W. Allan

W. Allan was an amateur actor and a soldier serving with the North Lincolnshire Regiment of Foot when the Regiment was posted to the Eastern Frontier of the Cape Colony between 1860 and 1862, shortly after the Xhosa cattle-killing movement and famine (1857-1858).

Biography

He came to the Cape Colony with the rank of Lance-Corporal and was later promoted to Corporal. At first, the Regiment was posted to Grahamstown but was later transferred to Keiskama Hoek (Keiskammahoek) in 1862.

The spelling of W. Allen suddenly changes to W. Allan (with an "a") and there is no mention again of W. Allen - but then there is mention of Lance Corporal W. Allan, spelt with an "a" probably because it is the same person.

Contribution to SA theatre

Lance Corporal Allan acted in 20 productions during his three-year stay on the Eastern Frontier.

W. Allan was a member of the Dramatic Club which was called the Band of Amateurs

(North Lincoln Sphinx, Vol 1, No 14, Keiskama Hoek, December 10, 1862, page 270.)

July 9 & 16, 1860: Acted in the Band of Amateurs production of The Corsican Brothers. (Boissee, a Woodcutter).

(North Lincoln Sphinx, Vol 1, No 2, Grahamstown, September 15, 1860, page 15.)

July 9 & 16, 1860: Acted in the Band of Amateurs production of The Wandering Minstrel. (Tweedle)

(North Lincoln Sphinx, Vol 1, No 2, Grahamstown, September 15, 1860, page 16.)

July 21, 26 & 27, and August 3, 1860: Solo performed on the violin in seven different positions

July 30 and August 1, 1860: Starred in the Corps Dramatique Band of Amateurs two-act "comediatta" (sic) (probably commedia dell’arte, which, according to the Concise Oxford Dictionary, is an improvised kind of popular comedy in Italian theatres in the 16th – 18th centuries and is based on stock characters.) production of The Review, or The Wags of Windsor. (Caleb Quotem).

(North Lincoln Sphinx, Vol 1, No 2, Grahamstown, September 15, 1860, page 17.)

August 20th and 22nd, 1860: Acted in the three-act play produced by the Band of Amateurs, The Iron Chest. (Gregory), (Peter) & (Armstrong).

(North Lincoln Sphinx, Vol 1, No 2, Grahamstown, September 15, 1860, page 17.)

September 20 1860: Acted in the Band of Amateurs produced one-act farce, The Dead Shot. (Mr Wiseman).

(North Lincoln Sphinx, Vol 1, No 3, Grahamstown, November 1, 1860, page 30.)

November 26, 1860: Acted in the Amateurs of the Band production of The British Volunteers. (Pad)

(North Lincoln Sphinx, Vol 1, No 4, Christmas, 1860. Page 47.)

September 9th & 12th, 1861: Acted in the Officers of the Regiment production of Box and Cox. (Lieutenant Brown).

(North Lincoln Sphinx, Vol 1, No 8, September 30, 1861. Page 108.)

October 14 & November 4, 1861: Acted in the Amateurs of the Band production of John Maddison Morton’s one-act farce, Slasher and Crasher. (Lieutenant Brown).

(North Lincoln Sphinx, Vol 1, No 9, November 13, 1861. Page 125.)

November 4, 1861: Acted in the Amateurs of the Band production of Thomas J. Lynch's two-act drama, The Rose of Ettrick Vale or The Bridal of the Borders. (Brand o' the Brae).

(North Lincoln Sphinx, Vol 1, No 9, November 13, 1861. Page 125.)

November 4, 1861: Acted in the Amateurs of the Band’s production of The Spectre Bridegroom, or A Ghost in Spite of Himself. (Dickory).

(North Lincoln Sphinx, Vol 1, No 9, November 13, 1861. Page 125.)

February 17, 1862: Acted in the Amateurs of the Band production of J. M. Morton’s one-act farce, Poor Pillicoddy. (Captain O'Skuttle).

(North Lincoln Sphinx, Vol 1, No 12, February 28, 1862, page 179.)

August 30, September 11 & 19, 1862: Acted in the adaptation to the stage from Mrs Moodie’s beautiful tale in a three-act drama by members of the Dramatic Club, 2nd Battalion 10th Regiment and presented for the first time, The Royal Quixote. (Demetrius, servant to Theodore Zuski).

(North Lincoln Sphinx, Vol 1, No 14, December 10, 1862, page 261.)

September 24, 1862: Acted in the Amateurs of the Band performance of George Dibdin Pitt's two-act “melo-drama”, The Eddystone Elf. (Metrical Mat, Captain Brilliant’s coxswain).

(North Lincoln Sphinx, Vol 1, No 14, Keiskama Hoek, December 10, 1862, page 270.)

September 29, 1862: Wrote and acted in an interlude prepared especially for this occasion, Fitzobert's Dream. (Oscar Fitzosbert).

(North Lincoln Sphinx, Vol 1, No 14, Keiskama Hoek, December 10, 1862, page 270.)

Fitzosbert's Dream is an interlude by Lance-Corporal W. Allan.

The interlude was prepared especially for the Amateurs of the Band (North Lincolnshire Regiment of Foot)in September 1862 and is possibly based on a scene from Jane Taylor's melodramatic novel: The Authoress: A Tale (Taylor and Hessey, 1819), which contains the character "Lionel Fitzosbert".

October 8, 1862: Acted in The Amateurs of the Band’s production of Edward Ball’s' two-act “melo-drama”, The Floating Beacon or Norwegian Wreckers. (Jack Junk, a British sailor).

(North Lincoln Sphinx, Vol 1, No 14, Keiskama Hoek, December 10, 1862, page 270.)

October 8, 1862: Acted in The Amateurs of the Band’s production of Stirling Coyne’s farce, Wanted, 1 000 Spirited Young Milliners For the Gold Diggings! (Joe Baggs, Mr Singleton’s clerk).

(North Lincoln Sphinx, Vol 1, No 14, Keiskama Hoek, December 10, 1862, page 270.)

November 12, 1862: Acted in the Amateurs of the Band performance of John Baldwin Buckstone's two-act domestic “melo-drama”, Luke The Labourer. The play is set in a village in Yorkshire. (Luke the Labourer).

(North Lincoln Sphinx, Vol 1, No 14, Keiskama Hoek, December 10, 1862, page 271.)

November 12, 1862: Acted in the Amateurs of the Band performance of J. M. Maddox's one-act farce, A. S. S. (Adolphus).

(North Lincoln Sphinx, Vol 1, No 14, Keiskama Hoek, December 10, 1862, page 271.)

November 26, 1862: Acted in the Amateurs of the Band production of I. Pocock's famous “melo-drama” The Miller and His Men. (Grindoff, the miller).

(North Lincoln Sphinx, Vol 1, No 14, Keiskama Hoek, December 10, 1862, page 272.)

November 26, 1862: Acted in the F. Kenny's capital old two-act farce, The Illustrious Stranger. (Showemin, the usher).

(North Lincoln Sphinx, Vol 1, No 14, Keiskama Hoek, December 10, 1862, page 272.)

Sources

North Lincoln Sphinx, Vol 1, nos 1-14

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