Frankenstein, or The Vampire's Victim
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| Frankenstein | |
| or The Vampire's Victim | |
 |
|
| Sheet music cover | |
|---|---|
| Music | Meyer Lutz |
| Lyrics | Richard Butler Henry Chance Newton |
| Book | Richard Butler Henry Chance Newton |
| Productions | 1887 West End |
Frankenstein, or The Vampire's Victim (sometimes called Frankenstein, or The Model Man) is a musical burlesque written by Richard Henry (a pseudonym of Richard Butler and Henry Chance Newton). The music was composed by Meyer Lutz. The piece is a burlesque of the Mary Shelley novel Frankenstein and the Adelphi Theatre drama based on the novel.
John Hollingshead ran the Gaiety Theatre from 1868 to 1886 as a venue for variety, continental operetta, light comedy, and numerous musical burlesques, like Frankenstein, composed or arranged by the theatre's music director, Wilhelm Meyer Lutz. Nellie Farren, the theatre's "principal boy" and Fred Leslie starred at the theatre for over 20 years.[1] Hollingshead called himself a "licensed dealer in legs, short skirts, French adaptations, Shakespeare, taste and musical glasses."[2] George Edwardes took over management of the theatre in 1886, first presenting burlesques, and later moving the theatre to the new genre of Edwardian musical comedy.
Opening at the Gaiety Theatre, London on 24 December 1887, the production was a flop, closing after a week. It starred Nellie Farren as a female Dr. Frankenstein and Fred Leslie as a monster who is in touch with his feminine side. The Victorian audiences found the piece too feminist in tone. In addition, the public was annoyed at George Edwardes, who had reduced the size of the inexpensive "pit" in favour of more "stalls".[3] The piece also featured Marion Hood, E. J. Lonnen, Emily Cross, Sylvia Grey, Sybil Grey, the dancer John D'Augan, and Frank Thornton.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Stewart, Maurice. 'The spark that lit the bonfire', in Gilbert and Sullivan News (London) Spring 2003.
- ^ Arthur Lloyd Music Hall site (on Gaiety) Cuttings accessed 01 Mar 2007
- ^ Hollingshead, John. Good Old Gaiety (1903) London, p. 55
[edit] References
- Information about versions of Frankenstein, including this burlesque
- Hollingshead, John. Good Old Gaiety: An Historiette & Remembrance, p. 14 (1903) London:Gaity Theatre Co
- Hollingshead, John. Gaiety Chronicles (1898) A. Constable & co.: London (available online here)
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