The reviewer in the Glasgow Herald (15 March) gave some details.
"Falstaff made many jokes, but the joke he probably enjoyed most himself was that he had lost his voice singing anthems. One wonders what the old knight would have saidif he had been told that one day he would sing in opera, and have a part, too, as fat as his own body. Only shakespeare could find adequate words for his surprise and incderulity. Yet Falstaff sings before the footlights, and sings well. Verdi has given him an opera almost entirely to himself, an opera that one hears far too seldom. Nicolai, in the Merry Wives of Windsor, shows little of the Italian composer's gift of harmonisation, but he has nevertheless written a charming little work. The Carl Rosa Company advertised last night's performance in the Theatre Royal as a 'revival'. Operas, however, have to be at least partly dead before they can be revived, and the Merry Wives of Windsor has had many performances in Glasgow during comparatively recent years. The bright overture is, of course, well known in concert-room, theatre and picture house. One need not therefore again describe the opera as dead. The librettist follow up of the play as cosely as operatic conventions will allow, and the composer accompanies him with tuneful, well made, and well scored music. The Merry Wives of Windsor is an attractive opera in the lighter style, and last night's crowded audience, needless to say, enjoyed it thoroughly."
"Mr Winckworth again gave his broad study of Falstaff. Miss Beatrice Miranda and Miss Phyllis Archibald were the merry wives, and both sang and acted with great spirit; Miss Miranda was specially good...the opera was well staged, and had obviously been well rehearsed. Mr conducted
The touring schedule for Scotland during the year 1918 was as follows:-
The season consisted two weeks at Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum, then four weeks at Glasgow’s Theatre Royal. Following a break of two months or so, the company returned to Glasgow for four weeks and finally a week back at the Royal Lyceum.
w/c Mon 18 Feb Tannhauser; Tue Carmen; Wed Madam Butterfly; Thu Faust; Fri Bohème; Sat m Tales of Hoffmann; Sat e Maritana.
w/c Mon 25 Feb Cav and Pag; Tue Bohème; Wed Merry Wives of Windsor; Thu Tales of Hoffmann; Fri Mignon; Sat m Madam Butterfly; Sat e Trovatore.
w/c Mon 4 Mar Carmen; Tue Tannhauser; Wed Bohème; Thu Faust; Fri Madam Butterfly; Sat m Tales of Hoffmann; Sat e Trovatore.
w/c Mon 11 Mar Cav and Pag; Tue Mignon; Wed Tales of Hoffmann; Thu Merry Wives of Windsor; Fri Bohème; Sat m Madam Butterfly; Sat e Maritana.
w/c Mon 18 Mar Tannhauser; Tue Bohème; Wed Trovatore; Thu Tales of Hoffmann; Fri Jeanie Deans; Sat m Carmen; Sat e Faust.
w/c Mon 25 Mar Madam Butterfly; Tue Carmen; Wed Jeanie Deans; Thu Cav and Pag; Fri Mignon; Sat m Tannhauser; Sat e Bohemian Girl.
w/c Mon 24 Jun Tannhauser; Tue Bohème; Wed Tales of Hoffmann; Thu Don Giovanni; Fri Carmen; Sat m Madam Butterfly; Sat e Trovatore.
w/c Mon 1 Jul Jeanie Deans; Tue Cav and Pag; Wed Mignon; Thu Madam Butterfly; Fri Marriage of Figaro; Sat m Tales of Hoffmann; Sat e Faust.
w/c Mon 8 Jul Merry Wives of Windsor; Tue Madam Butterfly; Wed Don Giovanni; Thu Dante and Beatriceand Pagliacci; Fri Tannhauser; Sat m Jeanie Deans; Sat e Carmen.
w/c Mon 15 Jul Mignon; Tue Faust; Wed Tannhauser; Thu Rigoletto; Fri Dante and Beatrice and Pagliacci; Sat m Bohème; Sat e Tales of Hoffmann.
w/c Mon 22 Jul Carmen; Tue Dante and Beatrice and Pagliacci; Wed Jeanie Deans; Thu Tales of Hoffmann; Fri Don Giovanni; Sat m Madam Butterfly; Sat e Maritana
Our archivist has been unable to find a programme or review of the single perforamance of Bohemian Girl given on the tour (Saturday 30 March)
Eleven weeks @ seven performances seventy-seven.
Nine Madam Butterfly; Tales of Hoffmann
Seven Carmen; Bohème; Tannhauser.
Five Jeanie Deans; Mignon; Faust
Four Cav and Pag; Trovatore
Three Maritana; Don Giovanni; Dante and Beatrice and Pagliacci; Merry Wives of Windsor
One Rigoletto; Bohemian Girl; Marriage of Figaro
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