Press Clippings for the week ending
Saturday, 29 November 2003
A random selection of cuttings
from newspapers and magazines
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Adah Isaacs Menken |
Adah Isaacs Menken (1835-1868), American actress and celebrity
(photo: Sarony & Co, Birmingham, circa 1865)
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'The Birmingham Gazette of January 29th [1866] says: - "The engagement of Miss Adah Isaacs Menken, in addition to the still attractive Pantomime, combined to fill this house (the Prince of Wales) on Saturday night [27 January 1866] with a larger audience than we have seen inside its walls since Boxing Night [26 December 1865]. The gallery, pit, and dress circle were literally crammed, while the stalls presented a well filled appearance that must have been highly gratifying to managerial observation. The reputation of Miss Menken as an actress of very considerable personal attractions, and more than average histrionic ability, was so well established during her first visit to Birmingham, that our task on the present occasion will almost be entirely limited to a notice of the success with which she represents the new part in which she now appears. It will be remembered by many of our readers that the The French Spy [sic] is a military piece of the French school, in which the heroine, who appears in two assumed characters besides her own, in supposed to be dumb. In choosing the part for herself, there can be no doubt that Miss Menken has exercised exactly the part in which all her attractions and none of her defects – all her strong points and none of her weaknesses – are made apparent to the audience. She plays the part well, and, as may be imagined, by those who have seen her in Mazeppa looks it to perfection. The dress in which she appears as the Arab boy is picturesque and beautiful in the extreme; in fact, throughout the entire performance Miss Menken looks the part desired. Beyond this, when it is borne in mind that she does not utter a word during the whole length of the play, it will at once be understood that everything must depend upon the artiste posing of her figure and the vivid expressiveness of her pantomimic action. In both of these Miss Menken is exceedingly clever. Her movements, once out of the stiff regimental dress of the first act, are always natural, easy, and graceful, while she is one of the most clever pantomimists that we have ever seen. On Saturday night she was loudly and energetically called before the curtain after each act to receive the cheers and 'floral offerings' of an audience that was most enthusiastic in its appreciation of her efforts to win their approbation, and there can be no doubt inaugurated an engagement that will more than equal in its success the one in which she first appeared here.'
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Nelly Power at the Surrey Theatre, London, |
Nelly Power (1854-1887), English dancer and music hall serio-comic
(portrait by 'E.W.', The Figaro, London, Wednesday, 17 March 1875, p.12c)
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'On Friday last [12 March 1875] Miss Nelly Power had an extraordinarily, or, perhaps I should rather say a naturally, warm reception at the Surrey, where she is an old favorite. The audience would not let her speak for some three or four minutes, and, indeed, I am not sure that the popular little lady was not to a great extent overcome by the pronounce character of her welcome. She was hailed with a storm of delight – genuine delight, I am sure – and she received as many bouquets as a popular prima donna. The Surrey people seemed never to have had enough of her, and, poorly as she was helped out in the familiar duet, "I should like to," she could have taken as many encores as she pleased. The return of Miss Nelly Power for the short spell of a benefit was, doubtless, a great addition to the attractions of the said entertainment. Speaking from a purely selfish point of view I must say that the lively actress has been absent from the boards too long, and if, as seems likely, she appears at the Philharmonic Theatre [Islington] in the burlesque which is to be produced there, she will be very welcome. She is one of the artistes who always succeeded in pleasing their audience, and this by reason of the apparent pleasure which she takes in her work. "Little Nelly," as her admirers are wont, without any special reason, to call her, has, moreover, real dramatic ability, and rattles through her songs, and dances, and speeches with an art which contrasts most agreeably with the pretty imbecilities of the ladies whose limbs, and broughams, and bracelets form their sole passport to the extravaganza stage. Now extravaganza demands but little from its disciples; but that little, such as it is, is imperatively needed if the entertainment is to rise to the level suited to an audience of any intelligence whatever. It is pleasant, therefore, to know that Nelly Power meditates an early return to the career in which she was so deservedly successful.'
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Crusoe the Second, a sketch at the
'In a little sketch, entitled Crusoe the Second, the Bouffoest Bouffe that ever you did see, Mr. W.B. Fair, Miss Susie Vaughan, and a couple of co-workers have been delighting the audiences at the Surrey Theatre during the last week. This is a merry little device, strengthened by attractive music and well-written text. As Man Friday, Mr. Fair, by his intelligence, agility, and immense fund of animal spirits, proves himself a thorough adept in this line of entertainment. Miss Susie Vaughan also is wonderfully smart, and creates a capital impression: while Miss Jenny Claremont and Mr. Fredericks give good assistance to the performance. * * * * * * * *
Maud Allan returns to dance
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Maud Allan (1873-1956), Canadian born international dancer,
in the dance of Ase's Death from Grieg's Peer Gynt.
(photo: W. & D. Downey, London, circa 1908)
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'With many members of the crowded audience who welcomed Miss Maud Allan back to the theatre of her phenomenal triumphs yesterday afternoon there must surely have been feelings of mingled trepidation and curiosity whether the dancer who charmed all London a few seasons ago [in 1908] would show herself capable of rekindling those impressions of beauty of movement and sensuous charm of expression which made of her performance a thing individual and apart. Miss Allan had not been long on the stage before all such doubts were resolved. She returns to us not only with added grace and finer eloquence of body and of gesture, but with the subtle power of illustrating music enhanced to a remarkable degree. She seems to have widened the confines of her art; to have learned how to give it still greater variety and spirituality. Monotony is a word completely removed from one's thoughts in watching the ever varying charm of her movements. It is a bold thing, indeed, to challenge criticism with a whole afternoon of classical dancing by one dancer, but Miss Allan never better stood the test than yesterday, and never better justified her place as the supreme exponent o this form of emotional expression.
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© John Culme, 2003