''Dandy Dick Whittington'' was an

opéra bouffe Opéra bouffe (, plural: ''opéras bouffes'') is a genre of late 19th-century French operetta, closely associated with Jacques Offenbach, who produced many of them at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens, inspiring the genre's name. Opéras bouf ...

in two acts, written by

George Robert Sims George Robert Sims (2 September 1847 – 4 September 1922) was an English journalist, poet, dramatist, novelist and ''bon vivant''. Sims began writing lively humour and satiric pieces for ''Fun'' magazine and ''The Referee'', but he was soon co ...

and composed by

Ivan Caryll Félix Marie Henri Tilkin (12 May 1861 – 29 November 1921), better known by his pen name Ivan Caryll, was a Belgian-born composer of operettas and Edwardian musical comedies in the English language, who made his career in London and later N ...

, based on the folktale

Dick Whittington and His Cat Dick, Dicks, or Dick's may refer to: Media * ''Dicks'' (album), a 2004 album by Fila Brazillia * Dicks (band), a musical group * ''Dick'' (film), a 1999 American comedy film * "Dick" (song), a 2019 song by Starboi3 featuring Doja Cat Names ...

. In this version, Dandy Dick performs in a circus and loves the owners' daughter. The circus goes to

Siam Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 mi ...

, where Dick unexpectedly receives a high office and marries his sweetheart. The opera premiered at the

Avenue Theatre The Playhouse Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster, located in Northumberland Avenue, near Trafalgar Square, central London. The Theatre was built by F. H. Fowler and Hill with a seating capacity of 1,200. It was rebuilt i ...

in London on 2 March 1895 and closed on 13 July 1895.Archer, William
"''Theatrical World'' of 1893–1897"
Walter Scott, Ltd., p. 404 It starred

May Yohé Mary Augusta "May" Yohé (April 6, 1866 – August 29, 1938) was an American musical theatre actress. After beginning her career with the McCaull Comic Opera Company in 1886 in New York and Chicago, and after other performances in the United S ...

Dick Whittington Richard Whittington (c. 1354–1423) of the parish of St Michael Paternoster Royal, City of London, was an English merchant and a politician of the late medieval period. He is also the real-life inspiration for the English folk tale ''Dick ...

, Ethel Haydon as Alice, and Henry Wright as Larry O'Brannagan. The conductor was

Landon Ronald Sir Landon Ronald (born Landon Ronald Russell) (7 June 1873 – 14 August 1938) was an English conductor, composer, pianist, teacher and administrator. In his early career he gained work as an accompanist and ''répétiteur'', but struggled ...

.Sims, George Robert
''My Life: Sixty years' recollections of Bohemian London''
Eveleigh Nash Company Limited: London, 1917, p. 324 The show was written as a vehicle for Yohé, who had starred in ''

Little Christopher Columbus ''Little Christopher Columbus'' is a burlesque opera in two acts, with music by Ivan Caryll and Gustave Kerker and a libretto by George R. Sims and Cecil Raleigh. It opened on 10 October 1893 at the Lyric Theatre in London and then transferred ...

'' by the same authors, and producer

William Greet William Greet (1851 – 25 April 1914) was a British theatre manager from the end of the 19th century and into the 20th century. Originally a business manager for other theatre licensees in the 1880s, he branched out as an independent manager ...

leased the theatre especially for ''Dandy Dick Whittington''. The piece was originally written as a

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...

but was later changed to an

(or

comic opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...

). Unlike in the Dick Whittington legend, there are no rats in the piece. Audiences particularly enjoyed the "acrobatic dance" of Florence Levey with Henry Wright. The critic of ''The Sketch'' thought Wright's impersonation of the popular actor and comedian of the day, E. J. Lonnen, was as good as the original. Betraying its early roots as a pantomime, John F. Sheridan played the

dame ''Dame'' is an honorific title and the feminine form of address for the honour of damehood in many Christian chivalric orders, as well as the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system and those of several oth ...

, Lady Fitzwarren."Dandy Dick Whittington", ''The Sketch'', 6 March 1895, p. 276

Synopsis

; Act I Dandy Dick Whittington works in Sir Achilles Fitzwarren's circus in London as a circus-rider and has a performing cat that is never let out of its basket. Dick loves the Fitzwarrens' daughter Alice, but Lady Fitzwarren does not find Dick to be an appropriate match for her daughter. Dejected, Dick leaves the circus and asks his acrobat friend, Larry O'Brannagan, what he should do. It turns out, much to Dick's surprise, and through a political expediency, that Larry has been selected as the next King of Siam. The circus and the Fitzwarrens go to

, and Dick follows in the H.M.S. Chimpanzee, together with his friend, Captain Fairfax, who loves Lola, known in the circus as the "queen of the arena". ; Act II Fairfax arrives in Siam in time to represent the British Empire at the ceremony to enthrone the new King, Larry. Larry makes Dick the First Minister of Siam. Dandy Dick is now a suitable match for Alice, and Lady Fitzwarren withdraws her opposition to their marriage. The real King returns, and Larry happily steps down, as he may now wed his Siamese love, Willasee. All ends happily, as Dick and Alice celebrate their marriage.

Roles and original cast

*Dick Whittington, ''Apprentice to Sir Achilles, with a performing cat'' –

*Sir Achilles Fitzwarren, ''Sheriff of London and Circus Proprietor'' – A. J. Evelyn *Captain Fairfax, R.N., ''Of H.M.S. Chimpanzee'' – James Barr; later

Roland Cunningham Roland Macquarie Cunningham (1872 – 3 May 1958) was an Australian-born British singer and actor of the late Victorian and Edwardian eras. He began his professional career in comic opera in London in 1895 and appeared briefly with the D'Oy ...

*Larry O'Brannagan, ''An Irish Acrobat'' – Henry Wright *Koko Gaga, ''A Siamese Acrobat'' – Robert Pateman *Auguste, ''A Circus Clown'' – Frederick Vaughan *Tom, ''A Sailor'' – Harold Patterson *Jones, ''A Sheriff's Officer'' *Phra Maha, ''Regent of Siam'' – H. N. Wenman *Lady Fitzwarren, ''Sir Achilles' Wife'' – John F. Sheridan *Alice, ''Her Daughter'' – Ethel Haydon *Lola, ''Queen of the Arena'' – Bertha Meyers *Jenny, Zoe and Nina, ''Equestriennes'' – I. Du Foye, L. Lisle and Miss Morgan *Susan, ''Servant of the Inn'' – Miss Elcho *Sa Dee, ''A Siamese Princess'' – Grace Whiteford *Willasee, ''Her Maid of Honour'' – Florence Levey *Nuntahtari and Chantawee and Song Kla, ''Siamese Beauties'' – Ellen Goss, Maude Fisher *Fa Xai, ''Lord in Waiting to the White Elephant'' *Xing Xong, ''Bearer of the Golden Umbrella'' *Song Kla, Phuna Tha and See Papat, ''Of the Siamese Imperial Guard'' – Mr. McBride, Mr. Shale and Mr. Davies

Songs

Act I - Exterior of Sir Achilles Fitzwarren's house in HighgateJohnson, Colin M
"''Dandy Dick Whittington'' (1895)"
2011, The Gilbert and Sullivan Archive, accessed 31 March 2018 *No. 1 - Chorus – "Hither we come from London Town" *No. 2 - Lady Fitzwarren and Girls – "The tyrant man has had his day" *No. 3 - Chorus of Guests – "Here the gay procession passes" *No. 3a - Chorus of Acrobats and Boys – "We are famous acrobats" *No. 3b - Lola and Circus Chorus – "Brothers and sisters of the ring" *No. 3c - Dick with Chorus – "Gaily I ride for my lady love" *No. 4 - Dick and Alice – "I know not what my fate may be" *No. 5 - Lady Fitz., Larry and Dick – "If in Siam you land from a civilized state" *No. 6 - Alice and Girls – "A girl with a guileless heart am I" *No. 7 - Larry and Chorus – "In London, one night, I went out for a walk" *No. 8 - Chorus – "Ring! Ring! Bells ring! Ding! Dong!" *No. 9 - Dick – "Across the vale, the bells ring out beneath the azure dome" *No. 10 - Finale Act I – "The Circus is closed and the show's at an end" Act II – Audience Court of the Royal Palace of Bangkok, Siam *No. 11 - Chorus – "Hark to the beat of drums! It is the Regent comes!" *No. 12 - Dance *No. 13 - Fairfax – "The south wind woos with tender lips" *No. 14 - Dick and Men – "A rover I've wandered o'er oceans afar" *No. 15 - Circus Chorus – "It's really very curious! It's really very quaint!" *No. 16 - Lady Fitz. and Chorus – "When you've been three months in a ship at sea" *No. 17 - Alice – "Said a maiden to her mirror: 'Little mirror, tell me true" *No. 18 - Lady Fitz., Larry and Dick – "Now I've come to my kingdom" *No. 19 - Dick with Chorus – "Down by the river when the twilight shadows fall" *No. 20 - Larry and Willasee – "Prithee, pretty maiden, will you dance with me?" *No. 21 - Chorus – "Merrily, merrily strike the ranat" *No. 22 - Finale – "We've put down our coin for a stake that's big"

References

External links

Photos of several original cast members in costumePlot description in newspaper review
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dandy Dick Whittington Opéras bouffes 1895 operas English comic operas English-language operas Operas Operas set in London Operas set in Thailand