Australia

By Elisabeth Kumm & Rob Morrison

MADAME POMPADOUR Musical play in 3 acts by Frederick Lonsdale and Harry Graham, adapted from the German. Lyrics by Harry Graham. Music by Leo Fall. Presented by J.C. Williamson Ltd. Directed by Frederick J. Blackman. Dances and ensembles invented and arranged by Minnie Hooper. Scenery by W.R. Coleman and W. Coleman Jr (based on the London models). Costumes by J.C. Williamson Ltd. Modes, Mrs. Robins (J.C. Williamson Ltd.). Uniforms by Alfred Bowley & Co., and others.

At the time Madame Pompadour opened in London, Australian newspapers had anticipated that Gladys Moncrieff would be offered the part of Pompadour. There had even been speculation that Evelyn Laye might revive the role. Interestingly, Gladys Moncrieff saw the London production of Madame Pompadour starring Evelyn Laye in 1924 while on honeymoon with her husband, Tom Power, and hoped to play the lead in the subsequent Australian production for JCW, but instead was assigned her usual lead roles in revivals of The Maid of the Mountains, The Merry Widow, Sybil, Ma Mie Rosette and The Chocolate Soldier on her return to Australia. She did, however, get to record a couple of songs from the show by the acoustic method for Vocalion records in London in 1924, and another two for the company by the improved electrical system on her return there in 1927 (see Discography).

In November 1925, J.C. Williamson Ltd announced Madame Pompadour as the Christmas attraction in Sydney, with rehearsals already commenced under the direction of George Highland. Marie Burke was set to play the title role, with G&S tenor Leo Darnton (making his Australian debut) as René. A copy of the script in the Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne, lists: Marie Burke (Pompadour), Claude Flemming (King Louis), Leo Darnton (René), Mascot Ralston (Madeleine), Floie Allen (Mariette), Gus Bluett (Calicot), George Zoli (Maurepas), Frank Hawthorne (Poulard), John Forde (Prunier), and Lance Fairfax (Collin). Alas this was not to be. Instead, Marie Burke took the lead in the first Australian production of Katja, opening in Sydney in December 1925, while Darnton was farmed off to the Tivoli circuit for a few months prior to making his first appearance in G&S in Adelaide in April 1926.

In February 1927, Madame Pompadour was back in the news when JCW announced the engagement of a new leading lady, Beppie de Vries, a Dutch soprano, to play the title role. Beppie was a popular star of operetta, having performed leading roles in Die Rose van Stamboul (1920), Surcouf (1921) and Gri-Gri (1925) in her native country, as well as Dutch-language versions of A Waltz Dream and The Merry Widow. In 1925, she made her debut in England, performing the lead in Bamboula at His Majesty’s Theatre in London. Prior to travelling to Australia, she had also been seen in the role of Madame Pompadour in Europe.

Beppie de Vries arrived in Adelaide per RMS Maloja from England on Sunday, 17 April 1927. Frank Tait (of Williamson and Tait) who had been abroad since August 1926 in search of new artists for Australia, travelled with her, as did English tenor Frank Webster, actor Pop Cory (who had previously performed in Australia in the first production of Miss Hook of Holland), and producer Frederick J. Blackman, who had directed the original productions of The Lady of the Rose (1922), Madame Pompadour (1923), The Dollar Princess (1925) and Katja the Dancer (1925) at Daly’s Theatre. In answer to the question “Did you engage any fresh talent while you were abroad?”, Frank Tait responded:

“I have brought out two artist who will appear in the last-mentioned play. Miss Beppie de Vries and Mr. Frank Webster, who will play the leading male part. Miss de Vries will enact the title role. ‘Madame Pompadour’ is by Leo Fall, who composed the music in ‘The Dollar Princess’. Mr. Fred Blackman, who originally staged the play in London, is going to stage it for us out here. An American artist, Miss Elizabeth Morgan, is also on her way from the United States to join us [for Tip Toes].” (The Register, 18 April 1927, p.8)

In a somewhat unusual move, J.C. Williamson Ltd. chose to give the Australian premiere of Madame Pompadour in Brisbane, rather than Melbourne or Sydney. The previous Brisbane premiere was The Lady of the Rose in 1924. Madame Pompadour was originally set to open in Sydney, but due to the ongoing success of Frasquita and Tip Toes, they opted for the Queensland capital.

Program for the premiere Brisbane season

Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne

Advertisement from the Sunday Mail (Brisbane), 22 May 1927, p.11

The Cast

Madame Pompadour received an enthusiastic reception when it opened at His Majesty’s Theatre, Brisbane, on Saturday, 21 May 1927. It was played until Tuesday, 31 May 1927. The following day, the company left for Sydney.

The Sydney season opened at the Theatre Royal on Saturday, 4 June 1927. It played there until 22 June, and was transferred to Her Majesty’s Theatre, and remained there until 25 August 1927.

The first of three “live” broadcasts of the operetta were transmitted by the Australian Broadcasting Company (precursor to the later government-run Broadcasting Commission) via its Sydney station 2FC from the Theatre Royal on Friday, 24 June 1927 at 8 p.m. comprising the complete Act 1. This proved to be so successful that a further “live” broadcast by 2FC was transmitted on Monday, 8 August 1927 from Her Majesty’s Theatre, Sydney (also on relay to 3LO in Melbourne) from 7.56 p.m. (preceded by an introduction to ‘The Story of the Opera’ from 7.50 p.m.)  This comprised musical excerpts from all three acts, interspersed with performances by variety artists from the 2FC studios during the “book” scenes.

According to a newspaper report, the 3LO radio program, which aired in Melbourne on 15 September 1927, was also broadcast in Europe, allowing Beppie to say hello to her mother

The Melbourne season followed at His Majesty’s Theatre on 27 August 1927 and ran until 4 November 1927.

Meanwhile, the company presented the first Australian productions of The Student Prince, with Beppie as Kathie, supported by James Liddy as Karl.

The company played its first Adelaide season at the Theatre Royal from 10 March 1928 to 3 April 1928  when The Student Prince was performed in that city for the first time. They then travelled to Perth, where they performed Madame Pompadour (7–13 April 1928) and The Student Prince (14–28 April 1928), returning to Adelaide for the first production of Madame Pompadour, 2–11 May 1928.

From May 1928, the company undertook a four-month tour of New Zealand, performing The Student Prince and  Madame Pompadour, with the first New Zealand production of Madame Pompadour being given at His Majesty’s Theatre, Auckland on 2 June 1928.

On the company’s return to Australia, they gave farewell performances of the Madame Pompadour in Brisbane (His Majesty’s Theatre, 10 September 1928) and Sydney (Her Majesty’s Theatre, 13 October 1928). On the 26 October, Beppie de Vries played Madame Pompadour for the last time in Australia. That same night, the third live radio broadcast was made from the stage of Her Majesty’s Theatre (this time of the complete production), transmitted by 2FC for Act 1 (from 8 p.m.) and by 2BL for Acts 2 and 3 from 9.10 to 11 p.m.

The following day, Beppie and her husband J.F. Lebret departed Sydney per Sonoma en route for San Francisco.

During the course of the season, some of the roles in Madame Pompadour changed. The principals, Beppie de Vries, Arthur Stigant and Vera Spaull remained constant, but the part of Madeleine was also played by Adele Crane, and Herbert Browne was seen as Collin, the Pompadour’s Chamberlain. Hedley Hall replaced Leslie Holland as Maurepas, Conrad Charlton was seen as Jacques or Boucher, Mason Wood took on the role of Lieutenant Cornielle, while Poulard was played by George Lane or Kay Rodway. During the Perth season, James Liddy was to have taken over the role of René from Frank Webster, but he contracted laryngitis and Webster played the role after all. Webster was planning to leave the company to take up another engagement, but decided to stay on for the New Zealand tour. When the company returned to Australia, René was played by Russell Scott (an English actor who had been performing in America).

Musical Numbers

 The Sets

Act 1, The Tavern of The Nine Muses

Act 2 Madame de Pompadour’s Reception Room at Versailles

Act 3, King Louis XV’s Apartments at Versailles

The Reviews

MADAME POMPADOUR.

DELIGHTFUL PERIOD COMEDY.

“Madeleine, Madeleine, what would have happened had you not been my sister ?” So exclaims the Pompadour, the mistress of Louis XV, when who finds herself in love with Rene Comte d’Estrades; Madeleine’s lawfully wedded husband. The correct answer would have been that Madame would have resisted the fascinations of the Comte, and that she would have allowed to blossom in her well-worn heart the purest and most innocent
love for Rene. Furthermore the days of her ascendency over the King would have come to an end; and, incidentally, the authors of “Madame Pompadour” would have had to seek another incident in Madame’s hectic career round which lo weave romance. In her relations with the King there was not much of this element. His love cooled aiter a year or two and Madame retained her power only by her extraordinary cleverness, the way she managed affairs of state, and, finally by actual encouragement of his debaucheries. History tells that Louis, the well-beloved, as his flatterers called him, actually wept over the Pompadour’s kindness to his various mistresses. Little of this is shown, however, in the comedy that was staged at His Majesty’s Theatre on Saturday night. But the trend of Madame’s activities is hinted at by the manner in which she handles matters of State. Louis XV posed as a king, but he was a mere incompetent imitator of his predecessor’s magnificence. Madame’s “affair” which provides the romance is set going by an accidental meeting in the tavern of “The Nine Muses” during carnival time in Paris, when, the King being absent from the city, she, accompanied by her maid, Mariette, is looking, for a little private fun. Here she meets Calicot, a wandering poet, who is fostering by ribald verse the already established hatred of the common people for the king’s mistress. The opening number in this fine scene is led by Calicot, who has versified their sentiments—“The Pompadour, the Pompadour, she’s such a famous lady! Her reputations—ha! ha! ha! well, anything but shady. When reduced to starvation by taxation, to provide pomp and playthings for our kings, it’s a great consolation to the nation to be spared the expense of wedding rings!” Here, too, Madame meets with Rene, and after a little delightful preliminary love making they sing the waltz duet, “Love me now,” the refrain of which is hauntingly repeated at intervals throughout the play. Mariette, too (coquettiehly and daintily played by Miss Vera Spaull), meets her man; and Maurepas, the Minister of Police, comes on the scene. He is out to trap the Pompadour, for though she is clever there is some one, he says, with drawling, self-complacency, who is just a “leetle bit cleverer.” This self-important official was cleverly portrayed by Mr. Leslie Holland. The first act works up to a fine climax, leading to the second in which, by a clever ruse, the Pompadour manages that Rene shall be in close attendance on herself. This gives an opportunity for a lively duet between Madame and Rene, and for Rene's beautiful song, “Love’s Sentry.” Mr. Frank Webster, who was making his first appearance in Australia, played the amorous Comte most satisfactorily. There was a playfulness about even his most earnest love passages that fitted in with his role of a man temporarily out for adventure; and his acting was backed by a good, resonant, well-controlled tenor voice that made all his numbers pleasing.

Above all other attractions, of course, was that embodied in Miss Beppie de Vries. It is safe to say that she did not disappoint a soul. On the contrary, she surpassed anything that could have been expected of nor, whatever flattering things may have been said before she was seen. With a voice of sufficent quality for musical comedy work, beauty, grace, a power to convey that she was playing a part when she was subtly leading others to conform to her will, and dramatic abandon in the Pompadour’s hysterical outburst in the second act, she was a radiant success. And it will be surprising if the eloquence of her hands does not find many imitators, both maid and madam, in the circles in which a value is set on such fascinating mannerisms.

To Mr. Arthur Stigant, as Calicot, fell most of the comedy. A bigger man than the text indicates, he, nevertheless, was admirably fitted to the part. Mr. Noel Dainton was courtly, as Boucher, the court painter; and Peggy Desmond (making her first appearance in Australia) also made a perfect picture.

There were a few hitches which were only to be expected at a first performance—a lady pressed an imaginary electric bell-push, a century before such things were invented, although a bell-pull hung conveniently but six inches from her hand; the chorus made its final entrance too late to hear the king announce to Madame Pompadour a promised honour, which surely he would not have done before the Court assembled, and the king himself forgot hie lines. It is an actor’s first duty to leam his part. No matter how many thousands of pounds a management may spend on a production the effect is spoiled if there are awkward breaks. The King, whose part is a very simple one, even forgot to sign two most important documents on the execution of which a climax depends. Nevertheless such slips did not mar the happiness of all who witnessed the performance on Saturday. The book, which was adapted by Frederick Lonsdale and Harry Graham from that of authors unnamed, tells a good story, but not in Mr. Lonsdale’s wittiest vein. He is less subtle than usual, less scintillating, and occasionally is apt to, forget the period. The frocks and habiliments of the men were gorgeous. The setting of the scene in the tavern was all that one could wish; the second, that in Madame’s apartments, fell short in decorative effect of their originals at Versailles; but the third, in the King’s apartment approached more nearly to the rooms in the famous palace. The management must be congratulated on having provided an adequate orchestra under the skilled baton of Mr. Cyril Connelly, to interpret Leo Fall’s music; and it is here opportune to express a hope that this policy will be continued by furnishing the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company, on ita retutn-visit, with a band that can do justice to Sullivan’s beautiful orchestration.

“Madame Pompadour” will be repeated nightly up to and including Tuesday, May 31. Matinees will be given next Wednesday and Saturday, commencing at 2 o’clock. Box plans for the entire season are now open at Paling's.

The Brisbane Courier (Queensland), 23 May 1927, p.18

“MADAME POMPADOUR”

CHARMS A SYDNEY AUDIENCE

From the land of schnapps, cheese and Dutch interiors comes a red-headed woman. But it’s wonderful hair, which frames the prettiest face one could wish to see even in musical comedy.

Such is Beppie de Vries, who made her curtsey to Svdnpv in “Madame Pompadour” at the Royal last night. As the mistress of a powerful king and the in spiration of an age of artistic achievement, Madame had to be something out of the ordinary run of beauty.

Beppie de Vries in the play displays a seductive art of such perfection that it is difficult to think she would have Suffered in the slightest from comparison with that lady herself. It is not surprising that in the course of her acting she makes each man she favors with her attentions talk Double-Dutch.

Beppie de Vries has, In short, a charm of manner which defies description. Her acting is excellent, and, though her singing voice is scarcely above what we have become accustomed to in a leading lady of musical comedy or comic opera, it has a flexibility which compensates.

The plot would be quite a good one even if it hadn’t fine music to run on.

Madame Pompadour, tiring rather of the Court, comes to an inn searching adventure while the King is away, hunting. She meets the Comte d’Estrades, and, having started the adventure in a romantic mood, takes no, time to fall in love with him. Her maid takes, as a partner in romance the far from romantic-looking poet, Joseph Calicot, a drunken leader of revolt.

When Maurepas, Minister of Police, discovers her whereabouts, she has, first Calicot and then. d’Estrades arrested by the guard. Later, she makes d’Estrades join the guard, and commissions Calicot to write a play oh tho occasion of her birthday. While, they are both at the palace she pretends to bo in love with Calicot to turn, away suspicion. She discovers that d’Estrades is her sister’s husband. Shortly afterwards the King returns unexpectedly.

Frank Webster, who plays d’Estrades, makes his first appearance in Sydney, and is a weloome addition to musical comedy. His acting is good, and his voice much better, than that of the usual.

As Joseph Calicot, our old friend, Arthur Stigant, is at his best. He can always be relied upon to “put across” the banal comic situations and threadbare jokes of machine-made comedy. But in “Madame Pompadour” he has a part which has been well constructed and supplied with clever lines.

Vera Spaull has a full-sized part as Marietta, the maid, and does much to make the piece. Leslie Holland plays Maurepas in his usual style.

The period of Louis XV lends itself to plenty of color, and the sets and costumes are dazzling. There are many dance scenes and much chorus work of a high order.

Sunday Times (Sydney), 5 June 1927, p.2

Mariette (Vera Spaull) and Madame Pompadour (Beppie de Vries) in the Tavern scene. Photo by Monte Luke.

From The Home (Sydney), July 1927, p.19

René (Frank Webster) and Madame Pompadour (Beppie de Vries)

From Everyones (Sydney), 27 July 1927, p.100

“Madame Pompadour”

THE first performance of “Madame Pompadour” at the Theatre Royal, Sydney, on Saturday night, was a triumph for all concerned, and at the close there was a memorable demonstration, which served as a clear indication that the new musical comedy—it really justifies the term light opera—is certain to enjoy a long and prosperous season. Miss Beppie de Vries, the new leading lady, completely captured the hearts of the audience. She is admirably fitted to portray the role of the beautiful Frenchwoman who, while she had King Louis XV at her feet, practically ruled France. Miss de Vries, who has gained a high reputation in her native country—Holland, where she is immensely popular—is tall, slender, and very attractive, with a charming accent which fits in naturally with the role. She sings pleasingly, and her acting is that of a talented and thoroughly experienced artist. Her unusual charm and vivacity were generally realised within a few minutes after her arrival with her maid at the tavern of “The Nine Muses,” and from that moment she held her audience until the final curtain descended to the accompaniment of cheer after cheer. Her undoubted success was shared by another newcomer—Mr. Frank Webster, the possessor of an excellent and well-trained tenor voice, who is also a capital actor with a very pleasing personality. He fills the role of the handsome young count who, though married, instantly falls, a, victim to the charm of the beautiful Pompadour, who has secretly come to the carnival seeking romance. She is strongly attracted to him, but discovers that he is the husband of the sister (Madeleine) whom she has not seen since she became the King's favourite. Miss de Vries’s acting at this point made it abundantly evident that she could fill a big emotional role with conspicuous success. Mr. Webster greatly pleased the audience with his fine singing of ‘Carnival Time’ and ‘Madame Pompadour,’ and was equally successful in the duets with Miss de Vries, ‘By the Light of the Moon,’ ‘Love’s Sentry,’ and ‘Reminiscence.’

AN old favourite in Mr. Leslie Holland was warmly welcomed. He cleverly impersonates the Minister of Poiice, who, to his great humiliation, is out witted by the brainy and resourceful Pompadour. Miss Vera Spaull is a dainty Mariette, and Miss Peggy Desmond an attractive Madeleine. Most of the comedy—and there is plenty of it—is supplied by Mr. Arthur Stigant as Calicot, the poet. This popular actor is inimitable, genuinely funny without that vulgarity which characterises so many of the present-day comedians. Mr. P. Cory is impressively authoritative as the King; and all the other members of the cast do their work well.

FROM a musical jaoint of view the new play is greatly superior to the majority of musical comedies. Mr. Leo Fall’s score is exceedingly tuneful, reaching a high standard; and the delighted audience warmly applauded when a laurel wreath was handed to Mr. Andrew MacCunn, the musical director, who gets splendid results from his orchestra.

Brightness is one of the outstanding features of the production, and Mr. Frank Hawthorne’s stage management bears evidence of the master hand in every detail. Many gorgeous costumes are displayed by the ladies of the company, the concluding scene especially revealing a wealth of colour and artistic grouping which provides a fitting finish to an admirable entertainment.

Sydney Mail, 8 June 1927, p.15

SUNDRY SHOWS

Beppie de Vries, with the aid of pleasing music, bright settings, a capable company and a capital plot, made an outstanding success with “Madame Pompadour” at the Theatre Royal (Sydney) on Saturday; in less than no time the audience had taken the dainty red-tressed Dutch lady to its heart. The play opens with a bright carnival medley in the sort of cavernous Parisian wine cellar where there is always (on the stage, anyway) a vagabond poet. King Louis XV, having departed for four days’ hunting, his spectacular mistress, Madame Pompadour, seizes the opportunity to invade the den, with her confidential maid, in search of adventure. She finds it in the person of Rene, the Comte d’Estrades, a country gentleman who has come to town for a carnival-time spree as a tonic after a year of happy matrimony. The intrusion of Maurepas, Minister of Police, who wants evidence against Madame for his own blackmailing purposes, interferes with warm developments; but Pompadour adroitly turns the situation with an accusation against Maurepas of laxness in duty—she has come to this place to look into the seditious verses the poet Calicot has been writing about her. In the upshot, Calicot is given a chance to redeem himself by writing a play for the Pompadour’s players within a given time, his fate being merely a screen for the enlistment of Rene in the Pompadour’s guards of the household, where he is promptly put to watch over the lady's own apartments. Complications arrive with the appearance of Rene’s wife, Madeleine, who proves to be Pompadour's sister, in search of her missing husband, and the sudden return of the King, to whom the duped Maurepas exposes Calicot as the Pompadour’s lover; but the situation works out by curtain fall to the happiness of everybody except the scheming Police Minister.

* * * *

Frederick Lonsdale’s assistance to Harry Graham in adapting the “book” doubtless accounts for the dialogue being a cut above that usually encountered in musical comedy, Graham wrote the lyrics himself and Leo Fall has supplied some swinging music. The part of Rene falls to Frank Webster, a robust young man with a pleasing tenor on the light side and a capacity to be easy and loverlike. Arthur Stigant, as the poet Calicot, makes the most of comedy a bit out of the vaudeville type, and Leslie Holland is the same humorously helpless villain he has been in numberless musical comedies; Vera Spaull brightly seizes her opportunities as Mariette, maid to Madame Pompadour, who falls in love with Calicot; P. Cory gives weight and a fair measure of dignity to Louis XV., and Noel Dainton, as Boucher the Court Painter, never misses a telling point. Quaint dressing in a chorus which is kept continually on the run in the first act, and has some spectacular work later on, gives a colorful background to the principals. The management has struck a play which should prove almost as rich a goldmine as “Rose Marie.”

The Bulletin (Sydney), 9 June 1927, p.52

Scene from Act 2 with Beppie de Vries and Frank Webster (centre)

Revival

The only major Australian revival of Madame Pompadour took place in Melbourne, at the King’s Theatre, running from 30 June 1934 to 11 July 1934, with Sylvia Welling in the title role.

Sylvia Welling (1901–1982) was an English soprono, engaged by JCW to play the lead in the first Australian production of Music in the Air (which was given its premiere at His Majesty’s Theatre, Brisbane, on 28 June 1933—the first Brisbane premiere since Madame Pompadour in 1927). Sylvia Welling had catapulted to stardom when she replaced the late Anny Ahlers in The Dubarry in London. She subsequently appeared in the first Australia production of The Dubarry in Australia during 1934, and it was during her return Melbourne season at the King’s Theatre that it was decided to revive Madame Pompadour.

Unfortunately, it has not been possible to verify all the details of the revival, as no program has been found for the show. The cast list below was sourced from ‘The Shows of 1934’, Everyones, 12 December 1834, pp.112–118. No photos of the 1934 production have been located, though it is likely that W.R Coleman and W. Coleman Jr.’s original sets were dusted off and remounted. In fact, the Act 2, Scene 2 set for The Dubarry, depicting the house of La Marechale de France, was actually the Act 2 set from Madame Pompadour! And with Frederick Blackman once again the director, there is every likelihood that the revival was identical to the original, albeit with a new cast.

Leslie Holland (1874–1952), who played Maurepas, was the only member of the original cast to appear in the revival. London-born Holland came to Australia in 1905 and since that time had been a regular performer in musicals for J.C. Williamson Ltd. He created comic roles in the first Australian productions including The Dancing Mistress (1913), The Cinema Star (1916), The Pink Lady (1917), Theodore and Co. (1919), and The Maid of the Mountains (1921).

The Cast

The Reviews

Another Peep at Louis

“Madame Pompadour” revived

Charming Songs and Period Colour

Having been the Comtesse Dubarry on Friday night, Sylvia Welling became Madame Pompadour on Saturday night. Such is the magic of the stage. But it could not have been easy for the company to translate itself in a few hours from one decade to another. “Madame Pompadour” and “The Dubarry” are so different from each other. The former is a gay, Continental musical comedy; the latter a romantic musical play. But “Madame Pompadour” is well worth reviving, if only for the music, which is very charming and melodious. “By the Light of the Moon”, “Love’s Sentry”, “Madame Pompadour”, and “Two Little Birds”, all bring back memories of that delightful season in with Beppie de Vries played Madame Pompadour. Her radiant personality made the part, and, inevitably, Miss Welling invites comparison. Beppie de Vries was more imperious and more volatile than Miss Welling is in the role. The characterisations, indeed, have nothing in common. If history be the test—and it never is in musical comedy (which had supreme contempt for fact)—Beppie de Vries we ore like the original; Miss Welling gives us a warmer, more human Pompadour. She is the woman, not the grande dame. Her acting is restrained, and her voice is charmingly used, the duets with John Dudley providing the best moments in the show. Mr. Dudley is Rene—a part which gives him manly opportunities of using his admirable voice. His acting continued to improve, becoming easier as he grows more confident, but he still makes love a trifle clumsily—a weakness we disapprove of on the stage, however much we tolerate it in real life.

The production has the colour and finish which one associated with the best Williamson presentations, the curtain going up on the tavern of the Nine Muses, where Calicot is lampooning Madame and the king. Thither goes the Pompadour is search of adventure, and becomes infatuated with Rene, a young nobleman, who has left his country wife for a little excitement in the city. The second and third acts tell how Maurepas, who thinks he is a very clever fellow, tries to bring about the favourite’s ruin. Madame, however, is “just a leetle bit cleverer”, and is able to retain the king’s affection. Richard Parry, who played Louis so well in “The Dubarry” is again the king, but his new part is a superficial sketch, and does not give him the opportunities he had before. Cecil Kellaway plays Arthur Stigant’s old part of Calicot, the disreputable bard, and goes through his lines with an easy nonchalance, which is more suited to the part he played in “The Dubarry”. The conscientious and hard-working Leslie Holland in Maurepas.

While we may complain of revivals when there is so much to see and hear, it cannot be denied that “Madame Pompadour” wears well. Most musical comedies are dead before the curtain on the last night is rung down, but after a lapse of years “Madame Pompadour” is almost as fresh as ever. The moral is that musical comedy is a poor thing without good songs.

“Madame Pompadour” will be the last production of the season at the King’s Theatre.

The Argus, 2 July 1934, p.5

Madame Pompadour

Revival at King’s Theatre

It might be presumed that the revival of Madame Pompadour, a musical comedy in three acts at the King’s Theatre, following the brilliant production of The Dubarry, has some virtue in the process of “marking time” in Australian stage enterprise. Let us hope so. But, because the pristine strength of the stage has been demonstrated by the success with which established plays have been revived successfully time and again during the last few years, it should be emphasised that success has been made possible only by expert selection and mature judgement. Madame Pompadour, adapted by Frederick Lonsdale and Harry Graham from a Continental play, with music by Leo Fall, is too theatrical a piece to survive the test of revival. And all the delightful art and craft of a splendid J.C. Williamson Limited production could not garnish what was originally at best a mediocre entertainment.

Once the audience was lifted exultantly on Saturday evening to a Bohemian sense of life and gaiety in the tavern of the “Nine Muses”, the fat was in the fire! That scene, with the poet Calicot lampooning the king and his royal mistress, and Rene (Count d’Estrades) singing Carnival Time with a glorious chorus vital with the life that quickens the pulse, represents one of the best ensembles the theatre has vouchsafed to us. Bit too seen the plot began, with the entry of Jeanne Antoine Poisson and her maid, Mariette; with Maurepas and Poulard (the Ministers of Police of Louis XV), faultlessly costumed, playing the villains (the strutting of Maurepas and the monotonously repeated boast of his cleverness set the key in a score of dramatic artificiality), with Rene meeting Jeanne and becoming her bodyguard; and then developed with Rene’s wife, Madeline, carrying out her father’s dying wish that she go to the Pompadour when in trouble; with the police chasing Calicot and Madeline chasing Rene, and Louis returning unexpectedly, chasing both Calicot and Rene. It was all too futile in the settings of Versailles, setting confined to guilded apartments, but not the apartments in which Voltaire, Quesney, Boucher, Vanloo and Greuse figured in the circle of the Marquise de Pompadour.

As Pompadour, Sylvia Wellling sings and acts delightfully; Cecil Kellaway, as J.G. Calicot, frequently holds court in bright wit and was the “hope of his side”. But what could the most brilliant of actors do with such material? John Dudley as Rene, sometimes singing off the note in music that is seldom inspired, sang three duets with Jeanne, and their number Love’s Sentry was exquisite. Richard Parry was fine and kingly as Louise XV; and Nellie Barnes Sprightly and nimble in the dance as Mariette; Leslie Holland (Maurepas) and Jean Duncan (Madeline) were prominently cast. Frederick Blackman is the producer, and William Quintrell the musical director.

Madame Pompadour will be the last production of the season at the King’s Theatre. There is to be a matinee on Wednesday.

The Age, 2 July 1934, p.12