THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Edgar Manning

Edgar Manning (1881-83, 1884)

[Born Monmouth 15 Apr 1855, died Black Rock, Australia Oct 1934]

Edgar Babington Manning's first role the D'Oyly Carte organization was a small part (probably Joseph) in the Desprez & Cellier curtain raiser In the Sulks on tour with Mr. D'Oyly Carte's "B" Company beginning in April 1881. When "B" Company took up The Pirates of Penzance in November of that year, Manning taking over as Samuel in the new opera, though he yielded the part to Leonard Roche the following month.

In January 1882, Manning took on the duties of stage manager for "B" Company. That year he did, however, play Policeman X in the companion piece Quite an Adventure, by Desprez & Solomon, and in November, when Charles Manners left for the Savoy, took over as Samuel again, and as Dick Deadeye in H.M.S. Pinafore. The Company was renamed Mr. D'Oyly Carte's "Pinafore" and "Pirates" Company in January 1883. That year, Manning stage managed and played Samuel and Deadeye for the full tour:until September, when the Company was disbanded. He was also Policeman X in Quite and Adventure in June, but in Manchester in July the part was taken by a Henry Melbourne.

Manning returned to the D'Oyly Carte stage for one more role: appearing on tour as Bill Bobstay in Pinafore and Samuel again in Pirates with Mr. D'Oyly Carte's "C" (Repertory) Company from July to December 1884. It's possible he'd been with the D'Oyly Carte organization in the intervening period: as chorister, stage manager, or both: but records for this era are spotty. He'd married fellow D'Oyly Carte artist Florence Harcourt in July 1884 and in 1886 the two of them decamped for Australia. There he contined his theatrical career as performer and manager almost until his death in 1934.

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