Issue Details: First known date: 1875... 1875 Beauty and the Beast ; Or, Harlequin King Glorio the Millionth, the Island of Apes and the Fairies of the Magic Roses
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

AbstractHistoryArchive Description

Billed as 'an original, mirthful, mystical, sophistical, cabalistical, phantastical, cryptical, onomantical, metrical and musical extravaganza,' the storyline is said to displayed 'no affinity to the great original in any respect and furnishes a totally dissimilar narrative.' The Sydney Morning Herald theatre critic writes further: 'The plot is indeed entirely the author's composition, or adaptation" (28 Dec. 1975, 15). Walch included numerous references to the Sydney scene, personalities and politics within the libretto and burlesqued a number of Shakespearian tragedies and performers. Some scenes also bear similarity to his previous productions Australia Felix (1873) and Adamanta (1874).

The prologue introduces New Year (as Old Year disappears) who allocates tasks to the Signs of the Zodiac. Venus and the Demon meanwhile declare their rivalry and the latter strikes the first blow by arranging for King Glorio's daughter, Beauty, to be kidnapped by the Beast, 'a sort of ourang-outang monarch with an apish army' who has long sough the hand of the young princess. In this plot he is aided by the Rose Queen's foe, Nightshade, and King Glorio's conniving Prime minister, Advelorem. Beauty is subsequently taken to the Isle of Monkeys and given a day to marry the Beast. The Rose Queen calls on the Pilgrim of Love, who has already wooed and won the heart of Beauty, to save Beauty and gives him two magic roses to help his quest. Complications arise, however, not the least being the theft of one of the magic roses by Beauty's older sister, Aquilina. This forces the Pilgrim to temporarily abandon his pursuit of Beauty until he recovers the rose. He eventually makes his way by ship to the Isle of the Monkeys, escorted by King Glorio and other members of the court, and with the aid of the Rose Queen and her fairies saves Beauty from her awful fate.

The synopsis of scenery and incidents as published in the Sydney Morning Herald are:

Prologue: Roofs of Houses near the General Post Office, and the Twelve Signs of the Zodiac;

Act 1 Scene 1. The Graden of Roses (incl. The Fairy Flower Statues, The Spelling Bee and The Talisman); Grand Ballet and Minuet;

Scene 2. Ante-Chamber in King Glorio's Palace;

Scene 3. Grand Square near the City Gates (incl. The King's Procession, and The March of the Amazons);

Act 2 Scene 1. Grand Salon on Board the King's Ship (incl The Magic Bird);

Scene 2. Grotesque Chamber in the Beast's Palace;

Scene 3. Monkey Land;

Scene 4. The Beast's Palace;

Scene 5. Cave Dungeon beneath the Beast's Palace (incl. The Lover's United).

Grand Transformation Scene: 1. The Silver Lakes in the Cave of Content; 2. The Floral Conservatory on the Boarders of Fairy Land; 3. The Temple of Apollo in the Vestibule of Coins and Jewels; 4. On the Boarders of Dreamland; 5. The Home of the Peri in the Pellucid Waters of the Crystal Lake; 6. The Rainbow of Ferns.

[Source: Australian Variety Theatre Archive]

Production Details

  • 1875: Theatre Royal, Sydney; 27 December 1875 - 22 January 1876

    • Director/Producer/Lessee Samuel Lazar; Music Arranger B. Levy; Scenic Art William Kinchela, Alfred Clint and W. J. Wilson; Choreography E. McLean; Costumes Signor Bartolemeotti and Mde Croucher; Director of Comic Scenes E. B. Russell.
    • Cast incl. Immortals - H. A. Douglass (Old Year - last appearance), Kate Douglass (New Year - first appearance), Myra Kemble (Rose Queen - in the pink of perfection), Julia Milne (Queen Bee - no smoker but liking her honey due), Dolly Forde (Venus - Goddess of Love and a Little Duck), Rose Marsh (Spirit of White Rose), Hetty Lee (Spirit of Red Rose), Alice Hughes (Lilybud - Lilley but good), Miss Melville (Deadly Nightshade - a Bella Donna), James Hasker (The Demon - a ragged, rampant, rancid 'retch); Mortals - W. Andrews (King Glorio- the Millionth), Mrs Wooldridg (Queen Robusta - his wife and better half), Maggie Oliver (The Pilgrim of Love), J. P. West (Count Advalorem - who sticks to his duties), John Dunn (The Court Messenger - without a head), Tilly Andrews (Beauty - the great original), H. Simmonds (The Beast - a brute who wants to seize her), Harry Daniels (Aquilina - not a beauty, though Beauty's eldest sister), Harry Leston (Runamin - Court Peeler and Tipstaff), Gerald Dillon (The Captain - who keeps no Clarke, Paddles his own canoe, a good Walker, does it Brown, and takes Payne to please his passengers), A. Andrews (Phlunki - very funkey), George P. Carey (Lord Mayor), Alice Spencer (Amazonian Chief - who would amaze anyone); Harlequinade - E. McLean (Harlequin), Nelly Russell (Columbine), E. B. Russell (Clown), G. P. Carey (Pantaloon), Harry Leston (Policeman); The Signs of the Zodiac - Master Ewes (Aries the Ram), Masters Eng and Chang (Gemini the Twins), Master A. Roarer (Leo the Lion), Master Shortweight (Libra the Scales), Master Young Beau (Sagittarius the Archer), Master Rivers (Aquarius the Waterman), Master Metcalf (Taurus the Bull), Master Crawler (Cancer the Crab), Miss Sydney (Virgo the Virgin), Master Stinger (Scorpio the Scorpion), Master Billy (Capricorn the Goat), Master Schnapper (Pisces the Fishes).

    • Minor characters incl. Heralds, Suitors, Aldermen, Soldiers, Beasts, Guards, Big Heads, Thick Heads, Black Pages, White Pages, Statues, Monkeys etc.
    • 26 performances.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

Works about this Work

The Pantomimes : Theatre Royal 1875 single work review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 28 December 1875; (p. 5)

— Review of Beauty and the Beast ; Or, Harlequin King Glorio the Millionth, the Island of Apes and the Fairies of the Magic Roses Garnet Walch , 1875 single work musical theatre
The Pantomimes : Theatre Royal 1875 single work review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 28 December 1875; (p. 5)

— Review of Beauty and the Beast ; Or, Harlequin King Glorio the Millionth, the Island of Apes and the Fairies of the Magic Roses Garnet Walch , 1875 single work musical theatre

PeriodicalNewspaper Details

Note:
This entry has been sourced from research undertaken by Dr Clay Djubal into Australian-written popular music theatre (ca. 1850-1930). See also the Australian Variety Theatre Archive
Last amended 1 Apr 2014 11:06:33
X