Press Clippings for the week ending
Saturday, 2 August 2003

A random selection of cuttings
from newspapers and magazines

'Twas I, Olympic Theatre, London, March 1876

Maud Branscombe

(photo: unknown (? W. & D. Downey of London), late 1870s)

The Gascon [; or, Love and Loyalty], concerning which much evil report went forth after the initial performance [Olympic, 21 February 1876], is securing the success which we predicted for it, large audiences nightly assembling to enjoy and to applaud Mr Henry Neville's capital interpretation of the principal part. The drama is now preceded by that bright little comedietta called 'Twas I [by J.H. Payne, first produced at Covent Garden, London, December 1825]. The piece, with is unpretending little story wedded to some very sprightly music, was, it may be remembered, presented some time ago as an operetta at the Gaiety; and at the Olympic it seems likely to create general interest and to secure general approval. Pretty Miss Maude [sic] Branscombe now represents Georgette, the village damsel, who is a candidate for the floral crown to be presented to the fair one who has been chary of her favours, and who has never given a kiss to anybody of the opposite sex, even during the period of courtship, and very charmingly does she play the part. Miss Branscombe's personal attractions have hitherto been her passport to public favour, and we were pleased to find that, intrusted with such a part as this, she was capable of doing it full justice. Mrs [W.H. ('Granny')] Stephens was Mother Mag, that talkative, meddlesome busybody whose determination to stir up strife and to promote discord ends in her being drummed out of the village. Mr Lytton Sothern made a good representative of Dolorme, the young farmer whose admiration for his pretty cousin so nearly loses her the prize desired; and Mr Albert Bernard proved highly diverting as Marcel, the country lad and Georgette's lover, who, in the words "'Twas I," takes upon himself the burden of many sins not his own. The remaining parts were supported by Messrs Winstanley and St. Alban; Miss Hope, Miss Beaumont, &c.' (The Era, London, Sunday, 12 March 1876, p.10a) * * * * * * * * George Beauchamp at the Middlesex music hall, London, July 1891

George Beauchamp (1863-1901), English music hall comedian

(caricature by Leonard Raven-Hill from
Pick-Me-Up, London, Saturday, 25 July 1891, p.266)

'The Quinns" are a lady and gentleman with an American accent, whose business is materially aided by the antics of a cleverly-trained dog. Mr. George Beauchamp, a comedian of considerable promise, followed, and favoured us with no less than five turns. His best song, which is cleverly written, deals with a game of baccarat where somebody said that somebody else had got an ace in his boot, and two queens up his back, or something in that way. The proper enjoyment of the song was somewhat marred in our corner of the hall by the aggressive attitude of a baby in arms, which would persist in attempting to join in the chorus, and could only be quieted at length by a supply of liquid nutriment from the rightful and original source. Among our ancient mansions And from our racecourse rails, O! let the prayer re-echo - God bless the Prince of Wales! O! bless our Albert Edward And save his gracious Ma, And keep his Royal Highness From playing Baccarat! (Pick-Me-Up, London, Saturday, 25 July 1891, pp.266 and 267; the reference to baccarat and the Prince of Wales is to the Tranby Croft Affair of 1890, for which see, The Times, London, 10 and 15 June 1891) * * * * * * * * Sophie Tucker at the American music hall, New York, January 1910

Sophie Tucker (1884-1966) when she was billed as 'The Mary Garden of Ragtime'

(photo: Barnard, Chicago, 1913)

'Sophie Tucker made her usual pronounced hit and sang seven songs in all. These included, "If You Want a Little Bit of Love Just Send for Me," "Don't Waltz So Fast, Honey," "That Yiddisha Rag," "Cubanola Glide" and "Wild Cherry Rag." Miss Tucker at onc time had a big chance of becoming a musical comedy artiste of real note, but she missed it. Her present method, though it wins great outbursts of applause from a certain class of vaudeville goers, is too rough and "loud" to be classed as artistic. The magnetism is there and the ability to sing "coon" numbers exuberantly. But the method is too broad and at times is almost offensively vulgar in its apparent double entendre of rendition of certain phrases and songs.' (The New York Dramatic Mirror, New York, Saturday, 18 January 1910, p.18d) * * * * * * * * Arthur Bourchier in Treasure Island again, Strand Theatre, London, Christmas 1925

Arthur Bourchier (1863-1927), English actor manager,
as 'Blind Pew' in his revival of Treasure Island,
Strand Theatre, London, 26 December 1925

(photo: unknown, 1925)

'Matinées Only. 'The Strand Theatre should be a popular place during the Christmas holidays, for not only is La Chauve-Souris [by members of the Bat Theatre, Moscow,] in the evening bill, but every afternoon is occupied by Arthur Bourchier's annual revival of Treasure Island. Ever since he first produced J.B. Fagan's excellent adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's immortal story [at the Strand in December 1922], it has steadily grown in popularity (and, incidentally, improved with age), so that the four-weeks' season is scarcely long enough for all the old friends to renew acquaintance with it. 'Mr. Bourchier's Dual Rôle. 'Arthur Bourchier won fresh laurels when he created the part of "Long John" Silver, and of course, he will once again be seen as this roaring villain. An innovation will be that he also plays the part of "Blind Pew," whose appearance in the first act does not interfere with "Long John," who does not come on until the second. Mr. Bourchier has been playing the two parts on tour, and should man an awesome figure of the new characters. Otherwise, the play will once more be in its old form.' (The Theatre World and Illustrated Stage Review, London, January 1926, p.77) * * * * * * * *

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© John Culme, 2003