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

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and The Times described Saker's presentation as one "in which
the musicians cut a more prominent figure than the dramatist,
and of which the most attractive feature proved to be the
clever troop of children who played the fairy parts." (15 July
1680). Mrs Bateman's management was granted a temporary reprieve
.
The few London productions of the play seen in the ensuing
nine years foilowec the sf>me plan: children and Mendelssohn.
At the Crystal Palace Theatre Oscar Barrett, a producer noted
for Christman pantomimes, found summer employment for the
juvenile pupils of Mrae Katti Lanner's National Training School
for Dancing, who personated Fairies, i^lves, Wood-lymphs,
uragon-Flies, Glov.-.orms, Frogs, Raboits, etc.". All the
fairy parts were distributed among children, and the only
adults in the programme were Bottom end his fellow mechanicals.
The text - as a tissue of songs end choruses, '..ith vestiges of
the dialogue and the mechanicals 1 scenes. These comic p&stse^es
-ere sometimes seen at benefit performances, but* the full text,
or eny approximation to Shakespeare's intentions, disappeared
from London until 1869 •
Produced at the Christmas season, Benson's revival of the
play c-tered for the tc ste for I encelssohn, fi-iries and
music. The scenery was bui.lt on a "patent match-;o- t>rir;ci jle
devised by Hugh r.oss, who was tho "director" of the string,
and the f t iry costumes were designed by Const nee Bonson:
I-irs Benson had most successfully carried out
in the costumes the idea of merging the fairies
into the trees, plants and flo ors decorating the
st-:ge. The small elves v;ere the spring's choicest
flowerets come to life, toking human shape, ilie
w od-nymphs, in their green leaves and green nuslin,
blended with the graceful shrubs rnu foliage of
Oberon's v.o?cec glade and Titenic's box.or.
This is reminiscent of the flower ballets designed by wilhelm
(cf.p.147) but it is &lso a step to ards the fulfilment of
the Romantic desire to render dream and reality inaivisiole.
Moreover, the critics vho prraseci Benson's sto^izag, auu
exceeded in number those who enjoyed his acting, suggested
that tnis was, of all Shakespeare T s works, tiu-t i'-iost suited