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Documents of Interest : Charles Dickens describes Montreal theatre

Charles Dickens appeared at Theatre Royal in Montreal in 1842, surrounded by local talent. In this letter to a friend (Forster), he describes the evening.

"The play came off last night; the audience, between five and six hundred, were invited as to a party, a regular table with refreshments being spread in the lobby and saloon. We had the band of the 23rd (one of the finest in the service) in the orchestra, the theatre was lighted with gas, the scenery was excellent, and the properties were all brought from private houses. Sir Charles Bagot, Sir Richard Jackson and all their staffs were in full uniform, it was really a splendid scene. We 'went' also splendidly though with nothing very remarkable in the acting way. We had for Sir Mark Chase a genuine odd fish, with plenty of humour, but our Tristam Sappy was not up to the marvellous reputation he has somehow or other acquired here. I am not, however, placarded as manager for nothing. Everybody was told they would have to submit to the most iron despotism; and didn't I become Macready over them? The pains I have taken with them and the perspiration I have expended during the last ten days exceed in amount anything you can imagine. I had regular plots of scenery made out, and list of the properties wanted, and had them nailed up by the prompter's chair. Every letter that was to be delivered was written, every piece of money that had to be given, provided; and not a single thing lost sight of. I prompted myself when I was not in; when I was I made the regular prompter of the theatre my deputy; and I never saw anything so perfectly in touch and go as the first two pieces. The bedroom scene in the interlude was as well furnished as Vestris had it; with a 'practicable' fireplace blazing away like mad, and everything in the concatenation accordingly. I really do believe that I was really very funny; at least I know that I laughed heartily myself, and made the part a character such as you and I know very well - a mixture of F. Harley, Yates, Keeley and Jerry Sneak. It went with a vim all through; and, as I am closing this, they have told me I was so well made up that Sir Charles Bagot, who sat in the stage box, had no idea who played Mr. Snobbington until the piece was over. But only think of Kate playing! and playing devilish well, I assure you! All the ladies were capital, and we had no wait or hitch for an instant. You may suppose this, when I tell you that we began at eight and had the curtain down at eleven. It is their custom here to prevent heartburnings, in a very heartburning town, whenever they have played in private, to repeat the performance in public. So, on Saturday (substituting real actresses for the ladies), we are to repeat the two first pieces to a paying audience, for the manager's benefit. I have not told you half enough. Wasn't it worthy of Crummels that when Lord Mulgrave and I went out to the door to receive the Governor-General, the regular prompter followed us in agony with four tall candlesticks with wax candles in them, and besought us with a bleeding heart to carry two apiece, in accordance with all the precedents."

Source: Franklin Graham. Histrionic Montreal. Montreal: John Lovell & Son, Publishers, 1902.

Last updated 2020-07-28