Pictorial Shakespeare, 1880-1890 - eTheses Repository - University ...

are vlthin reach of ell, the old system of
carefully but njt extravagantly producing good
plays at moderate cost, and for a limited
number of nights.
The private boxes and orchestrr sttlls would cost to pounds,
ten oi.illings, and-seven shillings and sixpence respectively,
and in them evening dress would be obligatory - the other
parts of the house rangec from Balcony st;lls at lour shillings
and Family Circle at to shillings to Pit ana Gallery at one
shilling ano si« pence respectively. This ur.s not unreasonable,
but the Lyceum prices did not ciffer in proportion to the
relative prestige of the two theatres - a gallery sect for
Irvingfs Merchant of Venice, in June 1880, co*t one shilling,
Upper Circle three shillings, Amphitheatre helf-o-crov;n rncl
Pit t* o shillings. A Lyceum strll in!880 cost only ten shillings
- although by the end of the decsde it had risen to half-aguinea.
Uhen a roviv 1 at the Lyceum merited half a column
in The Times, and a nevr production at Mrs Batemen's received
a grudging half-inch, the well-to-do ^ere hardly to be tempted
to Islington.
To rekindle Phelps*s flame was proving an expensive and
difficult task, and Saker's commonplace but spectacular £
Mio-summer Might's Dream, v.ith Little Addie Blaiche as il__uck,
would, it was hoped, save the dey. The measure of Seker*s
prociucti jn can be taken from a note on the cover of its
programme:
Produced by Vr iiavara Seker, of the Alexandr
Theatre, v.ith the coryletenes-b which nas
cjmanaed suc-ess in Liver>ool, Dublin, m-ijciton,
etc. An efficient Dramatic Company, beautiful
Classic and Sylvan Scenery, magnificent Dresses
and Appointments, and Orchestra i..nd J^orus
expressly selected for the performance of
Inondelssohn's music, and a troupe oi ^iitcc Child
Artists as Oberon, Titania, fuck etc., -ho hsve
gained extraordinary favour horever they
have soreared by tieir remarkable ability,
v/ill, I'rs B^te an trusts, bein ior l-.r ot-Lo
production of thic exiuisito pi; y the sc.-.ne
popularity it has 1 on elso.hore.
(Frogri.ime, 28 Juxle 1LLO)
The infcnt phenomena, ho. ever accomplished, macJe the play into
a musical and balletic entertainment ith occ sionsl oielogue,