Press Clippings for the week ending
Saturday, 29 June 2002

A random selection of cuttings
from newspapers and magazines

* * * * * * * * A floral tribute for Vesta Tilley, Glasgow, 1895 ‘Miss Vesta Tilley, who has just finished a most successful fortnight’s engagement at the Gaiety and Scotia Theatres, Glasgow, was presented at the latter theatre last Monday night with a magnificent floral piece in the shape of a star of yellow and white chrysanthemums with the letter V in the centre. Mr Ritchie Thom, in making the presentation, explained that it had been got up by the habitués of the pit and gallery by means of a penny subscription.’ (The Era, London, Saturday, 26 October 1895, p.19a) * * * * * * * *

Mrs J.F. Brian

(lithograph: Concanen, Siebe & Co., London, probably after a photograph, circa 1865)

Gatti’s Music Hall, London, week beginning Monday 2 August 1869 ‘GATTI’S MUSIC HALL, WESTMINSTER BRIDGE-ROAD. - (Proprietors, Carlo and Joseph Gatti.) - Enthusiastic reception of the New Company. Harry Rickards, the Popular Comic Vocalist; Mr J.F. Brian, in his Great Song, "Dancing Mad;" Miss Georgina Smithson, the Best Characteristic Vocalist and Dancer of the day; Special Engagement of Little Levite and Jessie Nina, Sensational Duettists and Dancers; Mrs J.F. Brian, the Queen of Serio-Comics; Sisters Venn, Burlesque Duettists and Dancers; Messrs Harcourt and Lucette, the Great Negro Comedians; Ernest Robson, the New Comique; Miss Ada Herminie, the Eminent Operatic Vocalist; and the Brothers Pentland, the Wondrous Gymnasts. Musical Director, Mr Alfred Young.’ (The Era, London, Sunday, 1 August 1869, p.8d, advertisement) * * * * * * * * The Alhambra, Leicester Square, London, redecorated, 1888 ‘The Alhambra has been made to look very beautiful, and with its natural advantages and its tasteful decorations should assert itself as the most splendid and commanding of all temples of its class. As I have before said, the on-coming of the hot weather will call attention to one fact - viz., that the Alhambra is the coolest of all "variety" resorts. ‘The directors of the Alhambra who were told off to superintend the decorating operations were, I believe, Messrs. Sutton, Nagle, and Coote, and these gentlemen managed their overseeing under circumstances that were anything but inspiriting, seeing that all the time these proceedings were going on the auditorium was never denied the public at the usual time. Be this as it may, I can honestly congratulate Mr. Edward Clark, the well-known architect; Messrs. Campbell, Smith, and Co., the decorators; Messrs. Jackson and Sons, who have executed the carton-pierre branch of the work; and Messrs. Verity and Son, who have been entrusted with the electric-lighting. As I have previously said, this grand structure looks splendid just now, and no doubt the public will think so too.’ (The Entr’acte, London, Saturday, 14 April 1888, p.4a) * * * * * * * *

Lily Elsie as Sonia in The Merry Widow, Daly’s, London, 1907

(photo: Foulsham & Banfield, London, 1907)

Lily Elsie’s triumph, London, 8 June 1907 ‘As everyone knows by now, The Merry Widow is a big success, and Mr. [George] Edwardes having followed up his Gaiety triumph [The Girls of Gottenberg, 15 May 1907] with the present piece will now be able to sit down and take a little "well-earned rest," and stack away the coin of the realm as it arrives nightly in cartloads, and I verily believe it will do for a long time to come. The surprise of the production has, of course, been Miss Lily Elsie, as Sonia, the merry one, whose triumph has been most complete, and who last Saturday night went right up to the top of the comic opera ladder with a jump. ‘It might, of course, have been possible for the part to have been played by a greater singer, and a more important all-round performer, but then we should not have had the youthfulness, the dainty charm and grace, the prettiness and the exquisite dancing with which Miss Elsie invests the part. How good the original of the character is, and was, I do not know, but having only seen Miss Elsie in the part, I share the opinion of most of the first-nighters, who considered it could not have been in better hands, and could not have been better handled, and who said so in the usual way with their hands and voice. The night was a genuine triumph for Miss Elsie, and she well deserved all the calls she received.’ (The Pelican, London, Wednesday, 12 June 1907, p.6a)

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© John Culme, 2002