THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Fred W. Pattrick

Fred W. Pattrick (1889-1902, 1907-15)

[Born Wickham, Kent 26 Nov 1862, died Camden Town, London 17 Apr 1945]

Frederick William Patrick added a "t" to his surname before joining the D'Oyly Carte organization in 1889. He first appeared in a D'Oyly Carte program with Carte's Company "B" as the Lieutenant of the Tower in The Yeomen of the Guard from January to April 1889. In April the part was taken by Tom Redmond and Pattrick appears to have reverted to the chorus, but beginning in March 1890 Company "B" took up The Gondoliers with Pattrick as Antonio. He would also fill in briefly in November as Luiz. When Charles Gilbert left the Company in July 1891, Pattrick moved into his roles as Wilfred Shadbolt in Yeomen and Don Alhambra in Gondoliers, and when The Nautch Girl was added in December of that year he took the part of Pyjama.

He gave up Shadbolt and the Don in January 1892, but continued as Pyjama until The Nautch Girl was dropped in June. The Vicar of Bray was added in July, however, and Pattrick was restored to the program as John Dory. In August Pattrick reclaimed Shadbolt, and in September swapped Dory for Rev. William Barlow in The Vicar of Bray. When Haddon Hall was added to the repertoire in November 1892, he took on the part of Rupert Vernon.

Pattrick toured with Company "B" as the Vicar and Rupert Vernon until April 1893, at which point he transferred to D'Oyly Carte Opera Company "E," replacing the departing Lawrence Gridley, and appeared as Rupert Vernon, Pooh-Bah in The Mikado, and Private Willis in Iolanthe. Iolanthe was dropped in May, Haddon Hall in November, and The Mikado in December, when Company "E" ceased to be a repertory company and began the first provincial production of Utopia Limited, with Fred Pattrick as Scaphio.

The Company "E" repertoire began to expand in September 1894, when Utopia was joined by H.M.S. Pinafore (Pattrick as Captain Corcoran). Mirette was added in December (Pattrick as Francal), but gave way to The Chieftain in February 1895 (Pattrick taking Jose). Pinafore and Utopia were dropped in March, but Patience was revived in May and Gondoliers took The Chieftain's place in August. Pattrick played Colonel Calverley and Don Alhambra in the new operas.

Patience and Gondoliers toured until February 1896, then Company "E" launched the first provincial production of The Grand Duke on March 2, Pattrick in the title role of Grand Duke Rudolph. Mikado and Gondoliers joined the tour in July (Pattrick as Pooh-Bah and Don Alhambra again), then in December Charles R. Walenn joined the Company as Rudolph and Pattrick was switched to Ludwig in The Grand Duke.

The Grand Duke and The Gondoliers were dropped in April and July 1897 respectively. They were replaced by The Sorcerer (in June, Pattrick as Dr. Daly) and Pinafore (in July, Pattrick as Captain Corcoran). He would play Corcoran, Pooh-Bah, and Shadbolt throughout 1898, and Dr. Daly until June 1898, when The Sorcerer was replaced with The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, in which he would play General Boum.

The Sorcerer was restored in January 1899, and The Lucky Star joined an expanding repertoire in February. Pattrick was again Dr. Daly and took the part of Tobasco in the latter work. The Grand Duchess and The Sorcerer fell off the bill in April, but in October Haddon Hall joined for a short time with Pattrick again as Rupert. In November 1899 both Haddon Hall and The Lucky Star were discontinued, and Trial by Jury was added as a curtain raiser for Pinafore, Pattrick doing double duty as the Learned Judge as well as the Captain.

Pattrick toured as the Judge, Dr. Daly, Captain Corcoran, Pooh-Bah, and Shadolt until February 10, 1900. From February 12 onward Company "E" presented The Rose of Persia exclusively with Fred Pattrick as the Sultan Mahmoud. The Rose of Persia was joined by Patience in January 1901:this time Pattrick's role was Archibald Grosvenor. They both closed in June and on July 1 the Company, by this point billed as the "Savoy Touring Company," took up The Emerald Isle exclusively, with Pattrick as the Earl of Newtown. The presented The Emerald Isle until May 1902, at which point he left the D'Oyly Carte organization.

Five years would pass before he returned to the D'Oyly Carte fold, and much had changed. The D'Oyly Carte was no longer touring four companies:there were only two. Pattrick joined the main Company at the Savoy as a member of the chorus in June 1907 for the last two months of the First London Repertory Season. In August, when he joined the D'Oyly Carte Principal Repertory Opera Company on tour, there was only one. The principal baritone parts were all taken and Pattrick settled in for chorus, understudy, and infrequent small part duty. In the 1907-08 season he filled in on occasion for Fred Billington as Pooh-Bah and Don Alhambra.

Pattrick was back at the Savoy for a portion of the Second London Repertory Season, appearing as Owen Rhys in the one-act A Welsh Sunset on occasion during the autumn of 1908 in place of Leo Sheffield. He returned to the touring Repertory Company in October, and in April 1909 got a chance to fill in for Billington again as Dick Deadeye in H.M.S. Pinafore, the Sergeant of Police in The Pirates of Penzance, Pooh-Bah, Shadbolt, and Don Alhambra. He also appeared that season as Selworthy in the curtain raiser After All!.

For the next five seasons Pattrick would have limited responsibilities. He filled in on occasion for Billington as Pooh-Bah, Shadbolt, and Don Alhambra, but the only named part he played on a regular basis was the non-solo singing Associate in Trial by Jury. He played the role briefly in December 1911, shared it with Fred Hewett in 1912-13, then took it as his own for his last two seasons (1913-15).

Fred W. Pattrick left the D'Oyly Carte organization in June 1915. He would go on to appear on the London Stage in The Spanish Main (Apollo, 1915), The Taming of the Shrew (Apollo, 1916), and Chu Chin Chow (His Majesty's, 1916-21, though not for the entire run), Cairo (His Majesty's, 1921-22), and The Royal Visitor (His Majesty's, 1924).

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