The Arcadians: West End

Lionel Monckton

Howard Talbot in 1902

ARCADY 

It is to the Greeks that we owe the discovery of the idealised rustic paradise called Arcady for it originated from the Arcadia Department of Greece in the Arcadia mountain district of Peloponese. But, by the time the writers of Roman poetry and later the writers of romantic Renaissance literature had discovered it, the actual had become a far more mystical perfection. Many centuries later, when with some artistic latitude the ARCADIA of THE ARCADIANS was depicted on the London stage, the exact positioning was vaguely placed somewhere over the North Pole. Strangely, musical comedy seems to like to place its locations of mystical perfection in colder areas. BRIGADOON, a generation later, was the Scottish village that materialised only once every hundred years and that other spot of fictional perfection, SHANGRI-LA, was a valley surrounded by ice capped mountains. 

THE ORIGINAL PRODUCTION 

Robert Courtneidge brought together a wonderful cast to play the inhabitants of both Arcadia and London, and it is fitting that a contemporary view of them be given. The following description is by B.W. Findon from a magazine of the time called The Play Pictorial. The article was captioned 'A Feast of Melody and Mirth' and Findon's overall opinion was that ‘a more exquisite or amusing entertainment has not been seen since the days when genuine comic opera was the vogue'. Of the general production values he commented that 'the scenery, the grouping, and the general stage effects are pictures of delight for the eye'. 

The daintiest performance in the piece is the Sombra of Miss Florence Smithson, who bears herself like a Peri and sings like an angel. A sweeter and more unforced voice has never been heard on the musical comedy stage. Her success was immense. Another excellent vocalist is Mr Harry Welchman who may be described as the love hero of the plot. 

There are two master comedians in the company. Mr Dan Rolyat sings and plays in his own inimitable manner as Smith, and keeps the audience in roars of laughter, while Mr Alfred Lester as the sad-hearted jockey who had never won a race is equally amusing. His song, "I've gotter a motter — always merry and bright'' is one of the funniest things in a piece which is brimming over with humourous entertainment. Miss Ada Blanche is very diverting as Mrs Smith. There is not a weak spot in the cast, but space forbids that I should deal with each in detail'. 

There were some score changes during the run of the show – a not unusual occurrence in long running shows of this period. The most important addition was 'All down Piccadilly' which proved so popular it became part of the accepted score. 

The Askwood Race scene included the race in which Simplicitas Smith wins. For the race the cast of onlookers faced the audience as the horses passed somewhere in the stalls. London's race-going high society were dressed in the latest of elegant fashion from the house of Cosway and with binoculars to their eyes they viewed the race as the imaginary horses crossed before them. Half a century later in MY FAIR LADY the same effect, this time dressed by Cecil Beaton, would prove to be just as brilliant. What the latter show failed to produce was the winning horse on stage – that was a Courtneidge touch. 

THE ORIGINAL CAST: 

Dan Rolyat (James Smith / Simplicitas): An ex Fred Karno boy who had toured with the George Edwardes' Company. Under Robert Courtneidge he had become a firm London favourite and had been seen in leading roles in THE DAIRYMAIDS and TOM JONES. 

Florence Smithson (Sombra): 'The Welsh nightingale’ who became Mrs Dan Rolyat. She had been on the stage since the age of three. The daughter of a well known provincial manager she was engaged by Robert Courtneidge in 1904 and soon found stardom in hits such as THE BLUE MOON and THE DAIRYMAIDS. She was able to command an amazing £30 a week for her starring role in THE ARCADIANS. 

Harry Welchman (Jack Meadows): (NB: the first night programme lists H (Harry) E Pearce as Jack Meadows – this was the understudy who stood in for Welchman who was not well enough to play the part that night). Welchman had been mainly a provincial player until noticed by Robert Courtneidge in a pantomime. He was put into TOM JONES and from that won the part of Jack in THE ARCADIANS. He was destined to become one of London's top leading men. 

Phyllis Dare (Eileen Cavanagh): A renowned Edwardian beauty and sister to Zena, had started her career in pantomime at the age of nine and had already featured in productions such as THE CATCH OF THE SEASON, THE BELLE OF MAYFAIR and THE DAIRYMAIDS. She was only eighteen when she delighted audiences in THE ARCADIANS. 

Alfred Lester (Peter Doody): Prior to being given two excellent roles at the Gaiety, where he had at last found success, he had toured in musical comedies and had been on the halls. His Doody eclipsed everything else and was now considered a star. 

Ada Blanche (Mrs Smith): A long standing leading artist in pantomime, musical comedy and musical hall. She had previously toured in Robert Courtneidge productions. 

Nelson Keys (Bobby): This was 'Bunch' Keys first London appearance. He was considered a rising star in the provinces where he had toured in the George Edwardes' Company. His part was built up from one line and his hit number 'Back your fancy' had originally been planned as a quartet. His performance earned him a three year contract with Courtneidge. In later years once he had become a leading artist he would co-star with Cicely Courtneidge in revue, a partnership that was one of the finest of the London stage. 

Caricature by Norman Morrow

Cicely Courtneidge (Chrysea): Although not in the original cast she took over in the second year. It was the second of her father's shows in which she had appeared for she had played Rosie Lucas in TOM JONES at the tender age of fifteen. A few years later she and her husband Jack Hulbert starred in a revival of THE ARCADIANS. 

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THE STORY 

ACT I 

Time stands still in Arcadia for one good reason, Old Father Time has all but forgotten it. His appearance in an unspoilt Arcadian glade where the locals laze and acknowledge their joyful lot (Opening Chorus — Arcadians are We) comes at a time when the lovely Sombra has dreamt of a great serpent arriving from another place called England. That place, so she tells her friends, is peopled by savages who live caged up in brick houses amid fog in a crowded town called London where they do something quite unheard of in Arcadia, they lie. Old Father Time's appearance (I Quite Forgot Arcadia) brings him questions about these savages and he is gently enticed to deliver an example. He leaves to organise the delivery whilst Sombra and her friends contemplate their perfect existence (The Joy of Life). 

The great serpent that Sombra has dreamt of materialises as a plane sent off course by Time (Look What Hovers There Above Us). Its pilot, the restaurateur James Smith, makes a dramatic landing in a place he can only believe is the Garden of Eden. He soon finds the Arcadians' values differ from those of home as told by Sombra (The Pipes of Pan) on whom he uses his devilish ways which inevitably include a couple of untruths. These back-fire on him and he is led and dropped into the Well of Truth (All a Lie) from which he is reincarnated a young scantily dressed Arcadian shepherd, sans whiskers, displaying a fine head of curly blond hair. He is re-named Simplicitas (Sweet Simplicitas) and warned that another lie will lose him his newly found looks. Sombra, seeing the new Sweet Simplicitas as a victory against evil, persuades her friend Chrysea to join her in a voyage to wicked London with their new convert so as to spread the good word. With Time leading they leave for London (Finale Act I — To All and Each). 

ACT II 

The scene is now the fashionable social event of Askwood races (Opening Chorus — That's All Over). Tips on backing horses are given by young Bobby (Back your Fancy), a friend of the handsome, but not too well off, Jack Meadows who happens to be the owner of a horse in the main race. The horse, 'The Deuce', is a wild one and the only jockey to be found is the constant loser, the gloomy Peter Doody. Suddenly Jack has something else on his mind, he has noticed Eileen, James Smith's niece, and has fallen in love. He manages to meet her and Mrs Smith, and finds her to be an enchanting Irish girl with a touch of the blarney (The Girl with a Brogue). Unfortunately, Auntie has her eye on the wealthy horse owner Sir George for the hand of her niece.  

A shower followed by thunder and lightning is the cue for the entrance of the strangely dressed Arcadian trio (Shower Chorus). The girls take little time in commencing their crusade (Arcady is Every Young) but they are taken as a publicity stunt. Mr Smith, alias Simplicitas, managed to get caught up in a tree on his landing and it so happens that his wife and Sir George are discussing the possible marriage between him and Eileen on a seat below it. Simplicitas loses his grip and lands in the arms of Sir George who happens to be a business partner of his. Not surprisingly neither he nor Mrs Smith recognise the young man and he is able to flirt with his own wife (Somewhere). Mrs Smith, with an eye for business, now plans to open an Arcadian Restaurant using this young man's skills. Jack and Eileen have also met again and are falling in love (Charming Weather). 

Jack's horse has now attacked the faithful Doody and, unless a new jockey can be found, will be out of the race (Fickle Fortune). 

The beautiful Sombra comes to the rescue — Arcadians can talk to animals — and she can guarantee his winning. A jockey is found in the not over enthusiastic Simplicitas and, as predicted, he wins. Simplicitas is the hero of the hour and Jack is not financially ruined (Finale Act II — The Horses Are Out). 

ACT III 

The Arcadians Restaurant has opened and is a great success (Opening Chorus — Plant Your Posies). Bobby reappears into the plot (We Want to be Arcadian) and is enchanted with Chrysea who he offers to show around (I like London). The lovers, Eileen and Jack, are re-united (Half-past Two) and Simplicitas Smith, with just the one 'little draw-back' that he cannot lie, is having the time of his life (All Down Piccadilly). Jack is unwittingly brought into Simplicitas' game for a doubting Sombra and is made to agree that although Simplicitas has been 'doing the town' it really was to spread the good news (Cheer For Simplicitas). Convinced, Sombra gives Jack a peck on the cheek which is misconstrued as love making by a watching Eileen. Jack, who does not know of Eileen's presence, is more concerned with having been made an accomplice in hiding the truth and with Bobby puts over his view to Simplicitas (Truth is Beautiful). 

Chrysea has her own problems with advances made by Doody who now works at the restaurant. She puts them aside, an action which he puts down to his 'to merry and bright' personality and vows to 'try to become more serious' (My Motter). The misunderstanding between Eileen and Jack is resolved by Sombra and she decides it is time to go home to Arcadia. Sir George having lost the race for Eileen's hand turns on Mrs Jones accusing her of exploiting the Arcadians and he denounces Simplicitas as an impostor. It now begins to dawn on Sombra that Simplicitas has been deceiving her and she reveals how he had fallen into the Well of Truth in Arcadia. It is a relieved Simplicitas Smith who now tells a simple lie and falls back into another well to re-appear – aged, bewhiskered but content – re-united with his wife. (Finale — All down Piccadilly – reprise). 

Sombra and Chrysea's mission may have failed but they have helped bring together Mr and Mrs Smith and Eileen and Jack. It is indeed a happy ending. 

Curtain.

Rexton S. Bunnett

ADDITIONAL AND ALTERNATE SONGS 

The score of The Arcadians was varied with a number of other songs during its run. Phyllis Dare originally featured 'Bring Me a Rose' (Monckton) which was subsequently deleted, Florence Smithson variously performed 'Light Is My Heart' (Talbot) and 'Come to Arcady', Dan Rolyat exchanged 'All Down Piccadilly' for a number called 'Whoppers' (Monckton), Harry Welchman replaced 'Fickle Fortune' with 'The Only Girl Alive' and later with 'Love Will Win', Nelson Keys as Bobby replaced 'Back Your Fancy' with 'Have a Little Bit on With Me' and later ‘I’m Making a Book With the Girls’, Cicely Courtneidge who succeeded to the role of Chrysea sang 'I'll Be a Sister to You', Harry Ray and Maudi Thornton interpolated the topical dance number 'Oh, Do Step the Two-step', and a trio 'Little George Washington' was also included for a short while.

In the Broadway production the number 'What Every Woman Knows', capitalising on J M Barrie's play of the same title was for a while sung by Simplicitas in place of 'All Down Piccadilly' or, as it was titled in America, 'Willie From Piccadilly'.

from Gänzl's Book of the Musical Theatre by Kurt Gänzl & Andrew Lamb (The Bodley Head, London:1988)

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'Love-lies-bleeding' for luck!

Advertising postcard by John Hassall

THE REVIEWS

“THE ARCADIANS”

Fantastic Musical Play, in Three Acts, Book by Mark Ambient and A. M. Thompson, Lyrics by Arthur Wimperis, Music by Lionel Monckton and Howard Talbot, Produced at the Re-opening of the Shaftesbury Theatre, under the direction of Mr. Robert Courtneidge, on Wednesday, April 28.

We shall be sporting with Amaryllis in the woods and dallying with Daphne in the sun of prosperity for some time to come at the Shaftesbury, where Mr. Robert Courtneidge commenced his management on Wednesday with the most certain anticipations of a great success in the new fantastic musical play, The Arcadians. The spirit of Planché hovers over the book, in which there is also something of Gilbertian topsy-turveydom; and it is all delightful, exhilarating, picturesque, and a very riot of drollery. The rapt admiration of the playgoer is immediately captured by the opening scene “Arcadia,” by Conrad Tritchler, which is of entrancing beauty. Life glows with radiance beneath beautiful blossoms. It is a landscape [---ing] to eternal summer. Strephon and Chloe tread the primrose path. As they tell us, Dame Nature blest their birth with “‘spell of sun and sea and gold of garnered field.” For a time we under that spell, listening the while to Sombra, chief Arcadian maiden, as she sings of “The Pipes of Pan”—"the magic reed that charms at need the heart of maid and man.” But the introduction of Old Time, “the man who keeps creation moving on,” interrupts the revels of the Arcadians, In the universal scheme of progress they are in arrears--just about three thousand years. The scythe-bearer is followed by an arrival from London, none other than Mr. James Smith, of Smith and Son, caterers, who drops from an airship. Smith’s business qualifications make lying a necessity of his existence; but terminological inexactitudes are anathematised by the Arcadians who thrust the Cockney tradesman down the well of truth, where he is rejuvenated, and mentally purified. Henceforth he is Simplicitas, a shepherd in a goat-skin, with blossoms in his hair, and wearing “shorts” that “leave rather a draught round the knees.” Simplicitas talks of the wickedness of London, and Sombra determines to go back with him to teach the simple life and banish lies.

They travel to Askwood, where the race for the Cup is about to be run. The scene in the enclosure is a brilliant one, the throng of society women being dressed in the most elaborate toilettes. We become interested in Jack Meadows, who is backing for £5,000 his horse, The Deuce, for the chief race of the day. Should he win, it would speed him in the good graces of Eileen Cavanagh, an Irish girl, the niece of Mrs. Smith, Smith’s better-half, who does not recognise her old man in the quaintly-clad Simplicitas. The jockey about to ride The Deuce has never won a race, and is full of melancholy forebodings. The horse “savages” him, and another jockey is to be found. Sombra, the Arcadian, suggests Simplicitas, and he is forced into the saddle, the act closing with his triumph.

Smith, otherwise Simplicitas, possesses a large hotel, which hitherto has been a white elephant. He conceives the brilliant idea of turning it into an Arcadian restaurant, with waiters and waitresses. dressed as nymphs and shepherds. Peter Doody, the melancholy jockey, is pressed into the service. Jack Meadows’ suit of Eileen is much hampered by the Arcadian innocence of Sombra, who includes him in her scheme of universal affection. Her unrestrained platonic love prompts her to kiss him on every occasion, and Eileen is naturally jealous. The misunderstands are speedily straightened out, and Simplicitas, the Arcadian, financier, and amateur jockey, is eventually discovered to be the long-lost Smith, who goes back to middle-aged respectability with another dousing in the artesian well of the restaurant. Maid and man are adjured in song to rejoice while they can in the spring of their pleasure and pride, and on a lively finale the curtains close.

We might exhaust a wealth of superlatives on the exquisite beauty of the first scene, and the clever brushwork of Mr. R. C. McCleery, Stafford Hall, and W. Holmes in the Askwood and the Arcadian Restaurant sets; but it‘s necessary to pass on to the acting. Two excellent comedians, with methods that are in admirable contrast, keep the fun going from first to last. From his first abrupt entrance—he is supposed to drop from an airship—Mr. Dan Rolyat as Simplicitas Smith has the house swaying with laughter. He is particularly funny in his first song, in which the appeal of the simple life of the Arcadians to the jaded Cockney is set forth in some of Mr. Arthur Wimperis’ most amusing lines:—

“I do so like their marriage laws.
They’ve got no nasty binding clause
You simply say Amo, Amas.
They call me sweet Simplicitas.”

The part is a great one, and will bring added fame to a comedian who has taken rank as one of London’s favourite humorists. We roar when Sinplicitas has to drink water from an Arcadian pool and to politely praise it by saying, “Whisky’s not in it, worse luck,” and when he hears the name of Pan, it seems quite natural for him to say “O Pan, chase me, Pauline!” He has an excellent foil in Miss Ada Blanche, who must henceforth be considered as among the few humorous exponents of eccentric dame parts. In the passages between Mrs. Smith and her wandering and disguised spouse, Miss Blanche has many moments of genuine comedy, and the fun is never forced, but always in the best spirit of mirth. Mr. Alfred Lester's monologue on his racing experiences as the jockey, Peter Doody, who never won a race, is distinctly precious, and the comedian preserves that lugubrious expression which makes his one song, “I've gotter motter, always merry and bright,” so strikingly whimsical. Mr. Lester tells us that once Peter Doody nearly won a race, but the horse in front kicked up a clod of earth, which caught him just between the eyes, and by the time he cleared it out he found himself in Epping Forest! “Lester on racing" and “Rolyat on Whoppers” were voted excellent fooling on the opening night. The spirit of Arcadian simplicity is admirably preserved by Miss Florence Smithson, who will add to the already large number of her admirers by her beautiful rendering of the three numbers, “The Pipes of Pan," “Arcady is ever young” (melodies by Lionel Monckton), and “Light is my heart,” music by Howard Talbot. In the last song the cultured and sweet-voiced vocalist finished up on a wonderful high-note pianissimo, and the house was enraptured. Miss May Kinder, who appeared by permission of Mr. George Edwardes, did well as Chrysea, her dancing being particularly graceful.

The indulgence of the audience was requested for Mr. H. E. Pearce, the representative of Astrophel, who was obliged at the last moment to take up the part of Jack Meadows, owing to the continued indisposition of Mr. Harry Welchman. Mr. Pearce's memory failed him in a line or two of the song “Fickle Fortune,” but he soon recovered himself, and sang both with spirit and taste, the audience helping him to get over the slight difficulty by its most encouraging applause. Miss Phyllis Dare is graceful and sweet in the part of the Irish girl, with a pretty brogue, and dances very prettily after the duet “Half-past Two.” Mr. Akerman May as Sir George Paddock, the racing owner, gives sure dramatic touch to the part, which is scarcely a sympathetic one, and is decidedly effective. Mr. Nelson Keys also scored on Wednesday in his rendering of Bobby's one song “Back your fancy,” and Mr. George Elton as Time, with the well-written song “I quite forget Arcadia,” added to the humour of the first act. Minor characters are capably handled by Messrs. Deane Percival, Charles Chamier, Charles Strood, George Masters, Walter L. Rignold, Arthur Johnstone, Charles Charteris, and S. Oliver. The smaller-part ladies not only sustain the reputation of English girls for beauty, but play with real charm and intelligence. Miss Violet Graham as Lady Barclay, Miss Muriel Hastings as Lucy Selwyn, Misses Mary Berys, Violet Walker. Billie Sinctair, M. Lawson, and Dorothy Laine can all act, and are always in the scene. On the opening night Mr. Howard Talbot conducted, and the delight of the enthusiastic and crowded house was expressed with no uncertain sound. The Arcadians should be adding to the gaiety of the town for some time to come.

The Era (London), Saturday, 1 May 1909, p.15

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MUSICAL COMEDY IN ARCADIA

BEAUTIFUL PRODUCTION AT THE SHAFTESBURY.

“The shadow-dappled mead
Is sweet with scent of time,
The shepherd tunes his reed
To rippling, rhythmic rhyme.
The swallows swoop and fly,
The grass grows rich and rife,
The brook goes babbling by
A-lilt with laughing life.

That is the secret of “The Arcadians.” It is “a-lilt with laughing life,” and surely it is a long time since an audience enjoyed a first night so much as that at the Shaftesbury Theatre last night. Mr. Robert Courtneidge is a lucky man. He has achieved the seemingly impossible, He has produced a “new" musical comedy which is really new.

He has got out of the groove, and given the public not what musical comedy producers think the public want, but what the public themselves have always thought they wanted—a new story, a new idea, a new setting, a jolly, clean, laughter-making play full of the beauty and joy of life.

And the public were glad accordingly. They called for Mr. Mark Ambient, who wrote the story; for Messrs, Thompson and Wimperis, who wrote the witty Iyrics; for Messrs. Lionel Monckton and Howard Talbot, who have given them new tunes to hum; and for Mr. Robert Courtneidge, who welded all the collaborators together and set before us all visions of loveliness in scenery.

SHOWERS OF ROSES.

They showered roses, bouquets, and applause on Miss Florence Smithson, an Arcadian as clear voiced and dainty as any in Arcas; on Miss Phyllis Dare, who indulged in a strong Irish accent for the piece; on Mr. Dan Rolyat for his gay comedy and Mr. Alfred Lester for his comic grief; and on Miss Ada Blanche because they were glad to see her again.

Arcadia is a land of dreams. You see it in Act I.—a place of green banks and sunlit meadows and uplands in the distance, the sun shining on the apple blossom, the ripple of running brooks, and the music of the birds. The Arcadians are Phyllises and Strephons who live with the reed pipes of Pan in innocence and truth, and chatter with the animals. Hither, flung from a balloon [sic], toppling from the “flies,” comes Mr. Smith, a caterer from London. And Mr. Smith is Mr. Dan Rolyat, and nobody can tumble and stagger about quite so amusingly as Mr. Dan Rolyat.

With his appearance the fun begins. He tells a lie, and is dipped in the well of Truth, emerging as an Arcadian, transformed from modern clothes to a Grecian short-skirted costume, with what he describes as “ Directoire” knickers. He is renamed Simplicitas, and he dances a true Arcadian dance with a wonderful Dan Rolyat ripple of the arms and little hops and jumps. Then the Arcadians decide to go to London.

RACE COURSE SCENE.

They drop from the clouds on Askwood racecourse in the midst of complications. Drury Lane has not given a better racecourse than that in “The Arcadians” with its fashionable ladies in beehive hats and sheath dresses of marvellous hues and sun-shades of soft tints strolling about the enclosure.

Doody, the jockey (Mr. Alfred Lester), who is to ride The Deuce is thrown, and because Arcadians can talk to animals, Simplicitas will be the jockey. The future happiness of two young lovers depends on the horse winning—and when the race starts there is a breathless scene, as exciting as any melodrama. Simplicitas wins and establishes the fame of the Arcadians in England.

We may leave the plot with Act lII.— the Arcadian Restaurant in London. Smith regains his whiskers and wrinkles by telling a lie, and everything is straightened out.

But the chief success of “The Arcadians” lies in its novelty and the delightful numbers, notably “The Pipes of Pan" and “Light is my heart,” sung by Miss Florence Smithson, “The girl with a brogue ” (Miss Phyllis Dare), “Sweet Simplicitas” (Mr. Dan Rolyat), and “I've gotter motter” (Mr. Alfred Lester). Mr. H. E. Pearce, the young lover of the piece, has some good songs too.

Altogether a delightful production—something more than an ephemeral musical comedy, because of its gaiety and prettiness.

The Daily Express (London), Thursday, 29 April 1909, p.5

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SHAFTESBURY THEATRE: " THE ARCADIANS."

There can hardly be two opinions as to "The Arcadians." It is beyond question one of the very best shows of its kind ever seen in London, and certainly Mr. Robert Courtneidge will not require for the Shaftesbury, now reconstructed and redecorated, a new piece for many a month to come. Such an attractive production, indeed, really almost restores one's faith in musical comedy. Not that it involves any radical departure from the accepted type; it is merely so infinitely superior in point of execution to the majority its class. The genre is the same, but the treatment is so vastly better than usual. Indeed, if all musical comedies were as bright and entertaining as "The Arcadians" the sternest critics would certainly never have a word to say against them. For a beginning the authors, Mr. Mark Ambient and Mr. A. M. Thompson, have taken the trouble to provide themselves with an excellent leading idea. The initial notion of James Smith (of Smith and Co., caterers, London), taking to aeroplaning and tumbling out of his airship into Arcadia makes a capital start, and its development is quite happy, too. For having been transformed into a blooming youth once more he persuades his fellow-Arcadians to return with him to England again, there to convert the inhabitants to the joys of the simple life; and the succeeding acts show how the scheme works out. Incidentally, Mr. Smith, who has now become Mr. Simplicitas, in classical costume, encounters his own wife, who, of course, fails to recognise him in his altered shape, and to whom he pays flattering attentions. Later he is seized with the happy idea of adapting the Arcadian idea, which has now become a fashionable cult, to commercial ends, and so one of his least flourishing hotels regains a vanished prosperity, in the guise of an Arcadian Restaurant, where the simple life is cultivated by rank and fashion. But it gives only a poor idea of the really happy plot of this "fantastic musical play" to set it forth in this eminently bald and unconvincing fashion. It is an accepted aesthetic maxim that treatment is more important than subject matter, and in the case of "The Arcadians" the treatment is certainly very clever indeed. The piece, in fact, has hardly a weak point—at all events, up to the end of the second act; for it must be confessed that it falls off slightly later. As to the scenery alone much might be written. Musical comedy has long been famous for its achievements under this head, but it may be doubted if more beautiful stage pictures have ever been seen in works of this class than those of last night. The setting of the second act especially, representing a select portion of the racecourse at Askwood (combining the glories of Ascot and Goodwood), with a big spreading tree overshadowing green lawns in the foreground, a glimpse of the grand-stand at the back, and a far-spreading stretch of lovely wooded country in !he distance, is quite ravishingly beautiful, while the settings of the first and third acts, representing Arcadia and the Arcadian Restaurant respectively, are only a degree less striking. As to the dresses of the ladies, no masculine pen could hope to do them justice, but in this respect again last night's production has rarely, if ever, been surpassed. For its beautiful scenery and lovely costumes alone "The Arcadians" would be worth seeing. But it is hardly necessary to add that these by no means exhaust its attractions. The production is strong, indeed, at every point. Its dialogue bubbles over with happy lines, which seem to have been actually provided by the authors, and not by the low comedians; and if the piece has been uncommonly well written it has the further advantage of being splendidly interpreted. Mr. Dan Rolyat, as the aforesaid James Smith, is, of course, immensely funny. His antics are inexhaustible, and each is more unexpected and more mirth-provoking than the last. Vastly amusing also Mr. Alfred Lester, in the part of Peter Doody, a sad-faced jockey, whose luck is always out. His song "My Motter " made a huge hit, and generally he was one of the greatest successes of the evening. His methods are as quiet as those of Mr. Rolyat are exuberant, and the one serves as an excellent foil to the other. Another clever little sketch was provided by Mr. Nelson Keys, as a diminutive sportsman, whose song "Back your fancy" went down particularly well. Mr. H. E. Peare made a manly and sympathetic jeune premier, while Mr. Akerman May was another who put in useful work. As regards the ladies, Miss Phyllis Dare easily carried off the principal honours—she has never looked more radiantly pretty, danced more daintily, or sung more charmingly. Miss Florence Smithson won plentiful favour, too, as one of the Arcadian nymphs, with Miss May Kinder as her chief companion, while a hearty word of praise is due also to Miss Ada Blanche for her clever and amusing work in the part of Mr. Smith's cockney wife. Finally, the music by Mr. Lionel Monckton and Mr. Howard Talbot is, like the rest of the piece, quite above the average in excellence. It would be quite difficult to say, indeed, which of the two composers deserves the heartier compliments. But the situation may be saved by saying that both have done quite uncommonly well. The reception of the work was enthusiastic to the last degree. H. A. S.

Westminster Gazette (London), Thursday, 29 April 1909, p.2

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''The Girl with the Brogue'' - Phyllis Dare as 'Eileen Cavanagh' with her admirers.

“THE ARCADIANS.”

DELIGHTFUL PRODUCTION AT THE SHAFTESBURY

“The Arcadians” is the best musical comedy we have had for years. It has an excellent story, it is witty and it is acted and sung to admiration, its music is incessantly charming, and its stage pictures are exquisite. Authors, composers, the producer, and the company deserve the heartiest congratulations, for they provided what will most assuredly prove to be one of the greatest successes London has known for a very long time.

There are fun and fancy, freshness and originality, in every phase of the musical play we saw at the Shaftesbury Theatre last night. The actors are given plenty to do—it has not been left to them to improvise and “gag.” Mr. Mark Ambient and Mr. A. M. Thompson, the authors, have devised a fantastic, yet a consistent and interesting plot, and their dialogue is studded with good things—laughter was incessant evening. Mr. Arthur Wimperis, the lyricist, has written some of the daintiest and brightest of verses—which can even be read with pleasure. Mr. Lionel Monckton and Mr. Howard Talbot have composed a series of lilting and catchy songs which yet are not mere jingles.

Mr. Robert Courtneidge, who has produced the play so superbly, has given the town something to talk about in the way of beautiful pictures, a performance that went with magnificent verve from beginning to end, and with a racecourse scene which—in a musical comedy—roused the audience to a high pitch of excited enjoyment as fine a piece of realism as the famous football match in “The College Widow,” and ever so much more attractive. Even Drury Lane has not given us realism more remarkable. Yet over all was a spirit of imaginativeness and poetry.

The “plums” of “The Arcadians” are so many and so varied that to list them out would be to arrange a lengthy catalogue. The note of originality is struck at the beginning—in the lovely scene of Arcady, one of the most charming landscapes the stage has shown—a gem of leafy loveliness and sylvan splendour. There are Astrophel, Chrysea, Strephon, Sombra, and the rest—Arcadians all; nymphs and fées of another world, who know not guile or evil, deception or lies. The spirit of poesy and imaginativeness is delicious, and there is no jarring touch throughout. To them comes, in an airship, Mr. James Smith, of Smith and Co., caterers, of London. Smith is Mr. Dan Rolyat—we all know what that means. He tells a lie—and is immediately immersed in the well where truth is hidden. At the bottom of the well he finds truth, and returns, his wrinkles and his baldness gone—a most eccentric Arcadian, but simple, rustic, honest, and—like them—Greek.

Already we have had songs and dances of charming prettiness and liveliness. Already Miss Florence Smithson has found the opportunity for the use of her voice; Miss Kinder, as Chrysea, the laughing nymph, has floated across the stage with fairylinke grace; Mr. Rolyat has convulsed the house with his extraordinary dancing and unceasing flow of humour. So charmingly dainty is it all that we resent to some degree Mr. Rolyat’s inoffensive absurdities, because they clash with the beauty of the rest; but this, of course, is absolutely unavoidable. And Mr. Rolyat is that rare thing—a comedian willing to efface himself when his antics would be out of the picture.

Next we come to Askwood, the fashionable English racecourse, a splendid “set.” Here are Eileen Cavanagh, (Miss Phyllis Dare), most demure and captivating of Irish girls; Jack Meadows (Mr. H. E. Pearce), her sweetheart; Peter Doody, the jockey without a smile (Mr. Alfred Lester); Mrs. James Smith (Miss Ada Blanche), and many other most amusing folk. The conduct of the scene is masterly. It is musical comedy, but it is real. The crowd is hardly ever absent, but it is never in the way. Smith, Chrysea and Sombra arrive—they have come to teach England to tell the truth, to turn London into Arcadia. Their task is a peg on which to hang the merriest things. The flirtation between Smith and his unknowing wife kept the house roaring, the love story of Jack and Eileen is by no means so foolish as we expect in this class of entertainment, and their happiness being dependant upon Jack's horse winning the race, naturally affords the opportunity for a capitally interesting sporting development. For Meadows’ horse is a terror. Doody, his jockey, is thrown—who will ride him? The narration of Doody’s encounter with The Deuce—the horse—gave Mr. Lester his chance, and he took it. Later, with Mr. Rolyat, they elaborated the humour of the situation, and squeezed from it every ounce of its fun.

By one of the many touches of poetic fancy that deck the libretto, Sombra has found out from The Deuce himself what is the matter. If Smith—now Simplicitas, in the Arcadian manner—will ride The Deuce, The Deuce will win. The horse has told Sombra that he is ashamed of himself, and that all races are always arranged by the animals beforehand. The Arcadians, you see, have the gift of understanding. The race is run, and is described by the characters on the stage. We have not seen anything better done anywhere. The simulated excitement of the people of the play communicated itself to audience, the result was a tornado of applause, as The Deuce, with Simplicitas up, comes, the winner, into view. The success of “The Arcadians” was hardly in doubt from the very beginning—but this made it safe and sound beyond a doubt.

The third act brings us to the Café de Luze, London, now being run on Arcadian principles. All London flocks to its simple but most expensive banquets, The fun is maintained, and the admixture of Arcadian and London manners and modes gives us situations and fun quite refreshing. Time and space prevent a further description, but, so far as we could judge at the time of leaving the theatre there was no falling of in the verve and interest. In any case the first two acts are sufficient to carry any play. “The Arcadians” takes us out of the ruck of musical comedy as for the most part we have known it. Invention and espièglerie are to be found at the Shaftesbury—brightness and unconventionality.

Song after song delighted the house. The solos, duets, trio, and choruses had individuality, grace, and tune. Mr. Monckton and Mr. Talbot vie with each other in providing pretty airs, all decorated with charming orchestration. Miss Smithson's voice is a pleasure to listen to, so clear and fresh and true it is. The chorus, men and women, are admirably trained, and sing with feeling. Mr. Pearce, as Jack— owing to the illness of Mr. Weichman, who was to have played the part, he undertook it at short notice—made a big success both vocally and as an actor.

Miss Phyilis Dare was a delicious Irish girl, singing and dancing captivatingly; Miss Dare is advancing famously. To the humour of Mr. Rolyat and Mr. Lester we have already paid tribute. Miss Ada Blanche, Mr. Nelson Keys, Miss Kinder, and the other members of the company were all beyond reproach. “The Arcadians” is, indeed, a gem of a musical comedy.

London Evening Standard – Thursday, 29 April 1909, p.8

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THINGS THEATRICAL

By THE DWARF

“The Arcadians.’’

Mr. Courtneidge has made the Shaftesbury Theatre into very handsome and comfortable theatre. By changing the position of the booking office a little glassed-in foyer has been added to the dress circle, the new decorations are sumptuous, and the winds no longer blow through the house. Mr. Courtneidge has a capital musical play to open his beautiful new house. The Arcadians is a story how a mortal came to Arcadia by means of a flying machine, and took some of the Arcadians back with him to England just at Goodwood—or Askwood as it is in the play—time. The story has its humours: the arrangements made for the winning of the great race being almost Gilbertian. The scenery and dresses are quite beautiful; the first scene, a wood in Arcadia, with big river seen beyond, being a very fine stage picture. The management of the crowd of fashionable ladies and well-dressed men watching the race at the close of the last act was, on a smaller scale, as effective as any great scene in a Drury Lane drama. The music is light and melodious, both Lionel Monckton and Mr. Howard Talbot having given the play of their best.

Miss Phyllis Dare, as pretty as the prettiest of pictures, and Miss Florence Smithson are the heroines; the first as a merry little Irish girl, the second as a simple and serious Arcadian. Miss Phyllis Dare sang and danced and acted very brightly, and I glad to say that the sing-song intonation she was in danger of adopting has almost been conquered. She has such a brilliant future before her that it would have been thousand pities if she had fallen into this bad trick. Miss Smithson’s crystal-clear voice is always delightful. Mr. Pearce, succeeding Mr. Welchman at very short notice, the young hero was most cordially received by the audience. Mr. Dan Rolyat is the Englishman who drops into Arcadia, becomes young and beautiful by being dipped in a well, and, returning thus disguised to Askwood, makes love to his own wife. He is very amusing, in his usual acrobatic style. Mr. Lester as a misanthropic jockey is drily comic. The chorus is a dream of lovelinesses. There never has been a musical play that did not require cutting, and “The Arcadians” will be all the better for twenty minutes taken out of it, fifteen of which should be substracted from the last act. Then it will be as right as rain.

The Sporting Times (London) – Saturday, 1 May 1909, p.10

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"THE ARCADIANS," AT THE SHAFTESBURY.

The second musical comedy produced last week is in every way a contrast. Mirabile dictu, it contains novelty, charm, and abundant humour. I do not think I have ever before seen a musical play received so well on the first night, nor ever felt that the applause was so thoroughly deserved. Jaded and blasé critics were seen to roar with laughter. Disappointed playwrights frankly admitted that it was better than plays in their own writing-tables, and amateur composers hummed airs from it in a patronising way as though they were nearly as good as their own work! I admit I went to see it with some hopefulness, because I had heard that a member of the company thought it "rot," and "woe unto the plays which the actors think well of" is a very good rule to go by. The first scene in Arcadia is charming. Here you have woods and grassy slopes, with water in the background, and a bevy of fascinating Arcadians disporting themselves with song and dance in the foreground. They are barefooted, of course. The barefoot craze has now captured an entire chorus, but really the effect here is very pleasing, and I already foresee the time when chorus "ladies" will be chosen more for their feet than their voices! To Arcadia comes Mr. Dan Rolyat falling from a flying machine, and a wonderful fall he makes from a very considerable height. The Arcadians are George Washingtons of the purest type. Mr. Rolyat is a Londoner and a liar. Accordingly they plunge him into the well of truth, and he comes out as steeped in veracity as this journal. Then the Arcadians decide to send a. deputation to London to convert the wicked Londoners, and the next act is a most thrilling racecourse scene, which is a triumph of stage management. Act III. takes place in an Arcadian Restaurant, which is the rage of London, and this act shows a falling-off, but not sufficient to mar the whole. Ultimately the Arcadian missionaries decide to go back to their own exquisite land, whereby they show great wisdom. They recognise the futility of their undertaking! It would take more than two dainty, barefooted maidens to implant an overmastering love of truth in the hearts of all Londoners. Mr. Dan Rolyat permeates the play with his infectious gaiety, and an excellent foil to him is Mr. Alfred Lester, who represents the apotheosis of lugubriousness. Nothing could be funnier than his description of his career as a jockey or his singing of "Merry and Bright." Miss Phyllis Dare is pretty and charming as an Irish girl, while it is a real pleasure to welcome Miss Florence Smithson back to town. She is the Arcadian in chief. She is a wistful little person, with a voice of such singular charm and quality that it is a real pleasure to hear her. She sings as naturally as a bird. You never feel that she is making a great vocal effort. Everything she does seems as easy as it is exquisite. I always expect to see some singers wipe their brows after bringing down the house with a crescendo of top notes. The strain is so apparent that it makes one feel uncomfortable and anxious and fear that something should give way, but Miss Smithson is always effortless, and the pure and limpid quality of her voice gives one intense pleasure. The "book," by Messrs. Mark Ambient and A. M. Thompson, is full of humour, and Messrs. Lionel Monckton and Howard Talbot's music is bright and exactly right. Mr. Arthur Wimperis, who has written the lyrics, will one day do considerable things. These are the best lyrics we have had for some time. There is a touch of real poetry in such pieces as "When the pipes of Pan are calling," and there is plenty of humour in many of the others. I have no doubt that "The Arcadians" have come to stay. I should mention, by the way, that the Shaftesbury Theatre has now been entirely reconstructed. It Is no longer a cave of the winds, but a very pretty, comfortable, and luxurious house. I hardly recognised it when I entered it the other evening, so great is the improvement.

Truth (London), Wednesday, 5 May 1909, pp.1064-65

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OPERA—GRAND AND OTHERWISE

The Arcadians. A new fantastic musical at the Shaftesbury. Book by Mark Ambient and A. M. Thompson. Lyrics by Arthur Wimperis, Music by Lionel Monckton and Howard Talbot

Although the two entertainments are alike in being British, they differ greatly in other respects. The first performance of A Persian Princess was one of the most trying I remember at a musical play, which is saying a good deal; that of The Arcadians was certainly the best, proving that it is not necessary to go on rehearsing and writing and tinkering at the work during the course of its run. A Persian Princess is almost without an idea though Mr. Sidney Jones's music is pretty. It has a poor story to tell, namely, that of a princess (Miss Vincent) who is to be married to the son of a decrepit king (Mr. Graves), and who, in order to see what he is like comes in masquerade to his father's kingdom and is sold as a slave. The production is really based on the belief that what the public want is a funny man. These musical comedy first nights are rarely inspiring, and Mr. Graves may be justified in taking up a cynical attitude, for he has read denunciations of a first-night production and seen the same run hundreds of nights, but I am tempted to enter my caveat in view of the excellence of The Arcadians at the other end of the street. To begin with it contains the germ of an idea though, of course, not worked out in the masterly way that Sir William Gilbert would have done but what is far more to the point is the fact that the entertainment bears traces at every point of patient thought that does not necessarily involve uninspired work and of a sincere respect for the intelligence, the time, and the pockets of the public. Mr Robert Courtneidge is one of the few approaches that we have to the old Savoy regime, for he dominates everything though in a wholly unobtrusive fashion. An enormous worker himself, he insists that everybody else should give of the best that is in him or her, but happily never too much of it, so that though he has such excellent comedians he does not allow them to submerge everybody else, and he so thoroughly understands what his artists are capable of that Miss Phyllis Dare has never done anything half so good as a young Irish girl in The Arcadians. She has made a great advance in her art. Everybody in the cast works with an artistic will to give us all a very pleasant evening. The idea is the ascent of Mr. Smith, a London tradesman, in an airship into Arcadia, his rejuvenescence by immersion into the Well of Truth, and his return to earth as an Arcadian himself, accompanied by the other members of that delightful community. Freed from the trammels of his whiskers and disguised as a boy, he makes love to his own wife, a good-humoured vulgarian, while many other ingenious incidents are grafted on to the main story, notably Mr. Alfred Lester as a jockey, who started life with the winning ways of a child and ended it by never winning a race. The setting, which is fortunately in three acts instead of the regulation two (with their very dreary opening of 1½ hours), is extremely beautiful, especially the second act, which shows flowered terraces on the right and a racecourse track on the left. The skill which Mr. Courtneidge has displayed is more than equal to that of any other London manager. Moreover, he has got together a capital company, laughter lying with Mr. Lester as a jockey, Mr. Dan Rolyat as a tradesman, and Miss Ada Blanche as his wife, and charm with Miss Florence Smithson, who not only sings beautifully but can strike a pathetic note, and with Miss Phyllis Dare. A new tenor has been discovered in the person of Mr. Pearce, who though appearing on sudden notice in the place of Mr. Welchman made an instant conquest by his brave bearing and his manly voice. The verses by Mr. Arthur Wimperis are distinctly above the average, but they lack the authority of the Gilbertian lyric, and unhappily they have to be spoken by a generation which has practically lost the gift of enunciation such as made the Savoyards a pleasure to listen to.

The Sphere – Saturday, 8 May 1909, p.132

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Doody aghast at Mrs. Smith

Jack requests 'two peaches' from Doody

Doody delivers the 'two peaches'

AT THE PLAY

“THE ARCADIANS,” AT THE SHAFTESBURY THEATRE.

THAT this fantastic play will count as one of the chief successes of the season is hardly a matter for doubt. If only for its first act, with its exquisite scene laid in Arcadia, the piece would be well worth seeing. Nothing more genuinely fanciful could be imagined, with its crowd of pretty girls, clad in the lightest of frocks and dancing gracefully, unhampered by shoe or stocking, on the grassy slopes. Following upon the arrival, in an airship, of James Smith, a caterer from London, the course of affairs runs, however, by no means so smoothly, and when Father Time pays one of hie rare visits, he is induced to take back to London not only Smith, who, having been dipped in the well of Truth, has become rejuvenated, and greatly altered in appearance, but a contingent of attractive feminine Arcadians. They land at Askwood, where a race meeting is being held. Smith is persuaded to assume the role of jockey, and the race in which he rides is described from start to finish by the onlookers in exciting fashion. Finally we see the Arcadian Restaurant, which Smith's wife—who has not recognised her spouse under altered conditions—is running with the aid of the Arcadians, who have become the talk of the town, and before the end is reached the hands are joined of an interesting pair of young lovers. Much above the average is the music supplied by Mr. Lionel Monckton and Mr. Howard Talbot. Not only are the melodies attractive, but the orchestral accompaniments have been cleverly and effectively planned. Mr. Monckton supplies Miss Florence Smithson, the chief Arcadian, with a dainty and taking ditty, pastoral in style, called “The Pipes of Pan,” while for Miss Phyllis Dare he has composed two agreeable songs, ““The Girl with a Brogue,” which has a genuine Hibernian flavour, and “Bring Me a Rose,” an eminently singable ditty. Among the most pleasing of Mr. Howard Talbot’s numbers are a charming song, “Light is my Heart,” which enables Miss Smithson to call attention to the exceptional range of her high soprano voice, a catchy duet, “Half-past Two," and a piquant ditty, “I like London,” allotted to Miss May Kinder. The part of an Irish damsel is played by Miss Dare with grace and charm, and her singing is as pleasing and refined as ever. Miss Smithson has never before been so well suited, and her Sombra is quite admirable, while Miss Kinder is another delightful Arcadian. As the knowing caterer, who is dubbed Simplicitas by the unsuspecting Arcadians, Mr. Dan Rolyat, though less acrobatic is not less amusing than on former occasions, and a mirth-provoking sketch of a lugubrious and unlucky jockey, whose mounts invariably finish down the course, is contributed by Mr. Alfred Lester. A word of praise is due to Mr. H. E. Pearce for his breezy impersonation of the lover whose troubles, amatory and equine, are ultimately overcome and to Miss Ada Blanche for her buoyant Mrs, Smith. Compliments are likewise due to Mr. Arthur Wimperis for his neatly turned lyrics.

Lady's Pictorial – Saturday, 8 May 1909, p.706

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THE DRAMA OF TO-DAY BY M. CLEMENT SCOTT.

"THE ARCADIANS."

How delightful! How enchanting! How tuneful! How charming! How picturesque and how well acted!

Such a combination is so rare nowadays that it is well to make the most of Mr. Robert Courineidge's exquisite production so happily named “The Arcadians," at the newly-decorated, cosy and now handsome Shaftesbury Theatre.

“Be natural; tell the truth and you'll he young and beautiful for ever," is the text the authors have selected around which to weave their Gilbertian web, and nothing more entertaining in the musical comedy world has been seen since the days of ''The Geisha," when all London flocked to see the glorious scenery with its almond tree groves and wisteria-clad "teahouses" of Japan. introduced for the first time with such extravagant profusion by George Edwardes, and to listen to the sweet singing of that gifted little artist, Marie Tempest.

In "The Arcadians" it is the youthful Florence Smithson who thrills everyone, by her beautiful, pure, true and sympathetic voice; those soft top notes of hers are worthy of a prima donna; small wonder then, that her melodious numbers are rapturously encored.

Lionel Monckton and Howard Talbot seem to have inspired each other with delicious harmonies, for certainly these two composers have never turned out better or more graceful work, and where is it possible to find comedians quainter, more original, and in greater contrast than Dan Rolyat, who literally makes the theatre hum with laughter whenever he appears upon the scene, and Alfred tester with his deadly serious, and sentimental style of humour.

Phyllis Dare is pretty, she is young, and she sings and dances cleverly. and Ada Blanche doesn't look a day older than when I last saw her at--well, never mind, but time has dealt very gently with her anyway. "The Arcadians” is, from start to finish, an entertainment full of fun, infinite variety, and alluring attractiveness; and the gorgeous display of colour and movement in the wonderful scenes will linger long in the memory of all who go to see this entrancing show in Shaftesbury Avenue.

John Bull (London), Saturday, 8 May 1909, p.551

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 Florence & Phyllis

The Play Pictorial 

THE DRAMA. By J.T. Grein

‘“THE ARCADIANS.” AT THE SHAFTESBURY THEATRE.

THAT a musical comedy need not necessarily be devoid of plot and coherency, that it may be distinguished by flights of fancy and imagination and yet be vastly amusing on popular lines, is proved by “The Arcadians,” which Mr. Robert Courtneidge produced with great success at the Shaftesbury Theatre. Messrs. Ambient and A. M. Thompson’s story, with its fairy elements, is to some extent reminiscent of Gilbertian librettos, and the lyrics supplied by Mr. Arthur Wimperis are often dainty, and certainly far above the average. The play opens in Arcadia, whose simple and beautiful denizens are much perturbed at tales which have reached their ears of a fearsome place called London, a place where people elect to dwell in cages of brick and stone, a place where—oh, terrible thought—the truth is often disregarded. But the Arcadians are to learn even more of this strange town and its inhabitants, for there presently arrives in an airship (which the Arcadians first believe to be a mammoth bird) one Mr. James Smith from London, who confirms all the rumours, aye, and discloses many more appalling facts. So much so, that Sombra, a charming Arcadian, feels it incumbent upon her to go forth to convert the benighted people of England, and especially to teach them the value of truth. Sombra sets out with some of her friends under the guidance of Mr. James Smith, now transformed into Simplicitas, and the party arrive at Askwood Races, naturally causing something of a sensation. Sombra’s adventures at Askwood, where she, who understands the language of horses, is able to persuade a rank outsider to win the big race, and subsequent developments in an Arcadian restaurant occupy the second and third acts. It will be seen from this slight outline of the plot that it offers plenty of scope for fantasy and humour, and the librettists have made good use of their material. The composers— Messrs. Lionel Monckton and Howard Talbot—have caught the spirit of the thing; their music is generally melodious, graceful and well orchestrated, while some of their numbers will undoubtedly win a lasting popularity. The interpretation, too, is one of all-round excellence. Mr. Dan Rolyat as Simplicitas, alias James Smith, is joie de vivre personified. With unflagging energy and high spirits he carries the play along, and keeps the audience in a constant murmur of merriment, which at every moment swells into a veritable roar of laughter. In sharp and very effective contrast to the boisterous Smith is the jockey of Mr. Alfred Lester, whose peculiarly dry humour made a great hit. Very charming as Eileen Cavanagh is Miss Phyllis Dare. This young lady’s acting begins to show marked improvement. The part of Sombra has been entrusted to Miss Florence Smithson, and a better choice could not have been made, for Miss Smithson allies good vocal powers to graceful acting, and realises the elfin attributes of the fair Arcadian to perfection. The play has been staged with a lavish and artistic hand. The opening act in Arcadia is beautiful both in colouring and design, and the second act, besides its realistic setting, is remarkable for a clever representation of a big crowd watching a race. In short, "The Arcadians" fully deserved the enthusiastic reception accorded to it. It is to be hoped that the public will endorse the verdict of the first-night audience, and will prove by its support that it can appreciate progress in the realm of light opera as well as in the dramatic world.

The Ladies' Field (London), Saturday 22 May 1909, p.448

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 LONDON REVIVAL

 The Arcadians was revived at the Shaftesbury Theatre on 20 May 1915 with the following principal cast members: 

James Smith/Simplicitas – Dan Agar; Sombra – Hope Charteris; Chrysea – Hetta Kelly; Father Time – George Elton; Eileen Cavanagh – Cicely Courtneidge; Jack Meadows – Harry Welchman; Peter Doody – Alfred Lester; Bobby – Jack Hulbert; Mrs. Smith – Gwen Clifford and Sir George Paddock – Ambrose Manning.

The production team largely remained the same as for its original London staging, and while The Times critic intimated that revisions and ''accretions" had taken place as a result of provincial tours, the critic for The Westminster Gazette reported that: “It has been staged and mounted with all the taste and lavishness which have long since come to be associated with Mr. Courtneidge's productions, and if it does not meet once again with the unstinting approval of the public it will certainly be surprising”. However, despite Harry Welchman and Alfred Lester returning to play their original roles and featuring husband and wife, Jack Hulbert and Cicely Courtneidge, the revival was not a success and was withdrawn after playing out 31 performances over four and a half weeks, closing on 19 June.

Although Robert Courtneidge continued to stage revivals of The Arcadians in the British provinces throughout the 1920s, Sombra and Chrysea had apparently become disillusioned in their attempts to reform the wicked Londoners and so, after the failure of the 1915 revival, they haven't been seen in the West End since!

 Edmund Dulac's depiction of Sombra and Chrysea departing Arcadia for London with Simplicitas and Old Father Time