Cirrus@Austlit

A burlesque version of Percy St John's earlier pantomime Sinbad the Sailor (1893), the story was likely a loose adaptation of the classic Arabian tale, as re-told in Richard F. Burton's The Book of One Thousand and One Nights.

Although various changes to the Sinbad burlesque were made by St John between its 1898 Sydney production and the 1899 Queensland tour, these were likely made largely in relation to the music and comedy business. The Brisbane Courier records in 1899, for example, that St John's Sinbad had been first staged in Brisbane some six years previously (the original pantomime version), but that since then it 'had been revised and brought up to date both in dialogue and music' (11 February 1899, p.7). According to advertising in the Sydney Morning Herald the 1898 version was played out over seven scenes: scene one, the Port of Bustarorah; scene two, the Vestibule of the Palace; scene three, the Port of Bustarorah (including Grand Lantern March); scene four, the Vestibule of the Palace; scene five, the Tropical Island (including Serpentine Dance and Primrose Ballet); scene six, the Palace; and scene seven, the Gardens of the Palace. The production ended with a vocal finale and tableaux of Australia.

The 1899 Brisbane revival is reported to have been staged with 'many very pretty costumes, pretty dancing, good local hits and fresh song' (Brisbane Courier 13 February 1899, p.3). One of the songs incorporated into that production was 'Sons of Britannia' (sung by Arthur Crane).

An Irish song-and-dance sketch.

Minstrel farce.

A minstrel farce that included a 'laughable' wrestling match.

The 1895 Brisbane season advertised the pantomime as 'the most interesting and mythical production ever placed before the public because it is fresh and new. The variety throughout the pantomime is brilliant ... [and includes] new and sparkling songs introduced for the first time in Brisbane' (Brisbane Courier 25 December 1895, p.2). The Courier's theatre critic reports that while the subject was 'perhaps, a welcome change from the more familiar tales of the nursery [The Miller and the Sweep] had the disadvantage of not being so well told. The dialogue is weak and the development of what little plot can be traced is not ingenious' (27 December 1895, p.6).

Haggard's original story concerns the penniless Leonard Outram, who attempts to redress the loss of his family fortune by seeking a new one in Africa. During the course of his adventures, he and his Zulu companion Otter save a young woman and her nursemaid from slavery and eventually sets out to find the legendary people of the mist, who are said to possess a fabulous hoard of jewels.

Songs known to have been interpolated into the 1894 version were 'I Won't Play in Your Yard', 'All in a Row', 'What Will You Do in the Winter', 'I Love My Love, Boo Boo', 'One More Drink, Then Bye-Bye', 'I Do Love You', 'She's the New Woman on the Bicycle', 'Girl Wanted', 'Ah Henrietta, Don't Scratch the Paint', 'Mr Lord Knows Who', 'Hard Times', 'Love Sweet Love', and 'The Fellow that Played the Drum.' Advertising in the days leading up to the Brisbane premiere also states that the production would introduce 'solos, duets, trios, quartettes, violin and harp obligatos [and] quaint and varied jubilee melodies as sung by the Fisk Jubilee Singers' (Brisbane Courier 21 December 1895, p.2).

A review of the 1898 Fremantle production published in the West Australian indicates that this revival contained a large number of localisms and topicalities, and that the harlequinade had been written by a local (28 December 1898, n. pag.). Speed had previously been in partnership with Martyn Hagan for a season at Fremantle, but this had dissolved sometime during the week 3-10 December. The Miller and the Sweep therefore marked the first major production under Speed's solo management.

Irish song-and-dance sketch.

An Irish song-and-dance sketch.