THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

George de Pledge (1887-93)

[Born Eastbourne 1862, died Goulburn, Australia 1902]

George James de Pledge appeared in the small part Sir Arthur Rougegorge in Ruddy George, a one-act musical parody of Ruddigore produced at Toole's Theatre between March and May 1887.

He joined the D'Oyly Carte organization later that year, appearing as Go-To in The Mikado with D'Oyly Carte Opera Company "D" in November and December 1887, and as Bob Beckett in H.M.S. Pinafore with Carte's Company "E" from December 1887 to June 1888. De Pledge joined the main Company at the Savoy for The Yeomen of the Guard in 1888 or 1889, going on for Wallace Brownlow as the Lieutenant of the Tower for a spell in August 1889. In December 1889 he created the small part of Giorgio in The Gondoliers, and during the first run of that opera filled in on occasion for W. H. Denny as Don Alhambra and (in September 1890) for A. Medcalf as Antonio.

It's likely he remained in the Savoy chorus for The Nautch Girl (June 1891-January 1892) and The Vicar of Bray (January-June 1892) for he was given the small part of Barnabas Bellows-to-mend in Haddon Hall (September 1892-April 1893). In March and April 1893 de Pledge also appeared as Michael de Vere in the one act curtain raiser Mr. Jericho which joined Haddon Hall on the Savoy bill.

George de Pledge left the Savoy and the D'Oyly Carte shortly thereafter.He next appeared as Oyster Dick in the musical comedy Poor Jonathan (Prince of Wales's, June 1893). He was later Lt. Jack Broadsides, R.N. in the musical extravaganza King Kodak (Terry's, April-June 1894) and Muley Muzpha in the burlesque Eastward Ho! (Opera Comique, December 1894-January 1895).

In August 1901 he left England for Australia, where he died the next year.

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