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Dickens and the Drama

Fitz-Gerald, S. J. Adair. Dickens and the Drama. London: Chapman & Hall, 1910.
Type: 
book
Genre: 
history, literary criticism

People Mentioned in this Work

Brougham, John [pages:148,218-19,226-27,233,237]

"At the Opera Comique, in 1884, another dramatisation [of The Old Curiosity Shop] was done, of which Charles Dickens the younger wrote: 'An adaptation of my own, which was produced at the Opera Comique in January 12th, 1884, was deprived of any merit it may have possessed by the interpolation by the American lady [Lotta Crabtree] for whom I wrote the piece (she doubled Nell and the Marchioness) of a preposterous act from a ridiculous version by Mr. John Brougham, which she had been accustomed to play in the States'" (148).

Brougham wrote his own adaptation of a drama Dickens wrote in collaboration with Wilkie Collins, A Message from the Sea: A Drama in Three Acts. "It was in four acts and was first performed in America in 1860, and in London at the Britannia Theatre in 1861, and I fancy it has often been revived at various outlying theatres, though I have no exact data to go upon. There are thirteen characters in John Brougham's production [as opposed to the nine of Dickens's and Collins's original], and as many scenes [as opposed to the three of the original]. It reads well. At the Britannia the players were Messrs. F. Wilton, F. Marchant, J. Reynolds, T. G. Drummond, S. Sidney, W. Crawford, M. Smythson, and D. Stewart; Mrs. W. Newham, Miss E. Clayton, and Mrs. E. Yarnold" (218-19).

"John Brougham provided a four-act drama called 'Dombey and Son' for Burton's Theatre, New York, in 1848, as soon as the work was issued in its completed form, and undertook the part of Major Bagstock and Jack Bunsby himself, while his wife played Susan Nipper. Mr. W.E. Burton, the proprietor of the theatre, was the Captain Cuttle, and Mrs. Burton, Florence Dombey. Joseph Jefferson, in his 'Autobiography', says: 'The production at Burton's Theatre of 'Dombey and Son', by Mr. Brougham, was a curious combination of failure and success. Much was expected of Burton's Captain Cuttle, and to the surprise of the expectant critics and of Burton himself he did nothing with it'. . . . [Burton] went to work to study the part properly and made a magnificent hit, and according to Jefferson he was 'perfect' in a new version which he and Brougham concocted together. This version, published by French, soon got to London, and was acted 'everywhere'. Then Brougham set to work and made another play which was called 'Captain Cuttle', a comic drama in one act, being more scenes from the novel of 'Dombey and Son'. This went into the bills of Burton's Theatre, New York, January 14th, 1850, and was a complete success. Different scenes were relied upon, and the whole of the MacStinger family were introduced. W. E. Burton was, of course, Captain Cuttle; John Brougham, Jack Bunsby; Mrs. Vernon, Mrs. MacStinger; Mrs. Brougham, The Nipper; and Oliver Raymond in his creation of Toots. The late Sir Henry Irving played Mr. Dombey in this drama when it was first presented in Manchester in 1867" (226-27).

"The eldest son of Charles Dickens wrote a few years since: 'Of stage versions of '[David] Copperfield' there appear to have been only two of any importance; one by the customary John Brougham, which was played in America, and one by Andrew Halliday" (233). "John Brougham's adaptation [of David Copperfield] was presented at his own Lyceum Theatre, New York, January 6th, 1851, with a comprehensive American cast. It was called 'David Copperfield', and Mr. Brougham played Micawber" (237).

Jefferson, Joseph [pages:139,204,226,242]

"When 'Nicholas Nickelby' was first acted in America, Joseph Jefferson made a great impression as Newman Noggs" (139).

"Dion Boucicault's version [of 'Dot', an adaptation of Dickens's Cricket on the Hearth] was done afterwards [after 1866] in New York at the Winter Garden Theatre, with . . . Joseph Jefferson (later to be famous as Rip Van Winkle) as Caleb Plummer" (204).

"Joseph Jefferson, in his 'Autobiography', says: 'The production [of Dombey and Son] at Burton's Theatre of 'Dombey and Son', by Mr. Brougham, was a curious combination of failure and success. Much was expected of Burton's Captain Cuttle, and to the surprise of the expectant critics and of Burton himself he did nothing with it'. . . .[Burton] went to work to study the part properly and made a magnificent hit, and according to Jefferson he was 'perfect' in a new version which he and Brougham concocted together. This version, published by French, soon got to London, and was acted 'everywhere'" (226).

Jefferson did the best Rip Van Winkle until 1884, when Fred Storey surpassed him (242).

Nelson, Annette [pages:226-27]

"John Brougham provided a four-act drama called 'Dombey and Son' for Burton's Theatre, New York, in 1848, as soon as the work was issued in its completed form, and undertook the part of Major Bagstock and Jack Bunsby himself, while his wife [Annette Nelson] played Susan Nipper" (226). She reprised the role in "Captain Cuttle," a one-act based on Dombey and Son that ran at Burton's Theatre in New York City beginning on January 14th, 1850, and was, according to Fitz-Gerald, "a complete success" (227).