AustLit

The story begins in the house of Mr and Mrs Santa Claus and their troop of fairies, who decide upon a pantomime to celebrate the happy season. This is followed by the dormitory scene with Jack and his maternal relative inspecting the children's presents in the house that he designed and had built by juvenile builders. Jack is then set a task by King Arthur, after having rescued the King's sister, and promised a reward. The task is to destroy the Giant. The pantomime contains many allusions to topical and political matters of the day while the music, described as "up to date" (and partly composed by G. A. Sutch), includes numerous songs and dances.

The third Christmas pantomime put on by George Coppin, following the success of his previous productions Dick Whittington and The Babes in the Wood. As with Walch's 1880 Sinbad pantomime (Sinbad the Sailor; Or, The Pet and the Peri, the Old Man of the Sea, and the Dwarf of the Diamond Valley), this version was also likely based on John Strachan's 1869 London production. This 1893 version differs from Walch's earlier work in a number of respects, however. Most notable is the 'new business and topicalities,' along with a score for which Walch provided a number of songs. It is also clear that Walch reworked the original story, presenting 'a lengthy list of characters [comprising] names on various rungs of the histrionic ladder,' including Little Jack Horner and his mother, the Emperor of Jumbuckfoo, and Princess Dazzlina, Sinbad's lady love (Table Talk 22 December 1893, p.5).

The songs incorporated into the narrative include drawing-room ballads, coaster songs, airs and burlesques. In this respect, too, the Age reviewer notes that the 'songs constitute the main portion of the pantomime [and] as most of them are tuneful and popular they will no doubt prove welcome' (27 December 1893, p.5). Indeed, Maggie Moore's numbers proved to be among the most popular with audiences - notably 'Two Little Maids in Blue,' which she presented in both editions. Mr Leumane, who sang two numbers within the show provided a song of his own, 'That's What I Want to Know' for the first edition.

The Harlequinade, 'invented and produced by Tom Queen' was designed so as to show his ability as an acrobat and contortionist, in addition to presenting the skillful Perman Trio. Also included as part of the evening's entertainment was a 'Moving Panorama of the Royal Marriage,' painted by Harry Grist.

[Source: Australian Variety Theatre Archive]

Expressly written and invented for Coppin, Hennings and Greville, with annotations local, vocal and jokal, the story sees Dame Dimple running a model school from which two ruffians, Antifat and Grosserbo are abduct boys for the giant's dinner. When Jack rescue a princess from two ruffians he is commissioned to rid the world of giants. The problem become personal, however, when the dame is herself kidnapped. Jack rallies an army of all nations to help him in his quest, but is able to defeat the giant with the aid of Antifat, after the ruffian falls in love with the dame.

An extract from George Seth Coppin's farewell address at the Adelaide Theatre. Coppin notes the difficulties experienced by a theatre manager in turning a profit and states: 'If there is a loss upon the legitimate drama, we must descend to the sensational. If that fails we must give burlesque.'

Adapted from Henry Bellingham and William Best's burlesque Princess Primrose and the Four Pretty Princes, which had been staged in London for the first time in January the same year. The Argus records that The Four Champions had 'local subjects plentifully interspersed and liberally treated by everybody' (24 December 1866, p.8), while the Age critic writes that 'The local hits introduced, and their name was legion, were generally smart and pungent. Mr Greville's song is not, however, framed so as to hit the most polite taste' (24 December 1866, p.5).

The story concerns Princess Primrose, the daughter of King Ninnyhammer, who was abducted as an infant by the Fairy Queen, Beautee. Now seventeen, the princess is to be escorted back to her father on the Fairy Queen's orders, accompanied by four champions: Amrus (devoted to the fairer sex), Turfi (a sporting man), Hassard (a gambler), and Pecki (a gourmand). In the meantime, however, the ruffian Dubbuldeye conceives a plan to foist his daughter Redwig on the king and claim that she is his missing daughter. In order to carry out his plan, he entreats the aid of the Demon Uglee and his attendant spirits of the Demon Dell. Thus, Princess Primrose and her four champions are waylaid by Dubbuldeye and his supernatural associates. To further complicate matters, the champions are lured from their task during their sleep by other spirits. Left unprotected, the princess and the champions' valet Zimon are abducted by Uglee and sent to a distant land, where the young girl is to be offered for sale as a slave. With the real princess out of the way, Dudduldeye presents his daughter to the king. The champions, by this time, have escaped and arrive at the court to announce Redwig as a fake. The king demands they prove their allegation and holds two of the champions (Pecki and Hassard) as hostages. His command is that the other two must return within twelve months or their friends will lose their heads. The princess is saved from slavery through the Fairy Queen's inexhaustible purse and she arrives back at her father's palace just in time to save her friends.

'Somewhat unusually [The Three Wishes] featured Shakespeare's Titania and Puck as it's immortals, while the opening crisis did not revolve around thwarted young love but that other staple of the nineteenth-century theatre, the oppressive landlord' (Webby, p.180). The storyline concerns Robin Homespun (played by George Coppin) who is about to be sent to prison by his landlord, Sir Rupert Brushwood Breakcover). Puck then appears on his mission to restore his favour with Queen Titania and intercedes by transforming the mortals into the traditional characters of the harlequinade. One of the scenes in this section of the pantomime sees Clown and Pantaloon apply for a job at the very theatre the production was being staged in.

The scenes advertised for the Launceston production were:

Scene 1. Fairy Lake (interview between Titania and Puck - Titania's rage; Departure of Puck on his mission);

Scene 2. Exterior of Robin's Cottage;

Scene 3. Interior of Robin's Cottage - Grand Transformation;

Scene 4. Interior of a Barber's Shop;

Scene 5. View of the Theatre and St John-Street;

Scene 6. Well-known shop in Cahrles-Street;

Scene 7. Interior of the Necromancer's Cook-shop;

Scene . Front Street;

Scene 9. View of the River Tamar;

Scene 10. Front Wood;

Scene 11. Palace of the Blazing Sun - Grand Finale.