The long series of rehearsals which
the members of the Dover Amateur Orchestral Society have been going through
for their production of ‘The Mikado’ terminated with a highly successful full
dress rehearsal at the Hippodrome on Monday night, when at the close of the
evening, Major Heyman, the musical director, was presented by Mrs Lionel Kilby,
on behalf of the company, with a souvenir baton.
For the first public performance on Tuesday evening every bookable seat
in the house had been engaged, and at an early hour the other parts were soon
filled well. Recollections of the
successful production of ‘HMS Pinafore, in the Cricket Week had, no doubt, a
lot to do with the rush for seats, coupled with the fact that since then the
various unattached amateurs who were got together to perform ‘HMS Pinafore’
had been formed into a Society, which promises to be able to produce in excellent
style many of the comic operas, which are so popular.
The full cast of ‘The Mikado’ as produced
on Tuesday was as follows:-
The Mikado of Japan – Mr Frank Hoare
Nanki-Poo (His son disguised as a wandering minstrel and in love with Yum Yum) – Major McCheane
Ko-Ko (Lord High Executioner of Titipu) – Mr Lionel Kilby
Pooh-Bar (Lord High Everything Else) – Mr H R Geddes
Pish-Tush (Noble Lord) – Mr Jack Robinson
Go-To (Noble Lord) – Mr Geoffrey Walsh
Yum-Yum, Pitti-Sing, Peep-Bo (Three sisters, wards of Ko-Ko) – Mrs Lionel Kilby, Miss Kathleen Downes, Miss Dorothy Dixon
Katisha (an elderly lady, in love with Nanki-Poo) – Mrs Adamson
Chorus of school girls, nobles, guards, and coolies:- Mesdames Battishill, Curtis-Raleigh, Keiley, Wiley, Misses Beatrice Adams, Dorothy Bourne, Mabel Carroll, Vera Churchill, Ada Facer, Maggie falconer, Ida Gilman, Mary Grant, Nora Gasson, Cissie Hancock, Jessie Leigh, Nellie Moore, Irene Pankhurst, Margaret Podevin, Constance Underdown, Winifred Underdown, Gladys Thompson, Norah Williams, and Clara Wood; Messrs S Anderson, K Barlow, J Beckett, W Bingham, E A Chapman, T H Cuff, E Curtis-Raleigh, A Durban, N Godfrey, F G Hayward, B Herrington, J Hover, C Martin, H Martin, C Merrett, R Prestwood, E J Stacey, S Turnpenny, N Tutt, H G Walker, E Whittingstall, E White, C Wind, S Parker.
The orchestra, which was conducted by Major Heyman, consisted of members of the band of the Royal Garrison Artillery, by kind permission of Liet.-Colonel Wiseman Clarke and officers. Their playing of Sullivan’s beautiful music was, naturally, of the perfect type to be expected of so well-known an orchestra.
Others connected with the production of the piece were:- Stage manager, Mr Lionel Kilby; business manager, Mr Philip Hart; hon. Secretary, Mr H W Youden; pianist, Miss Vivian Mann; assistant stage manager, Dr R W Ord; prompter, Mr H H Ford; hon. treasure, Mr Frank Hoare. Whilst still dealing with those responsible for the organisation, it should be mentioned that the whole of the costumes, wigs, and make-ups were supplied by Mr G W Friedlander, of Townwall Street, who must be heartily congratulated on the result. The scenery was kindly supplied by Mr H J Rowland, of the Pleasure Gardens Theatre, Folkestone.
‘The Mikado’ represents in its best form the combined genius of an author and a composer whose success in working together and interpreting each others’ ideas was always most remarkable. Gilbert’s wit and Sullivan’s music are national assets, and our Dover amateurs are most successful in interpreting these points well. A few years ago when Dover people had an opportunity of seeing regular theatrical and operatic performances in Dover, ‘The Mikado’ was often brought to the Theatre by the D’Oyley Carte Opera Company, although it was first produced at the Town Hall in the late ‘80’s. Now to many of the younger audience ‘The Mikado’ was absolutely strange, and it was received with almost paroxysms of laughter as regards the humorous portions, and with prolonged and enthusiastic applause as regards the beautiful musical gems with which the piece is studded.
As ‘The Mikado’, Mr Frank Hoare was particularly good in the well-known song, ‘To Make The Punishment Fit The Crime’. As ‘Ko-Ko’, Mr Lionel Kilby was the life and soul of the piece. Mrs Lionel Kilby as ‘Yum Yum’, scored an undoubted success; and as her suitor, ‘Nanki-Poo’, Major McCheane acted and sang excellently. Mr Geddes made a good ‘Pooh-Bar’; whilst Mr Jack Robinson won compliments on all sides for his version of ‘Pish-Tush’. The perts of the two other ‘Little Maids’ played by Miss Dixon and Miss K Downes, completed with the representative of ‘Yum-Yum’, a most effective trio; whilst Mrs Adamson, as ‘Katisha’, was capital. But really everyone on the stage was good, and both from the point of view of a pretty picture as well as a musical success, the amateur version of ‘The Mikado’ now being given by the Dover Operatic Society would be hard to beat.
The following
ladies acted as sellers of programmes:- The Misses Gladys Barr, Marjorie Darracott,
Winnie Downes, Sybil Heyman, Vera Keating, Olive Sugden, Monica Sugden, Dorothy
Triscott, and Gladys Wood. The
following gentleman acted as stewards:- Messrs F W Bartholomew, F A Belchamber,
E Ewell, C T Long, C P Tomlin, H T J Pratt, and H E Vernon Shone.
Messrs Lambert Weston and Son have this week made an extremely attractive exhibition at their handsome new studio in Bench Street of a series of charming photographs they have taken of the principals and the rest of the Company producing ‘The Mikado’ at Dover. A fine group of the whole company has been taken by them. Messrs Lambert Weston and Son have the sole rights to these photographs, which form very pretty costume studies. Copies of any of them may be obtained from the studio, Bench Street.