Sanger's amphitheatre - Evanion collection (1886) - BL

Robert Reece (2 May 1838 – 8 July 1891) was a British comic playwright and librettist active in the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwa ...

. He wrote many successful musical burlesques,

comic opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a n ...

s, farces and adaptations from the French, including the English-language adaptation of the operetta ''

Les cloches de Corneville ''Les cloches de Corneville'' (''The Bells of Corneville'', sometimes known in English as ''The Chimes of Normandy'') is an opéra-comique in three acts, composed by Robert Planquette to a libretto by Louis Clairville and Charles Gabet. The st ...

'', which became the longest-running piece of

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

in history up to that time. He sometimes collaborated with

Henry Brougham Farnie Henry Brougham Farnie (8 April 1836 – 21 September 1889), often called H. B. Farnie, was a British librettist and adapter of French operettas and an author. Some of his English-language versions of operettas became record-setting hits on the ...

or others.

Early life and career

Reece was born in the island of

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estima ...

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greate ...

. His father, Robert Reece (1808–1874), was a

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and givin ...

of the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and ...

. Reece matriculated from

Balliol College Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the ...

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

in 1857 and received his B.A. in 1860 and his M.A. in 1864. He was admitted a student at the Inner Temple in 1860 but was not

called to the bar The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received "call to ...

. For a short time he was a medical student. Between 1861 and 1863, he was an extra clerk in the office of the ecclesiastical commissioners, and from 1864 to 1868 an extra temporary clerk to the emigration commissioners. From the 1860s to the 1880s, Reece wrote comic pieces for the stage with fair success, often adapting three-act European operettas into two-act English-language pieces. He even scored a number of hits, including his adaptation of ''

'', which ran for over 700 performances in 1878–79, the longest run in the history of

up to that time. Reece's first professionally produced effort was the libretto of an operetta, ''Castle Grim'', with music by G. Allen, produced at the Royalty Theatre in 1865. Among his subsequent contributions to the same stage were the

burlesques A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

''Prometheus'' (1865), ''The Lady of the Lake'' (1866), and ''Whittington Junior and his Sensation Cat'' (1871, starring Fred Sullivan and Henrietta Hodson). He also wrote for the Royalty ''Dora's Device'', a comedietta (1871), ''Little Robin Hood'', a burlesque (1871), revived at the Gaiety Theatre (1882), and ''Paquita, or Love in a Trance'', a

with music by J. A. Mallandine (1871). At the Queen's Theatre, he produced ''The Stranger, stranger than Ever,'' a burlesque (1868). Another burlesque the same year at the

Prince of Wales's Theatre The Scala Theatre was a theatre in Charlotte Street, London, off Tottenham Court Road. The first theatre on the site opened in 1772, and the theatre was demolished in 1969, after being destroyed by fire. From 1865 to 1882, the theatre was kn ...

was ''Agamemnon and Cassandra''

Later years

He wrote many other burlesques for the

Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, on land owned by Thomas Brend and inherited by his son, Nicholas Brend, and ...

, the

Olympic Theatre The Olympic Theatre, sometimes known as the Royal Olympic Theatre, was a 19th-century London theatre, opened in 1806 and located at the junction of Drury Lane, Wych Street and Newcastle Street. The theatre specialised in comedies throughout ...

(including ''Richelieu'' in 1873 and ''Clockwork'' in 1877),Programme listings
the Vaudeville Theatre (including ''Green Old Age'', with music by

Frederic Clay Frederic Emes Clay (3 August 1838 – 24 November 1889) was an English composer known principally for songs and his music written for the stage. Although from a musical family, for 16 years Clay made his living as a civil servant in HM Treasury ...

, in 1874; and a burlesque, ''Ruy Blas Righted''), the Strand Theatre, and the Gaiety. At the Gaiety, he produced fourteen pieces between 1872 and 1884, among them the

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speakin ...

s ''Ali Baba'' (1872), ''Don Giovanni in Venice'' (1873), ''

The Forty Thieves ''The Forty Thieves'' is a "Pantomime Burlesque" written by Robert Reece, W. S. Gilbert, F. C. Burnand and Henry J. Byron, created in 1878 as a charity benefit, produced by the Beefsteak Club of London. The Beefsteak Club still meets in Irving ...

,'' (written with

F. C. Burnand Sir Francis Cowley Burnand (29 November 1836 – 21 April 1917), usually known as F. C. Burnand, was an English comic writer and prolific playwright, best known today as the librettist of Arthur Sullivan's opera '' Cox and Box''. The son of ...

H. J. Byron Henry James Byron (8 January 1835 – 11 April 1884) was a prolific English dramatist, as well as an editor, journalist, director, theatre manager, novelist and actor. After an abortive start at a medical career, Byron struggled as a provincial ...

and

W. S. Gilbert Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most fam ...

) (1878) and another version of the same story, with music by

Meyer Lutz Wilhelm Meyer Lutz (19 May 1829 – 31 January 1903) was a German-born British composer and conductor who is best known for light music, musical theatre and burlesques of well-known works. Emigrating to the UK at the age of 19, Lutz started as ...

in 1880; and the burlesques ''Aladdin,'' (1881); ''Little Robin Hood,'' (1882); and ''

Valentine and Orson ''Valentine and Orson'' is a romance which has been attached to the Carolingian cycle. Synopsis It is the story of twin brothers, abandoned in the woods in infancy. Valentine is brought up as a knight at the court of Pepin, while Orson grows up ...

,'' (1882). He collaborated with

on 15 libretti or adaptations and occasionally joined with other dramatic writers. With Farnie, for the Folly Theatre in London, he wrote ''Up the River, or the Strict Kew-Tea'' (1877); ''Stars and Garters'' (1878); his biggest success, ''

'' (1878); and ''The Creole''. For the

Comedy Theatre The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011,

, he wrote ''Boccaccio'', with music by Franz von Suppé (1882). He also wrote the successful burlesque, ''Carmen; or Sold for a Song'' (1879) for the Folly Theatre. ''The Highest Bidder'' played in New York in 1887, starring

E. H. Sothern Edward Hugh Sothern (December 6, 1859 – October 28, 1933) was an American actor who specialized in dashing, romantic leading roles and particularly in Shakespeare roles. Biography Sothern was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the son of English ...

.Information about ''The Highest Bidder'' from the IBDB database
/ref> In 1875, he wrote ''Cattarina'', a comic opera with music by Frederic Clay, produced at the Charing Cross Theatre, and in 1879 he wrote the comic opera ''La Petite Mademoiselle'', together with

Henry Sambrooke Leigh Henry Sambrooke Leigh (29 March 1837 – 16 June 1883) was an English writer and playwright. Biography Leigh, son of James Mathews Leigh, was born in London on 29 March 1837. At an early age he engaged in literary pursuits. From time to time app ...

, for the

Alhambra Theatre The Alhambra was a popular theatre and music hall located on the east side of Leicester Square, in the West End theatre, West End of London. It was built originally as the Royal Panopticon of Science and Arts opening on 18 March 1854. It was clo ...

. Also for the Alhambra, in 1881 he wrote an English-language adaptation of ''Jeanne, Jeannette and Jeanneton'', a grand opera by P. Lacome after an original libretto by Clairville & Delacour. Despite all of his successful work, Reece fell on hard times in the 1880s. He died in London at the age of 53 and was buried in

Kensal Green Cemetery Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in the Kensal Green area of Queens Park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. Inspired by Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, it was founded by the barrister George Frederick ...

Notes

References

* ''

Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News The ''Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News'' was a British weekly magazine founded in 1874 and published in London. In 1945 it changed its name to the ''Sport and Country'', and in 1957 to the ''Farm and Country'', before closing in 1970. His ...

'', 1881, xvi. 357, with portrait * ''Archer's English Dramatists of To-day'', 1882, pp. 289–93 * ''Saturday Programme'', 25 October 1876, pp. 3–4, with portrait * ''

Illustrated London News ''The Illustrated London News'' appeared first on Saturday 14 May 1842, as the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine. Founded by Herbert Ingram, it appeared weekly until 1971, then less frequently thereafter, and ceased publication i ...

'', 18 July 1891, p. 71, with portrait * ''Era'', 11 July 1891, p. 9 * ''Figaro'', 18 July 1891, p. 14, with portrait * B. Ian Chard's ''Life and Reminiscence''s, 1891, i.314, &c., ii. 364, 724 * Morton's ''Plays for Home Performers'', 1889, p. xi ;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Reece, Robert 1838 births 1891 deaths British dramatists and playwrights People associated with Gilbert and Sullivan British male dramatists and playwrights 19th-century British dramatists and playwrights 19th-century British male writers