PANTOMIME SCRIPT REVIEW Genevieve de Brabant

There is a short list of copyright expired pantomimes held in Australian National Library and probably a few in state libraries. Short titles are used. Surviving Australian works of a prolific pantomime author Garnet Walch (1843-1913) have yet to be digitized for viewing on-line. Productions should obtain clearance and reference the source. His version of "Blue Beard : A Christmas Grotesque" (1872) has recently been lost forever. Understandably, holdings of his remaining works are not for loan. Full biography http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/walch-garnet-1095 "Genevieve de Brabant" (1850's) by Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880) adapted by Garnet Walch (1843-1913) http://nla.gov.au/nla.aus-vn5282904 Nine Female, Six male in original cast (although gender somewhat irrelevant) This full length pantomime includes ten songs which could be spoken. Entirely concerned with "Sing a song of sixpence". The nursery rhyme is based on the legend of Genevieve, a woman of troublesome beauty whose crusader husband opened the pie. It details their parlour full of knaves and the laundry maid. The dialogue contains many funny lines and references to Australia. Could be played with a stern edit, or at least deserves a read. The photocopy is several generations old and defies text conversion. My favourite line is the recipe for the blackbird pie - "Bacon grown in famed Westphalia, [to audience] and what will interest you, Tin-canned mutton from Australia, spiced with Reckitt's real french blue [soap]." An off-line Libretto Burlesque "A froggee would a wooing go" by W. Brough adapted by Garnet Walch (1843-1913) An off line Novel "The seven rovers: a rollicking record of pleasure, privation, and peril" (1884) by Garnet Walch (1843-1913) A very aged anonymous title "The death of Captain Cook" http://nla.gov.au/nla.aus-vn1599183 This is more an English description of the performance competitively staged by the French. A rival piece like Miss Saigon, Madame Butterfly or Lakme, intended to show up the short-comings of the enemy. The lead character 'Emai' sounds suspiciously like the title "Omai" of a later, more succesful British-tralian panto. There is no dialogue and a huge amount of work to develop the thin content. Originally a ballet. Do not waste your time with two 1860's panomime by William M. Akhurst (1822-1878) "The house that Jack Built" and "Jack Sheppard". Historically significant mix of yearning homesickness and larrakin defiance about English roots and a convict...surprise surprsie. Redlolent of racism, badly rhymed couplets make a yawnful read. Coming Soon - royalty free Aladdin review