programme cover for the Royalty Theatre, Dean Street, Soho, London, for Easter Monday, 14 April 1879, lessee and manager, Edgar Bruce (1843/45-1901)
(artwork by A. Sansom, printed by Sprague & Co, lithographers, &c, 22 Martins Lane, Cannon Street, London, 1879)
Members of the cast included Edgar Bruce, W.S. Penley, Lytton Sothern, Rose Cullen, Lottie Venne and, as a gentleman of the chorus, John Le Hay.
Babbs (Lord Fancourt Babberley): ‘This IS all right!’ – an incident from the original production of Brandon Thomas’s farce, Charley’s Aunt with W.S. Penley (seated) in the title role, Emmie Merrick as Amy Spettigue, Henry Farmer as Charley Wykeham and H. Reeves-Smith as Jack Chesney. Charley’s Aunt was produced at the Royalty Theatre, London, on 21 December 1892, transferred to the Globe Theatre on 30 January 1893 and closed on 19 December 1896 after a run of 1,469 performances.
(cabinet photo: J.C. Turner & Co, 10 Barnsbury Park, London, N, copyrighted 7 November 1894 [ref: National Archives COPY 1/418/386])
Kate Gordon was the first to play Amy Spettigue and was replaced by Emmie Merrick and then by Audrey Ford; Henry Farmer was eventually replaced by Alfred C. Seymour as Charley Wykeham; and H. Reeves-Smith replaced Percy Lyndal as Jack Chesney.
Footlight Notes 