The Royal English Opera, touring under the management of Mr Sydney R Hill, had two of Mozart's masterpieces in their repertoire, The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni. In the central belt both had been well received, but when the company moved to Aberdeen only Figaro was given. The critic of the Dundee Courier & Argus was not amused when he discovered that Dundee was to get the same repertoire. He complained vociferously, since Don Giovanni had not been seen for many years, with the result that the final performance schedule was altered. On Saturday 4 April, as in Aberdeen, La sonnambula had been scheduled. Instead, Don Giovanni was substituted.
Sadly, critics generally took Saturday off - the performers would be miles away before the Monday issue came out - so the performance was not reviewed in either the Dundee Advertiser or the Dundee Courier & Argus.
Sydney Hill's Royal English Opera in Scotland - 1885
The operas toured were: Mozart (Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni); Bellini (Sonnambula); Benedict (Lily of Killarney); Wallace (Maritana); Verdi (Trovatore); Gounod (Faust).
The Scottish tour schedule was:
Aberdeen w/c 23 March: Mon 23 Maritana; Tue 24 Lily of Killarney; Wed 25 Trovatore; Thu 26 Marriage of Figaro; Fri 27 Faust; Sat 28 Sonnambula.
Dundee w/c 30 Marcch: Mon 30 Marriage of Figaro; Tue 31 Maritana; Wed 1 April Lily of Killarney; Thu 2 Faust; Fri 3 Trovatore; Sat 4 Don Giovanni.
Further performances in Edinburgh and Glasgow to be confirmed.
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