From The Morning Post, 23 August 1879

IMPERIAL THEATRE.

The career of the popular comic opera "H.M.S. Pinafore" continues with unabated interest. In whatever latitude the fair ship appears she is welcomed with the utmost ardour. Abroad in America the piece has been played in nearly every city and town of importance. It has even been produced in New York upon a real ship in real water before thousands of spectators, with extraordinary success. A company of black performers, a troupe of children, and a German. speaking band of minstrels have helped to popularise the now well-known strains, and to foster the repetition of certain of its catch-words until they have become proverbs, and have incorporated themselves into the every-day speech of the people.

In the provinces of our own country success has more or less awaited the appearance of the vessel and its strange burden. The humour and the fun it contains has been variously interpreted by various artists in many ways, each bringing its proper recognition.

The company now at the Imperial Theatre is giving a specially good representation of the work, marked alike by general excellence and individual merit. Well placed upon the stage. and with a carefully drilled chorus, who not only sing well, but act with spirit and a good relation to the general effect, and having, moreover, a fair band, conducted by M. van Biene, all that could be done in the way of making the accessories acceptable has been done to the advantage of the representation.

The principals are, moreover, exceptionally good. Miss Carina Clelland, of the Carl Rosa opera company, and an admirable singer, is the Josephine; Miss Edwards sings and acts well as Little Buttercup; Miss Muncey, as the relative of Sir Joseph Porter, invests the part with a special significance, while the part of the First Lord in the hands of Mr. J. G. Taylor is a new and humorous creation. Messrs. Dwyer, Rousbey, and Fairweather are each good in the parts entrusted to them; and, with Mr. Wilford Morgan as the best possible representative of Ralph Rackstraw, the complement of the ship is made up so as to ensure a series of trips with all the elements of prosperity and popularity to follow and attend her while she is on the duty of pleasing and amusing.

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