As always, there was an indication of popularity for each of the Savoy Operas. This can be taken as the number of performances given to each piece during a two week run in each of the northern cities. The Mikado led, with three performances. Iolanthe, The Gondoliers, Yeomen of the Guard and Trial By Jury received two each. Single performances were reserved for Patience, Princess Ida, The Sorcerer, and, perhaps more surprisingly, Pirates and Pinafore. Patience was now unfashionable, some time after the death of Oscar Wilde and the demise of the aesthetic movement.
A Dundee Perspective
Dundee Evening Telegraph & Post: Wednesday, October 30 1918
Patience at Her Majesty's Theatre
'Although Patience was merely a skit on a passing craze, it has had enough stuff in it, both as a satire and musical work, to stand the test of time. Cant is still with us, and Patience has not altogether lost its point. Last night's performance was in the main good. The prevailing epidemic has hit the company hard, but they have a good reserve to draw upon. Miss Phyllis Dicksee in the name part was appropriately simple and coy, and she sang her songs with nice care. Miss Catherine Ferguson as Lady Angela was admirably soulful and intense, and Misses Elsie Coram and Anna Bethell were equally rapturous maidens. Miss Bertha Lewis as Lady Jane gave an excellent rendering of “Silvered is the raven hair”. Mr Henry Lytton's Bunthorne we know of old, and Mr Leo Sheffield as Archibald Grosvenor once more revealed what an excellent acquisition he is to the company. “The magnet and the churn” was a delightful number. Mr Hobbs sang “When I first put this uniform on” robustly, and his Colonel Calverley was thoroughly good. Mr Hugh Blackmore as the Duke and Mr Allan Morris as Major Murgatroyd were both admirable in their parts. Some of the concerted music went very well, but the famous sextette was far from having an ideal rendering.'
The cast is as reviewed by the Dundee Courier & Argus and Dundee Evening Telegraph & Post.
Details of Edinburgh and Glasgow performances to be confirmed.
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