THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

John Truro (1880-81)

John Truro toured the British Isles with the D'Oyly Carte companies in 1880 and 1881. He was a chorister with Mr. D'Oyly Carte's "Second London Company" in January and February 1880, before transferring to Carte's "D" Company in March. With "D" Company he appeared as Bob Beckett in H.M.S. Pinafore from March to December 1880, was Sisyphus Twister in the Hughes & Halton curtain-raiser Six and Six in August and September, and filled in briefly as Sir Marmaduke Pointdextre in The Sorcerer in December.

"D" Company took up The Pirates of Penzance in December 1880, and Truro was at first relegated to the chorus, though for a portion of the tour (in May 1881 at least) he played Twister again. ("D" Company was by then known as Mr. D'Oyly Carte's "E" Company.) In July 1881, Fred Federici moved up from Samuel to the Pirate King and Truro took over as his lieutenant. "E" Company's Pirates tour ended in November 1881. In December, by then known as Mr. D'Oyly Carte's No. 2 "Patience" Company, they took up the new aesthetic opera exclusively. Whether Truro left the Company or reverted to the chorus is unclear.

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