“His Excellency.”

The Era Nov. 3, 1894, p. 15

Mr. W.S. Gilbert has added another masterpiece of drollery to those which have made him famous. The libretto of His Excellency has not only a very funny idea as the groundwork of the story, but the dialogue and lyrics are full of the author’s delightful humour. It is a new excursion into the kingdom of topsyturveydom, and assisted by several popular members of the old Savoy company the performance of His Excellency on Saturday last was a veritable triumph. Author, manager, and composer were thrice called to the front, and Mr George Edwardes, after warmly thanking the audience for the enthusiastic greeting they had given, expressed the hope that the County Council would discover no excuse for interference. A roar of laughter and applause followed. The remark, in fact, appeared to be simply another joke like that of the chief personage in the piece. Indeed, it would be impossible for either any public censor or private visitor to find fault with His Excellency, which is as pure in tone as it is harmless in its drollery. The plot is not a complicated one after we have seized the central idea. The most prominent personage is the Governor of Elsinore, who has such a love of practical joking and hoaxing that he is constantly causing annoyance to others. He has induced a wealthy, middle-aged lady to believe herself engaged to him, and thinks it a superb hoax to back out when the dame takes the matter seriously. He even deludes a couple of young fellows who are suitors for his pretty daughters. One is a medical man; the other a sculptor who has made an excellent statue of the Regent. The Governor sends them word that the medical man is appointed Court physician, and the sculptor is to practice his art under Royal patronage. But the most eccentric prank is to have a troop of hussars taught ballet dancing. The result is droll in the extreme, for whenever the hussars are in attendance on their chief they may be seen pirouetting in the most absurd fashion, singing merry chorus and dancing at the same time; but the corporal protests in the following lines:—

The principal scene for the dancing hussars is in the second act, and it proved so mirth-provoking that we may predict with certainty all playgoing London will be attracted to witness the evolutions of the military ballet dancers. But Nemesis is at hand. The Regent comes to Elsinore disguised as a strolling player, and the Governor, struck by the resemblance of the pretended stroller to his Royal master, thinks what fun it would be to bribe the actor to impersonate the Regent, and confirm the favours he has bestowed. Some of the most humorous scenes result from this. The Royal actor, like other amateurs, has the fullest confidence in his histrionic abilities, and says he “hopes one day to play Hamlet on his native battlements.” But after allowing the Governor to fall into the trap and expose his own folly the Regent makes himself known, and those who have suffered at the hands of the joker are rewarded, while the Governor himself is degraded to the ranks, and the disconsolate gentleman is seen as a sentry in the castle where he was formerly ruler when the curtain falls. Nothing could be merrier than the libretto, which brims over with Mr Gilbert’s whimsical fancies.

Several of the author’s former associates at the Savoy take part in the presentation, among them Mr. George Grossmith, Mr. Rutland Barrington, and Miss Jessie Bond. Mr. Grossmith had a reception of a most enthusiastic character, and played the joke-loving Governor in his drollest vein, making the most of Mr. Gilbert’s funny fancies in speech and song—for example, the Governor’s laughable regret that every good joke, practical or otherwise, had been long ago used up:—

Mr. Grossmith gave this amusing ditty with all possible point and humour, and in representing the absurd Governor’s enjoyment of his own jokes he was extremely successful. Equally acceptable was the humorous embodiment of the Regent by Mr Rutland Barrington, who has never done anything better, and, in fact, has rarely distinguished himself so much. His conception of the Royal amateur sometimes approached the grotesque, but whatever he said or did was always in keeping with the part. When the Regent “put an antic disposition on,” his drollery proved irresistible, and his singing was particularly effective. Never more so than when the Regent grumbles that Royal personages can seldom go abroad without hearing the echo of the National Anthem. We are tempted to quote some of the author’s comments on this Royal annoyance:—

Mr Kenningham may be credited with pleasant singing and acting as the Sculptor, and Mr Augustus Cramer displayed welcome ability as the Physician. Mr John Le Hay as the eccentric Syndic quite took his admirers by surprise. He revealed comic powers that afforded the audience immense amusement. He was wonderfully “made up,” and the drollery of his aspect, the oddity of his movements, and the humour expressed in every look and tone made Mr John Le hay’s Syndic one of the most successful features of the opera. Mr Arthur Playfair as the dancing Corporal of Hussars was also very droll. His imitations of a première danseuse were extremely comic. A capital Sentry was seen in Mr George Temple. Miss Nancy M’Intosh gave an attractive rendering of Christina, the ballad-singer. She was very successful in a scene with the statue, in which she sings and speaks for herself and the man of marble. This was rendered with excellent contrasts of tone and style. Miss Jessie Bond and Miss Ellaline Terriss, the former in a pretty blue dress, the latter in pink, were charming as the daughter sof the Governor. Miss Bond has a sprightly song describing the requirements of a modern young lady who is sought in marriage. She sings:—

Miss Ellaline Terriss, who has greatly improved as a vocalist, is worthily associated with Miss Jessie Bond. Nothing could have been more graceful and attractive than the acting of Miss Terriss, and her animated delivery of Mr Gilbert’s smart lines must have delighted the author, as it evidently did the audience. Her appearance was exquisitely pleasing, refined, and artistic. An effective contrast to these graceful ladies is seen in Miss Alice Barnett’s vigorous rendering of the strong-minded Dame Hecla Cortlandt, who has to keep in subjection “a furious temper and an iron will,” and to reconcile these is a difficulty which frequently caused much fun. Miss Gertrude Aylward and Miss May Cross were entitled to commendation, and the chorus sang with excellent effect throughout. The pretty scenes in Elsinore by Mr T. Ryan, the dresses designed by Mr Percy Anderson, the cleverly modelled statue by Mr Lucchesi, and the dancers arranged by Mr John D’Auban all combined to increase the attractiveness of the opera.

Regarding the music, if at times, if at times we miss the spontaneous humour so characteristic in Sir Arthur Sullivan’s setting of a Gilbertian libretto, Dr. Osmond Carr never fails to please the ear with a vein of melody always attractive, and his artistic working out of the various themes is what might be expected from so well-trained a musician. He writes for chorus and orchestra with admirable effect, and we may instance the first finale as a proof of his perfect command of resources and dramatic feeling. The lively “patter” songs have frequently the vivacity of Rossini, and carry out the author’s ideas brilliantly.

Nothing could be more cordial than the reception of His Excellency, whose jokes are likely enough to be played at the Lyric Theatre for a year or two to come.

Transcribed by Arthur Robinson

Page modified 22 October 2020