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ITargnett*:THE ORGAN OP AMUSEMENTSPUBLISHED DAILY.* For amiuemrnt. for p’riwun*. f,»r profitMr. George Coppin.(Continvrd.)IN December, 1853, the well-known comedian. Mr George Coppin, while playing a most successful season at the Theatre Koyal. Geelong, conceived the idea of taking a trip to England. After laying the foundation Btone of the first Masonic hall and opening a new lodge in that city, he took his passage in the clipper-built ship, Statesman, that was then loading at Point Henry. At his farewell benefit, as Mr Wil/hnu Jinrlon', he informed bis hearer— In tbecortj «hlp,thf«“Ftste-nmn I’m snro for to go,Pom trip to old England, imyg Billy Barlow. His plans were, however, somewhat disarranged, as a day or two before the time of her intended departure she caught tire, and her sailing date was in consequence considerably delayed. However, sfter a short visit to Adelaide to wind up some of his affairs in that township, Mr Coppin sailed for London, arriving there either in May or June. 1854. At that time an engagement or an nppearanee at a West end of London Theatre was almost a matter of impossibility. unless yon were admitted into the charmed circle. The theatres west of Tern pie Bar were to all intents “close boroughs to strangers or those who had not worked themselves into “the ring. With commendable ambition our “Australian comedian desired that which is the aim of every actor or actress—a “ London appearance.” At that period the Anglo-French-Russian war broke out and was exciting considerable uneasiness all over the world. Not being able to accomplish his desire in any other wnv. he hit upon the expedient as notified in the following advertisement which appeared in most of the London papers.—THEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET.L’ndir tin- patronup of A u-t rallan roloimts and Mayor thlt;* llor:. H. C. Powys.77,i pr»(, eel n t r )» -/it- - far *!lt; support of the v ii- .• of \oli(Vr.i iiklt; sailor* tnpnijnl in thev nr.THIS EVENIN'!;, JT'NE ■_lt;;. UAI, Blnr.oho's Courtly. «ntltlolt;lKNIGHTS or the ROUND TABLEIn which Meur* Bnlt;4c»tonMV,r»pton.Geo. VundenhnlT. W, Furrtn. Hrwe. Ohlp^r-ilnln. Mrs Fitr.wlViuin, Mi*- Iloyaolds, nr.lt;l Miss fc. Grey will appear.After whtoh,—T H E Yd V N (! K I N G—In which Mr C'Ori'IN, the A1.-tinlliui roni-o.linn, will nitifci i is rr-t Apj«•nmnee in London. ns ti»- Mayor. M I’utri. Philip i tin- vonnu: kli . ., ('. Huwaril.To condnile with the Farce,T II K T U U N I* I K K G A T KC'rai*l; the cobbler......Mr ('I'MSPlt; ,' :y..... M Is* F i: vr 11 k rstlt; *' KThe cririci-ms of dramatic performances w.m then lt;f Ihe most menu re description in aimost ad the London newspniets. but those that did noticethe performancecn that evening spoke in unqualified trims of the abilitua ol the Australian comedian.” On this particular evening Mr Coppin had a great opposition »ncon*cnd with u rhe fad that a ben* lit was being given at the Princess's Theatie to Mr Charles Kenn, then in the zenith of his fame, bo h as an actor anil a m.inaucr. He (Mi Charles Kean) nj peared hirnselt in the piincipa! par* m •• The Courier of Lyons.' and had in his company such i xcellent ftrti^'es as Miss Heath (now MrsWi’son Pa:roll), Visa Rose Tcrnan, Miss Carlo!la Lcelerq (who afterward*- became the wife of the late John Nelson), and Miss Terry ; M. fsis .lame- Yin tog, Addison. David Fisher. CatUearl, anlt;I Sak-r. Another opposition was at the Adeljihi Theatre whichthen had for proprietor Mr B. Webster, and directress, Madame Celeste. The piece produced there was the late Tom Taylor's play,“ Masks and Faces, the principal parts being sustained by Messrs Webster, Leigh Murray, Paul Bedford, Madame Celeste and Miss Woolgar (now the widow of the late Mr A’frcd Mellon). The Lyceum too was open under the management of Madame Veatris, with Messrs Charles and Frank Matthews and an execllcnt lig'nt-comcdy and extravaganza company engaged; and also at the little Olympic, with the late Mr Alf. Wigan as lessee and manager, the comedy of Hush Money and the farces of *• A Model of a Wife and The Wandering Minstrel was the programme theu presented. In the latter place Mr Fred Robson, the greatest comedian of the present century, appeared as Jem liagga. Against all these attractions and the great difficulties with which he had to contend in getting a show, Mr Coppin tought bravely, and if he did not succeed in anything else, he obtained sufficient publicity to get himself talked about.It waB during this visit to the “old country that Mr Coppin succeeded in inducing the late Mr G. V. Brooke to visit, this country, and also made overtures to, and was successful in obtaining the services of, Miss Fanny Catbcart (afterwards Mrs Robert Heir and subsequently Mrs George Darrell), Mr Richard W. Youngc, and the late Mr Robert Ileir, for a lengthened engagement for the Australian colonies. He also opened communications with the late Professor Anderson, “wizard of the north, who shortly after visited Australia with his secretary.. Mr R. button (now holding a similar position with Mr Frederic Maccabe, at present performing at St. George’s Hall, Melbourne. In after years several of the aitihts above-mentioned, and with wLom during his stay in London in 1*54 Mr Coppin must have been more or less brought in contact with, visited Melbourne under his agency or management. Notably. Mr and Mrs Charles Kean, who arrived in this colony in the latter part of 1803; Madame Celeste, who opened at the Hay market The a're, Melbourne, as Miriam in “The Woman in Red, on the 1‘2'h of January, 1 S*'»7 ; anu later on the late Mr Charles Mathews, who made his first Aunt rnlian appearance at the. Theatre Royal as Mr MopvK in the comedy of “ Married for Money, on the i'th of April, 1870.( To be conti non/.)/I/iFigaro. Richard's himself again. The many friends of the well-known comedian will be glad to read the following extinct from n communication lately received from New York.—** Mr J. K. Km met it* moving into his European-American mansion on the Albany Blt; ulevaid, south-west of Troy. N.Y., and paintings, bric-a-brac, antique andrare fnrnituic are being put in place. The family is lestorcd. and all goesmerry as a marriage bc'i.Mr George Fawcett Rowe has again turned up as author and actor, lie has Intelv produced at the Fifth Avenue Theatre, Nlt; w York, n new and original plav, erf it led. “ Sniff, in w hich the well-known comedian ’like the par; of the hero, I’li/nnihr Sitill.M ics Jennie Winston, the well-known Australian prima-donnn, having with her hufband, Mr A. 1 ell, seceded from Malm's Opera Company, has been secured for a similar position by Messrs Mmthft and Provens, who, iu October in New York were forming a eon-pany to travel. They were notified to commerce their tour in the early jari of November.Where do v.m sup '{ Where do you dine / Always ar DitRtv’s No. 1 Coffee I'al.-.ce, directly opposite the Wax Works.
Newspaper Details
Melbourne Lorgnette
Melbourne, Victoria, AU
Thu, Dec 01, 1881
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Alexander M.
AU 12 Dec 2022
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