Clarice Mayne and Mabel Green in Humpty Dumpty, Glasgow, 1907

Clarice Mayne and Mabel Green as principal boy and girl in the pantomime, Humpty Dumpty, Grand Theatre, Glasgow, Christmas 1907
(photo: Bassano, London, 1907)

This real photograph postcard of Clarice Mayne and Mabel Green as the principal boy and girl in the pantomime, Humpty Dumpty, Grand Theatre, Glasgow, Christmas 1907, was published in 1907/08 by The Rotary Photographic Co Ltd, London, in its Rotary Photographic Series, no. 4885 A.

Other members of the cast included Fred Kitchen, Jack and Evelyn, Ernest Rees, Ernie Mayne and Sam Poluski junior.

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Fred Aretlli

a carte de visite photograph of Fred Artelli (fl. 1870s-1890s), ballet dancer and Harlequin
(photo: T.J. Tungate, 35 Queen Street, Edgware Road, London, circa 1875, negative number 1504)

Theatre Royal, Liverpool
‘To make way for novelties which are certain to please ”Royal” patrons, Humpty Dumpty has signified that he will shortly quit the sphere of his prosperous career at the patent Theatre. The lovely scenery, lively business, and talented company have contributed in a large measure to the success of the Pantomime, and the author (Mr J.F. M’Ardle) has displayed an ingenuity in connection with its construction which cannot be too highly praised. His peculiar ”Argument,” like the ancient ”Chorus,” is worth reproducing, and is to the following effect:- ”There was seen a great stone, and in ye midst thereof was like an anvil of steel, and therein stack a fair sword naked by ye point, and letters there were written in gold about ye sword that said thusly:- ‘Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone is rightwise kind born of all England!’ Then ye people marvelled muchly, and all ye knithts and ye squires went to behld ye stone and ye sword. And when they say ye scripture some assayed, such as would have been king. But none mote stir ye sword nor move it. ‘Marry come up, beshrew my heart, i’ fackins, by my halidame,’ exclaimed Arthur, ’ I shall gette that sworde, or, as ye manne in ye playe sayeth, I will perish in ye attempt.’ Accordingly, he dydde get ye sworde from ye stone, and he overcame ye villaine Surlichurl, and ye wicked Impe, yclept Humpty Dumpty, and married ye Lady Guinevere, ye king’s daughter, and Arthur’s sweethearte, and, like all ye folkes who gette married, they lived happy ever afterwards. (For all ye further particulars see ye Small Bills, and ye Grande Pantomime itself. N.B. – Ye children in arms not admitted by themselves.)” The Harlequinade is of the most bustling kind, the principals being Madame Elise (Columbine), Miss E. Rowella (Harlequin à la Watteau), Signor Artelli (Harlequin), Mr A. Bolton and Mr E. Burgess Pantaloons), the De Castro troupe (Sprites, and Dolph Rowella and the Great Little Rowella (Clowns).’
(The Era, London, Sunday, 4 February 1877, p. 8d)

‘ROYAL PARK THEATRE.
‘Great Success every Evening of
‘SIGNOR FRED. ARTELLI’S COMIC BALLET TROUPE. At Liberty for Fetes and Galas. For terms, address, Mr GEORGE HADLIEGE HUNT, Park Theatre, Camden-town.’
(The Era, London, Sunday, 6 May 1877, p. 15b)

‘MR EDITOR. – Sir, – will you allow me to state that, owing to the illness of Mr Willie Warde, the part of Rapless, the oofless swell, in Round the Town, at the Empire, Leicester-square, has been played for some considerable time by, yours faithfully, FRED. ARTELLI
‘Empire Theatre, June 6th, 1893.’
(The Era, London, Saturday, 10 June 1893, p. 17c)

* * * * *

For references to Artelli’s appearances at the Empire Theatre, Leicester Square, London, during the 1890s, see Ivor Guest, Ballet in Leicester Square, Dance Books, London, 1992.

Rose Stella

Rose Stella
(photo: Houseworth, San Francisco, probably late 1870s)

Rose Stella in the pantomime Humpty Dumpty, Royal Theatre, Sydney, Australia, Christmas 1877
Sydney, 4 January 1878 – ‘There is plenty of attraction at the theatres. At the Royal we have a fine pantomime – Humpty Dumpty, with lots of fun in it, lots of nonsense, and abundance of good scenery and music. The transformation scene is in Wilson’s best style, and there is a double harlequinade – a senior and a junior clown, pantaloon, harlequin, and columbine, and the youngsters are remarkably sprightly and clever. Miss Rose Stella, who was one of the principals of the Soldene Opera Company – and a charming, vivacious little warbler she is, with a slight foreign accent in her speech – is the leading vocalist. Being the only pantomime in Sydney this year, Humpty Dumpty is in for a long run. It draws crowded houses every night.’
(The Brisbane Courier, Brisbane, Australia, Tuesday, 8 January 1878, p. 3e)

Jessie Vokes dead, 1884

Jessie Vokes (1851-1884), Victoria Vokes (1853-1894)
and Rosina Vokes (1854-1894), English actresses and dancers
(photo: Mora, New York, circa 1880)

‘JESSIE VOKES DEAD.
‘THE FIRST ONE TO DIE OF THE FAMOUS FAMILY OF COMEDIANS.
‘Miss Jessie Vokes, the actress, a member of the well-known Vokes family, died yesterday in London. She was educated to the stage from a tender age, and when only 4 years old appeared at the Surrey Theatre, where she played in children’s characters. In the early part of her career she played Mamillius in The Winter’s Tale; Prince Arthur in King John, and the Prince of Wales in Richard III. She attracted special notice first as one of the children in [Charles Reade and Tom Taylor’s comedy] Masks and Faces, dancing, with her sister, a jig, when old Benjamin Webster played Triplet at the London Standard Theatre. With her brothers and sisters, Fred and Fawdon and Victoria and Rosina, she began began her career as ”The Vokes Children,” which was afterward changed to ”The Vokes Family,” at the Operetta House in Edinburgh. Their success was pronounced and continuous. Their debut was made in London at the Lyceum Theatre on Dec. 26, 1868, in the pantomime of Humpty Dumpty, and they traveled through a great part of the civilized world. Jessie Vokes, the eldest of the sisters, was educated in the ”business” of the stage by Mr. Cheswick, and in dancing, in which she excelled, by Mr. Flexmore. The piece that most successfully carried an audience by storm was The Belles of the Kitchen, in which the ”family” made its debut in this country at the Union-Square Theatre on April 15, 1872. Jessie’s clever recitations and dancing were appreciated, but she was not so prominent in the cast as Victoria and Fred, who were especially happy in their rendering of the tower scene from Il Trovatore, or as Miss Rosina, who was regarded by the young men as the flower of the family.’
(The New York Times, New York, Friday, 8 August 1884, p. 5b)