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THE DUCHESS OF DANTZIC (APRIL 1953) |
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An unusual show this, and the process of learning the words and music was somewhat slow, owing to the difficulty of memorising some of the lyrics:- |
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Active apostles of sweetness and light |
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The audience certainly gazed on 'a bevy of beauty' for in the opening scene the girls were energetically washing and hanging out thick white cotton garments, heavily frilled and flounced, as worn by women in the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1792 |
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Some of the choruses required very many sustained high notes, which did not make it very easy to sing quite distinctly |
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"Vivat! vivat Imperator, Salva, Galliae Salvator, France revives the Roman glories Roman greeting to the fore is, and our paeans proud of praise are Trumpet tongued with Ave Caesar!" |
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The most exciting moment of this show was caused when the mob threatened to burst into the bedroom of Catherine but were left snarling at the gates when only Lefebre was allowed to perform this delicate task. |
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This was our last date with the Playhouse Theatre, Feltham, and although it had the advantage of being centrally situated, the dreary dress-rehearsals in the chill gloom of rows of tipped-up seats on a Sunday morning were never occasions which sparkled with vitality, and we were very glad to make our next port of call. |
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DORIS SEAMAN |
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EDITOR'S NOTES |
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“The Duchess of Dantzic” by Henry Hamilton with music by Ivan Caryll was first performed in 1903 at the Lyric Theatre. The story is set during the French Revolution and tells of the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, his command to the Duke of Dantzic to divorce the Duchess to marry a wife more fitting to his high station, and the happy conclusion brought about by the production of an old washing bill which Bonaparte had not paid the Duchess in the days when they were both nonentities. |
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The local paper praised the performances of the principals, particularly that of Phyllis Knight in the title role, but once again commented that “not all the chorus were word perfect” |