The Invisible Prince single work   musical theatre   pantomime   fantasy  
Issue Details: First known date: 1892... 1892 The Invisible Prince
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

The plot turns on the love of the good Prince Amiable (son and heir to the throne of King Buonocore) for Princess Violet, whom he has never been permitted to behold. The good fairy Rosetinta provides him with six magic roses that possess the power of causing those who smell them to become either invisible (the white ones) or visible (the red ones) at will. The prince sets out on a journey with his companions, the Counts Muffio and Spoonio, in search of his lady love, with each in possession of a white and red rose. Eventually, they arrive at the court of King Turco the Terrible, the father of Princess Violet, and are arrested and sentenced to death. Their only avenue of escape from the hangman's noose is to marry Princess Violet's decidedly old and ugly sisters, Tartarella and Dragonetta. The narrative's complications involve numerous 'absurd situations', such as the Prince and his companions having to use the roses in order to escape King Turco's evil plan to kill them after the marriage and King Turco using the last of the white roses to turn himself invisible in order to spy on his prime minister (but without the power to rectify his mistake).

Songs known to have been incorporated into the story are 'Justice in Australia' (sung by Alice St John, Amy Johns, and Emma Markham), 'Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Ay' (James Wilkinson), 'He Always Likes to Have a Finger in the Pie' (Edmund Leonard and Frank Hawthorne), 'Gentlemen of the Jury' (Percy St John), 'Australia by the Sea' (Amy Johns), 'The Militiaman' (Emma Markham), and 'Take a Day Off, Mary-Ann.' Several marches were also warmly received, particularly the 'Prize Princess Show', which served to introduce princesses of all parts of the earth in national costume, even the Princess of Woolloongabba.

Production Details

  • 1892: Gaiety Theatre, Brisbane, 26 December 1892 - ca. January 1893.

    • Director Percy St John and James Wilkinson ; Manager/Lessee J. Stewart ; Music Director/Conductor V. Benvenuti ; Scenic Art Messrs Vaughan, Agnew, and Day ; Costumes Markham and Johns.
    • Cast incl. Alice St John (Prince Amiable), A. McLean (King Buonocore), Alice Sturgess (Princess Violet), Lily Forbes (Fairy Rosetinta), Amy Johns (Count Muffio), Emma Markham (Count Spoonio), James Wilkinson (King Turco), Edmund Leonard (Tartarella), Frank Hawthorne (Dragonetta), Percy St John (Prime Minister Gruffangrimio), J. Williams (Meelimug).

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

Works about this Work

Gaiety Theatre : Christmas Pantomime 1892 single work review
— Appears in: The Brisbane Courier , 28 December 1892; (p. 7)

— Review of The Invisible Prince Percy St John , 1892 single work musical theatre
Gaiety Theatre : Christmas Pantomime 1892 single work review
— Appears in: The Brisbane Courier , 28 December 1892; (p. 7)

— Review of The Invisible Prince Percy St John , 1892 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 3 Apr 2014 06:28:40
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