THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Robert Rous as Sir Bailey Barre in Utopia Limited

Robert Rous (1892-96, 1899-1903)

[Born Holyhead, Anglesey 15 May 1867, died Toxteth Park 17 Feb 1919]

Robert Rous first appeared in a D'Oyly Carte program in June 1892 with D'Oyly Carte Opera Company "D." His initial roles were John Dory in The Vicar of Bray and Frazer in the companion piece Quite an Adventure, but by December 1892 he had switched to Mr. Wallaby in the shorter work. In December 1893 Company "D" took up Utopia Limited exclusively with Rous as Sir Bailey Barre. The Vicar of Bray and Quite an Adventure was restored to the tour in November with Rous resuming Dory and Wallaby. When the tour ended on December 8, 1894, Rous made a brief visit to the Savoy where he played Wallaby, and when Company "D" resumed touring on December 24, Rous assumed the part of Tarara, the public exploder, in Utopia, along with John Dory once more.

Company "D" was idle for December 15, 1895 to March 16, 1896, when they resumed with a new production of The Grand Duke, Rous as Viscount Mentone. Utopia joined The Grand Duke in October, with Rous as Tarara again, but the Company was disbanded on November 21.

We then lose track of Mr. Rous until February 1899 when he is reunited with Company "D," this time as Kill-joy Candlemas in Haddon Hall. The Company was disbanded again in September, but when it resumed touring in April 1900 with a new production of The Rose of Persia, Rous was on hand as the Physician-in-Chief.

Company "D" shut down again in December 1900, but this time Rous transferred to Company "C" where in January 1901 he was again the Physician-in-Chief. He soon moved to the Savoy where he created the part of Dr. Fiddle, D.D. in The Emerald Isle (April-November 1901). He remained with the D'Oyly Carte until January 1903, taking the small parts of So-Lo (Savoy, November 1901) and Ping-Pong (Savoy, December 1901-March 1902) in The Willow Pattern, and the Tailor in Merrie England (Savoy and on tour, April 1902-January 1903).

During the remainder of the decade Rous toured in a number of musical productions including The Earl and the Girl (1906), The Toreador (1907), and The Merry Widow (1909).

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