A review appeared in the Greenock Telegraph (13 March).
"Aided by the intrinsic attractiveness of Mozart's famous comedy, the Carl Rosa Opera Company last night made a second appeal to the public, and the response took the substantial shape of a full house. The audience was nearly as large as possible in every part of the Alexandra Theatre. As on previous occasions of the performance of Mozart's masterpiece by this company, a constant feature of the interpretation was the easy familiarity of the principals with every detail of their respective roles and the effectiveness of the ensemble. The chief characteristic of the Marriage of Figaro is its concerted pieces, and hence this co-operation on the part of the troupe has an indispensable value on the general rendition. Indeed in these not only was the musical movement unimpaired by hesitations, but the action was always correspondent. Intelligent stage management was also obvious. From the moment Mr Walter van Noorden set his orchestra going with the brilliant little overture, which revealed at once the competence of his executants, the audience was gripped - enthralled with the wondrous music. With such a consummate actor as Mr Charles Victor in the cast, the role of Figaro was naturally brought into prominent relief.
Mr Victor might equally as well have been a great tragedian, and when one blends his histrionic gifts with his culture as a musician the combination outlines his performance an extremely near approach to ideal excellence. Yet his Figaro would be stinted by a commonplace Susanna, and it is just here that Miss Elizabeth Burgess steps in as the sparkling Columbine to this witty, elfish, satiric harlequin of a Figaro. The one would be incomplete without the other in an artistic sense. Individualism cannot be claimed for any one of the five principals of the opera presented last night. The advantage of a style formed in a good school, operatic maturity, possession of a voice that speaks to the soul, theatrical artistry - all these qualities and accomplishments are at the disposal of Madame Lucille Hill in giving dignified importance to the part of Countess Almaviva. The Count of Mr Arthur Winckworth leaves no room for improvement either dramatically or musically; while the Cherubino of Miss Doris Woodall was one of the prettiest things we have seen on the stage. She flutters into the story as a bird from Paradise -a something to cage and preserve. The subordinate roles were enacted with ability, the choristers were alert and intelligent, the band efficient, and the opera met with recurrent applause throughout the evening."
"The comedy of love under the chestnut trees is rounded off as in the line in which Beaumarchais concludes the last song in the play 'Tout finit par des chansons'. "
In 1907, Carl Rosa Opera in Scotland spent two weeks at the Glasgow Grand, one at the Alexandra, Greenock and finally one at Edinburgh King’s Theatre (7.30;2pm)
w/c 25 February Mon Marriage of Figaro; Tue Trovatore; Wed Merry Wives of Windsor; Thu Fidelio Fri Cavand Pag; Sat m Tannhauser; Sat e Rigoletto.
w/c 4 Mar Mon Don Giovanni; Tue Lohengrin; Wed Faust; Thu Carmen; Fri Fidelio; Sat m Merry Wives of Windsor; Sat m Trovatore.
w/c 11 Mar Mon Lohengrin; Tue Marriage of Figaro; Wed; Thu Fidelio; Fri Merry Wives of Windsor; Sat m Tannhauser; Sat e Faust.
w/c 18 Mar Mon Tannhauser; Tue Don Giovanni; Wed Carmen; Thu Faust; Fri Merry Wives of Windsor; Sat m Fidelio; Sat e Trovatore.
4 Merry Wives of Windsor; Fidelio.
3 Trovatore; Tannhauser; Faust; Carmen
2 Marriage of Figaro; Don Giovanni; Lohengrin.
1 Rigoletto; Cav and Pag.
12 operas, 28 performances QED.
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