THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Edward L. Bishop (1890-1902)

[Born Marlborough, Wilts. Nov 1868; died at sea 26 Dec 1902]

Edward Louis Diseré Bishop was a bass member of the chorus for the D'Oyly Carte American Company that performed The Gondoliers at New York's Palmer's Theatre from February to April 1890. When the Company returned to the British Isles, he assumed the small part of Giorgio from May to July. It's likely he remained with the D'Oyly Carte organization in the chorus over the next several seasons. He was touring with his wife, Sophie Lacy, with Carte's Company "D" in the autumn of 1890.

We next see him in the programme of Company "D" in September 1895 as Scynthius in Princess Ida. During 1896 and 1897, he was with the Company "B" (redesignated "C" in March 1897) chorus, playing the small named parts of Bob Beckett in H.M.S. Pinafore and Giorgio in The Gondoliers.

At some point in 1898 he may have transferred to the Savoy Company, a "Mr. Bishop" serving in the chorus of The Beauty Stone from May to July. In any event he was back in the field with Company "D" in December 1898 to play First Huntsman in The Vicar of Bray, Cancan in The Lucky Star, and Sing-Song Simeon in Haddon Hall. In October 1899 he transferred to the Company "E" chorus, again appearing in Haddon Hall as Sing-Song Simeon. In 1901 we find him on tour with Company "C" again, filling in as Pooh-Bah in The Mikado for Fred Billington in July, and appearing as the Royal Executioner in The Rose of Persia. In late 1901 and in 1902, he also appeared as Karl in The Outpost, which played as a companion piece to The Pirates of Penzance, Patience, and Iolanthe. He died at sea on the Donne Castle later that year of a heart attack at age 34.

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