M R . A N D M R S . COPPIN'S D E B U T
Was indicated to the Melbournians by the following announcement :— QUEEN'S THEATRE ROYAL, QUEEN STREET, MELBOURNE. The Proprietor is happy to announce to his friends and the public generally, that he has entered into an arrangement with Mr. Coppin and the entire of his Corps Dramatique to Perform alternate nights yvith the present Company, for one month only, trusting the greatest combination of talent ever witnessed in any of the colonies will receive the patronage and support it will ever be his study to deserve. O N S A T U R D A Y E V E N I N G , 2IST J U N E , 1845. The Entertainments will commence with Sir E. Lytton Bulwer's celebrated play infiveacts, entitled the
L A D Y OF L Y O N S ! Claude Melnotte - Mr. Charles Young. Colonel D u m a s - M r Rogers. Beauseant - M r Thompson. Glavis - Mr. Coppin. Mons. Deschappelles - Mr. Watson. Pauline - Mrs. Coppin. M a d a m e Deschappelles - Mrs. Watson. Previous to the Tlay and during the evening, the Band will play— Overture—" Italian in Algero"—Rossini.—Overture—" Fra Diavolo "—Auber.—Quadrille—" Royal Irish "—Julien. Wreath Dance, by Mrs. Y o u n g . — S o n g — " Should H e Upbraid " — M r s . Rogers.—Comic Song by Mr. Hambleton. Mr. and Mrs. C. Young will then dance the "Tarantella" in the costume ofthe country. T o be followed by an entirely new interlude, never acted here, called
TIIE F O U R SISTERS. A n entirely new Comic Double Irish Jig, by M r . and Mrs. Charles Young. T h e whole to conclude yvith the very laughable Farce of the
T U R N P I K E GATE. Crack, the Cobbler
-
-
Mr. Coppin.
Joe Standfast
-
-
Mr. Rogers.
Nights of performance during the present month :—Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Prices for the season as follow :-The Dress Circle, 5s ; half-price, 2s. 6d. Upper Circle 3s.; half-price, is. 6d. Pit, 2S.; half-price, is. Gallery, is. ; no half-price. Doors to open at half-past Six. Performance to commence at Seven o'clock precisely. Proprietor, Mr. Smith ; Stage Manager, Mr. Nesbitt ; Mechanist, Mr. Capper.
The acting of the Coppins, the Youngs, and Rogers, was quite a treat to the community, where hitherto anything approaching dramatic efficiency was the exception, whilst Coppin in his Crack impersonation m a d e a hit such as yvas never before known in the Province. T h e newspapers of the period were neither profuse nor particular in their critical notices, and I find in one of them this business-like semi-apologetic paragraph referring to the event :-" W e intended to-day writing a full critique upon the performances by Mr. Coppin's company on Saturday evening: but the important wool sales and other more "staple" articles compel us to be very brief in our remarks W e have only room to say that Mrs. Coppin is decidedly the best actress by many degrees that ever trod the Australian stage • that her husband in low comedy-his forte, was irresistible, and that his company altogether is very'respectable, and worthy of the patronage which, w e feel assured, the Melbourne public are ready to award to dramatic merit." Coppin's first appearance obtained the substantial compliment of a bumper attendance and the reception accorded the newcomers was all that could be desired. Their second appearance was on the 24th in the comedy of " T h e Soldiers Daughter" ; but Coppin, according to the scribes, "did not show at his best" yvhile Mrs. Coppin yvas a "tremendous success" as the Widow Cheerly. Rogers absolutely stormed'the place by his spirited delineation of Governor Heartall, and Mr. Young's "acting was far from being as good as his dancing." A s for Megson, he had "become musically acquainted with the people, and his violin solo was m u c h admired."
