The works performed, all by Gilbert and Sullivan, were: Trial By Jury; H M S Pinafore; Pirates of Penzance; Patience; Iolanthe; Princess Ida; Mikado; Yeomen of the Guard; and Gondoliers.
The Dundee schedule was as follows:
W/c 17 December: Mon 17 Mikado; Tue 18 Iolanthe; Wed 19 Gondoliers; Thu 20 Yeomen of the Guard; Fri 21 Pirates of Penzance & Trial By Jury; Sat 22 m Patience; Sat 22 e Mikado; Sun 23 Charity Concert.
W/c 24 December: Mon 24 Gondoliers; Tue 25 Patience; Wed 26 Mikado; Thu 27 HMS Pinafore & Trial By Jury; Fri 28 Princess Ida; Sat 29 m Yeomen of the Guard; Sat 29 e Yeomen of the Guard.
Further Scottish dates to be confirmed.
The weather was unusually vile, blizzards of snow affecting audiences and causing challenges for the singers. The lead contralto, Theresa Russam, missed the first week due to cold. No sooner had she returned to performing than the lead soprano, Hope Hastings, and mezzo, Lulu Evans, succumbed in turn. The understudies were certainly kept busy, though only one performance (Pinafore) seems to have attracted critical wrath.
There seem to be no reviews of this performance in the Dundee press, either the Courier or Advertiser. On this occasion, Pirates was followed by an afterpiece in the form of Trial By Jury. That superb comedy was also performed after the following week's Thursday performance of HMS Pinafore.
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