 ================================================================================