THE
LAUNCESTON COMPANY,
As it was styled, yvas the first complete corps of the kind in-the colon)', and as a curious theatrical relic, I subjoin a document in reference to it, as supplied to m e by Mr. Coppin :— " C o p y of Agreement, Theatre, Launceston, V.D.L. March 30th, 1845. " W e , the undersigned, hereby agree to proceed to Melbourne per ship 'Swan' under the management of Mr. Coppin, to perform at the theatre for a season, and to return to Launceston if required, and bind ourselves under a penalty of £25 to be paid to the said George Coppin, that we will not perform at the theatre or any other place of amusement, unless it is under the management of Mr. Coppin, by his free will and consent. (Signed) M . H . R O G E R S and yvife, C H A R L E S Y O U N G and wife, M R S . T H O M P S O N , J. E. M E G S O N , * E. A. O P I E , J. H A M B L E T O N and wife, F. B. W A T S O N , W I L L I A M HoyvsoN,* A L F R E D H O W S O N , * J O H N W I L K S , B E N R A E . Witness : W I L L I A M B E L L , Captain of'Swan.'" Including Mr. and Mrs. Coppin, this little band of dramatists numbered amongst its members some yvho in after years took a high position in the profession. A s for Mr. Coppin himself, it is needless to write anything about him in Melbourne, yvhere he has shone so long and so brilliantly as afixed"star," and I will only add that he is the last of the old school of actors left in the colonies. His style is Listonian, and yvhen he appeared at the Haymarket Theatre, in London, he yvas compared to M u n d e n . Mrs. Coppin yvas the best leading actress, either in tragedy or comedy, that ever visited the Australian colonies. As Mrs. Watkins Burroughs she held a very high position as a " star" actress in London, Dublin, Cork, and Belfast yvhere herfirsthusband yvas manager for many years. In reference to some of the others, Mr. Coppin has favoured m e yvith the folloyving interesting m e m o . :— " Mr. Rogers arrived in V a n Diemen's Land as a c o m m o n soldier. At garrison entertainments he displayed so m u c h dramatic talent that a subscription yvas m a d e to purchase his discharge. H e then engaged yvith Mrs. Clark, manageress of the Hobart Toyvn Theatre, yvith yvhom he remained until I made up m y company for Launceston. After m y season there, I brought him over to Melbourne. His parents yvere so strictly religious that he yvas never inside a theatre until he arrived in the colonies, and therefore had not the advantages of Mr. Lambert, who studied his profession in the very best English school of acting. H e yvas an undoubted genius. His line of business yvas old men. Mr. Charles Young yvas a very versatile actor, and in his early days yvas equally good in tragedy, comedy, burlesque, and could sing and dance yvell. H e opened yvith m e in Melbourne as Claude Melnolte in the " Lady of Lyons." His line of business after leaving the colonies yvas loyv comedy and burlesque, etc.—a great favourite in London. Mrs. Charles Young, married in m y company, yvas a Miss Jones, and used to play small parts and dance between the pieces. B y study she became a leading actress. U p o n one of m y visits to England I was present at herfirstappearance in London at Sadlers' Wells Theatre yvith Mrs. Phelps in the character of Julia in the " Hunchback." She yvas a success, and afterwards became a very great favourite. She obtained a divorce from Mr. Young, and married Mr. H e r m a n Vezin. She is still playing in London so is her husband—as one of the very feyv leading tragedians of the present day. Strange to say, they never play together at the same theatre. Charles Young ended his days some years ago in the Sydney Lunatic Asylum, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers died in Melbourne, and Mrs. Watson, Mrs. Hambleton, and Mrs. Thompson have also passed away." There were now two dramatic corps in Melbourne—viz., the local and the Launceston, and it yvas soon publicly intimated that arrangements had been m a d e for the Launceston or Coppin Company to perform on two nights a week for a month; the other to play on alternate evenings, so that an agreeable variety was offered by what might be almost termed the rival companies. A s far as the teachings of theatres go, these two companies undoubtedly rendered good service (though possibly less to their constitutents than to themselves), until the changed and improved condition of Melbourne society created a further demand, and consequently increased competition.
• T h e names asterisked constituted the orchestra,
