Opera Scotland

Samson and Delilah 1924Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Samson et Dalila

Carl Rosa Opera Company tours

The Carl Rosa company was in the habit of coming to Scotland in February and running its tour through the early spring. In early 1924, from 28 January to 19 April they toured Aberdeen, Perth, Greenock, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Doris Woodall and William Boland appeared together in most of the Carl Rosa's performances of the piece. The Aberdeen Press and Journal review of Friday 1 February was enthusiastic about the Delilah - 'last night she presented to us something more than a mere siren. Her Delilah had dignity and reserve; there was nothing tawdry in her allurements. A psychologically convincing Delilah is perhaps an impossible thing to act, but Miss Woodall got nearer to it than any we can remember.'

In May the company was declared bankrupt and underwent a period of reorganization under the ownership of Mr H B Phillips. To arrive in Dundee on 22 December 1924 was unusual. To stay for a two week season even more so (indeed a unique event in the history of Carl Rosa performances in Dundee). In that era Christmas Day was not a Scottish public holiday, and the company mounted a performance of Il Trovatore. On New Year's Day, Maritana was on offer. Unusual works being presented were La Traviata, Marriage of Figaro and Fidelio. This fortnight in Dundee was not connected to visits to the other Scottish centres, as they left Dundee after Saturday, 3 January 1925, reappearing in Glasgow on 9 March.

Dundee repertoire

Repertoire for the two Dundee weeks was as follows:

First Week: Mon Carmen, Tue Tannhäuser, Wed Tales of Hoffmann, Thu (Christmas Day) Trovatore, Fri Traviata, Sat Mat Faust, Sat Eve Bohemian Girl.

Second Week: Mon Aïda, Tue Butterfly, Wed Marriage of Figaro, Thu (New Year's Day) Maritana, Fri Fidelio, Sat Mat Samson & Delilah, Sat Eve Faust.

No cast details have yet been found for Dundee. The Saturday matinee or evening performances would not have been reviewed by critics as the company moved on to the next venue on Sunday.