Cirrus@Austlit

The plot of the original 1893 version deals with the adventurous career of Edgar Dalmore, a young English officer who, after quarreling with his father (a Cornish mine-owner) travels to Australia. On his arrival he is arrested and charged with the murder of his father. The crime was committed, however, by his cousin. Unable to prove his innocence, Dalmore escapes into the bush where he is befriended by cattle-rustlers. His military background eventually sees him lead the group and he becomes renowned as Captain Dart. A romance ensues with a banker's daughter but he is betrayed by another woman who's love he has not returned. After managing to escape the law complications arise when his murdering cousin arrives in Australia and attempts to defraud investors in a worthless mine. Dart becomes aware of his cousin's crimes and although unable to foil a plot to blow up the mine he is able to get his revenge, clear his name and win the hand of the woman he loves.

For their 1901 reworked version, Lincoln and Adam Pierre (Alfred Dampier) undertook considerable changes. They removed the British setting that started the original play and changed Dalmore from the son of a Cornish mine-owner to the son of a wealthy Australian station owner. His bushranging nom de plume was also changed from Captain Dart to the more romantically-sounding Captain Midnight. Other changes included the addition of a fifthact and the expansion of the previously minor role of publican Ned Harling (pub keeper). This was done in order to provide Alfred Dampier with a suitable role, as age and an expanding waistline had by then made it implausible for him to play the Dampier to play the lead. The expanded character subsequently became the cripple Humpy Ned.

The storyline of the re-worked version, based on the 1911 film, sees Dalimore tricked out of his inheritance by his cousin, Vincent Lennox. When is father is killed during a robbery (orchestrated by Lennox), Edgar is accused of the murder and is given a life sentence. He escapes with the help of Ned Harling (a bushman who worked for his father) and Ned's daughter Elsa (who loves Edgar). Despite Elsa's affections, Edgar is in love with a squatter's daughter Thelma Warren. A jealous Elsa betrays him to the police, but then changes her mind and helps him escape. Elsa comes forward with evidence that he did not kill his father. The killers try to kill Elsa but Edgar rescues her and in doing so clears his own name.

Alfred Dampier's adaptation of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables premiered at Sydney's Theatre Royal on 14 August 1893 with a cast of over thirty actors. The Sydney Morning Herald's theatre critic described the production as 'sombre, 'strong,' well-paced and one of the best pieces in the company's repertoire. Its only weakness according to the critic was the want of love interest and some humour.

The Age theatre critic wrote of Garnet Walch's revised version of his 1878 pantomime:

'At one time it is said that pantomimes used to have plots, but then it is alleged about almost everything that some time or another it had something which it has not got now. For our part, we are heartily glad that any semblance of a connected story in pantomime has long been voted unnecessary, and we join with those who like to see Mr Stanley, the railway management, sewerage schemes and prodigious sly hits at social evils blended in delightful harmony with the story of Jack the giant killer' (26 December 1891, p.10).

As the review goes on to record, Walch's treatment of the famous fairytale included numerous hits at local and topical subjects. One particularly popular segment was apparently a burlesque of Mr Stanley's recent lecture at the Opera House, which the critic described as 'an admirable piece of foolery conceived of in an Artemus Wardean strain [that] so tickled the house that it was some minutes before the performance could go on'. Local scenes included in the Grand Harlequinade were 'A Street in Melbourne' and 'A Well-Known Spot.'

The instrumental and vocal music was either composed or arranged by H. Percy Kehoe, with the non-original compositions including some of the more popular airs of the day. The Age review notes, too, that one of the many good songs performed by Aggie Kelton was 'Sparkling Wine' (sung with the chorus). A topical duet, 'I Vote for That', and the 'Ballet De La Rage' were also viewed as being among the show's highlights. The latter is said to have been 'planned on an elaborate scale [with] some truly gorgeous dance movements' (p.10).