D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company is a British professional light opera company.
Also found in various entries in ESAT are references to such entities as the D'Oyly-Carte Opera Company, the D'Oyly Carte Principal Repertory Opera Company, Richard D'Oyly Carte's Comedy Opera Company, the D'Oyly Carte B touring company, the D'Oyly Carte Company and so on.
The Company
Founded by Richard D'Oyly Carte in 1875, to stage Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy Operas, the companies toured year-round in Britain and from time to time undertaking tours in Europe, North America and the colonies, remaining active till 1982. The company was revived for a few short seasons and tours between 1988 and 2003.
A large number of performers who had worked for the D'Oyly Carte company, have made their mark in South Africa over the years, and the company itself undertook a number of tours to the country, sometimes of their own volition, at others contracted by local managers.
Performances in South Africa
The company visited South Africa for the first time in 1897, with a company that included Frank Holt, and Albert Cavanagh as prominent members.
The next visit occurred in 1902-1903, when the company returned, featuring Jessie Huddleston and Frank Holt among its cast members. The orchestra was led by the South African born conductor Harry Burton, son of the theatre usher and amateur actor Harry Burton (Snr).
Boonzaier (1923) mentions two seasons of Gilbert and Sullivan at the Good Hope Theatre in Cape Town over the course of 1902-3, with a repertoire that included The Yeomen of the Guard, The Mikado, Patience, Iolanthe, The Rose of Persia, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Gondoliers and Utopia Ltd.. The company also performed in cities in the north of the country.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%27Oyly_Carte_Opera_Company
D.C. Boonzaier, 1932. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in SA Review, 9 March and 24 August 1932. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)
F.C.L. Bosman, 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1916. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp. 301, 405, 410, 413.
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