THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

G. Villiers Arnold.

G. Villiers Arnold (1899-1904)

[Born 1877, died Sydney, New South Wales 20 May 1921]

The son of J. A. Arnold and older brother of Harry Arnold, George Villiers Arnold appeared in the D'Oyly Carte chorus at the Savoy for the 1899 revival of H.M.S. Pinafore, and the first London revival of Patience, from November 1900 to April 1901. He was probably in the Savoy chorus for the intervening productions of The Rose of Persia and The Pirates of Penzance as well.

He shortly joined the D'Oyly Carte Repertoire Company "C", and in September 1901 assumed the roles of Samuel in The Pirates of Penzance, Strephon in Iolanthe, Florian in Princess Ida, Pish-Tush in The Mikado, Sir Richard Cholmondeley in The Yeomen of the Guard, and Luiz in The Gondoliers.

In 1902, 1903, and through June 1904 Arnold held down those roles while adding Major Murgatroyd in Patience, and Mons. Sarenet in Bob (when that "curtain raiser" joined Pirates on the bill in 1904).

He also made occasional substitutions as Archibald Grosvenor in Patience (February 1902), and filled in for C. Herbert Workman as Sir Joseph Porter in H.M.S. Pinafore, General Stanley in The Pirates of Penzance, Reginald Bunthorne in Patience, the Lord Chancellor in Iolanthe, King Gama in Princess Ida, Ko-Ko in The Mikado, Jack Point in The Yeomen of the Guard, and the Duke of Plaza-Toro in The Gondoliers during the latter's absence in May and June 1904. Arnold was married to Florence Beech, a member of the Company in 1902.

G. Villiers Arnold left the D'Oyly Carte in June 1904. He continued his Gilbert & Sullivan career in Australia appearing in H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, Patience, Iolanthe, The Mikado, The Yeomen of the Guard, and The Gondoliers at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, in 1914; and in H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, Patience, and The Mikado at His Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne in 1920. A popular singer and character actor, he was performing as the Cobbler in Chu Chin Chow at the Grand Opera House, Sydney, shortly before his death in 1921.

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