EPHEMERA COLLECTION FINDING AID J.C. Williamson theatre programs Performing Arts Programs and Ephemera (PROMPT) Australian Collection Development James Cassius Williamson was an American actor who immigrated to Australia in the 1870s. Along with business partners, such as William Musgrove, his theatre company became one of the most dominant in colonial Australia. After his death in 1913 the company, now named J. C. Williamson Ltd. continued under the direction of George Tallis and the Tait brothers (who remained involved in the company until the 1970s). J. C. Williamson continued to be one of the biggest theatre companies in Australia throughout the first three quarters of the 20th century. J. C. Williamson held the license for theatres in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and New Zealand (at times more than one theatre in each city). In 1976 the company closed, but the name was licensed until the mid 1980s. This list includes pantomimes held in J. C. Williamson theatres, as well as those produced by J. C. Williamson and performed in other theatres under venue hire arrangements. The list also includes libretti for overseas pantomime productions collected by J. C. Williamson for their corporate archive. Content Printed materials in the PROMPT collection include programs and printed ephemera such as brochures, leaflets, tickets, etc. Theatre programs are taken as the prime documentary evidence of a performance staged by the J.C. Williamson company. In a few cases however, the only evidence of a performance is a piece of printed ephemera. In these cases the type of piece is identified, eg, brochure. Please note that the list also includes programs for some films, as well as programs for overseas productions of plays collected by J. C. Williamson for their corporate archive. The list is based on imperfect holdings and is updated as gaps in the Library’s holdings for these artists are filled. Unless otherwise stated, all entries are based on published programs in the PROMPT collection. 1│361 www.nla.gov.au May 2012 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.1 Australia PROMPT EPHEMERA Collection Finding Aid J.C. Williamson theatre programs Access The J.C. Williamson PROMPT files may be accessed through the Library’s Petherick Reading Room by eCallslip request: http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat—vn3666467. Arrangement This list has three sections: . Productions produced by J. C. Williamson or produced in J. C. Williamson theatres . Ephemera related to films that J. C. Williamson was involved in or showed in their venues . Programs of overseas productions collected by J. C. Williamson The primary arrangement of this finding aid is alphabetical title of production (ie name of a play, musical or act). A small proportion of programs are listed the individual names of solo performaners or company name. All dates are based on evidence in the programs or ephemera, or have been confirmed by accessing newspaper articles and advertisements through Trove. Entries for each program in the main section are arranged as follows: Title of Production / creator if known Year Date (day and month) Theatre/Venue Headline performers Brief description of item holdings, ie ‚2 copies of program‛ An index to headline performers (listing performer’s name, year of appearance and venue), venue and production title is also provided at the end of the document. Other Library holdings relating to J.C. Williamson & Co. The National Library’s collection also includes: . Scrapbooks, journals and personal papers in the Records of J. C. Williamson 1874-1976; . scores for J. C. Williamson productions; . Pictures; 2│361 www.nla.gov.au May 2012 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.1 Australia PROMPT EPHEMERA Collection Finding Aid J.C. Williamson theatre programs . Broadsides relating to specific J. C. Williamson productions . Bound volumes of J. C. Williamson programs; and . Issues of the J. C. Williamson Ltd. Magazine See also separate PROMPT ephemera collection finding aids to: . J. C. Williamson pantomime programs . J.C. Williamson Gilbert and Sullivan operetta programs . J.C. Williamson grand opera, operetta, comic opera and light opera programs See also J.C. Williamson in the TROVE discovery service which includes performance reviews and advertisements in Australian newspaper and magazines as well as other archival and pictorial material. The Library has related holdings for individual actors who worked with J.C. Williamson & Co. in the performing arts programs and ephemera (PROMPT) sequence. www.nla.gov.au 3 361 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.1 Australia May 2012 PROMPT EPHEMERA Collection Finding Aid J.C. Williamson theatre programs 1776 / Peter Stone. Music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards — see also Australian newspaper and magazine coverage 1971 Season commencing 26 June Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne (Victoria) Starring Lewis Fiander 1 publicity poster 2 copies of program – advertisements differ photocopies of reviews from The Sun, The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald 1971 Season commencing 11 September Theatre Royal, Sydney (New South Wales) Starring Lewis Fiander 2 copies of program photocopies of reviews from the Sydney Morning Herald, The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Mirror and The Sun The 20’s and all that Jazz 1977 Season commencing 16 April Most likely Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne (Victoria) 1 souvenir pictorial program 3 Little Maids / Paul Reubens — see also Australian newspaper and magazine coverage 1904 Season commencing 14 May Princess Theatre, Melbourne (Victoria) 1 program – incomplete (single page only) Abbey Theatre Company Season— see also Australian newspaper and magazine coverage 1922 In the Shadow of the Glen The Building Fund The Workhouse Ward Season commencing 24 July Theatre Royal, Melbourne (Victoria) Starring Maire O’Neill 1 program Abie’s Irish Rose / Anne Nichols — see also Australian newspaper and magazine coverage 1926-7 Season commencing October Theatre Royal, Sydney (New South Wales) Starring Grace Stafford 2 copies of magazine program 1927 Season commencing 26 February Theatre Royal, Adelaide (South Australia) Starring Grace Stafford 1 program 4│361 www.nla.gov.au May 2012 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.1 Australia PROMPT EPHEMERA Collection Finding Aid J.C. Williamson theatre programs Adam and Eva / George Middleton and Guy Bolton — see also Australian newspaper and magazine coverage 1921 Season Commencing 9 July Theatre Royal, Sydney (New South Wales) Starring Mr Frank Harvey and Miss Maude Hanaford 2 different programs The Admirable Crichton / James M. Barrie — see also Australian newspaper and magazine coverage 1926 Season commencing 24 April The King’s Theatre, Melbourne (Victoria) Starring Angela Baddeley 2 copies of magazine program- advertisements differ, includes announcement of understudy, Miss Mary MacGregor performing as Tweeny 1926 Season Commencing 11 September Theatre Royal, Sydney (New South Wales) Starring Angela Baddeley 2 copies of magazine program Africa Dances Ballet Company 1965 Season commencing 30 August Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide (South Australia) 1 program After the Opera / Norah Keith — see also Australian newspaper and magazine coverage 1909 Season commencing 15 May Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne (Victoria) Starring Miss Ola Humphrey 1 program (centre page only) Ages of Man / George Ryland – see also Australian newspaper and magazine coverage 1963 Season commencing 13 November Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide (South Australia) Starring John Gielgud 1 program 1963 Season commencing 22 November Theatre Royal, Sydney (New South Wales) Starring John Gielgud 4 copies of program (one has review from Sydney Morning Herald pasted inside) 1 brochure 1 letter from G.H. Leary (theatre manager) regarding the show 1963 Season commencing 9 December Comedy Theatre, Melbourne (Victoria) www.nla.gov.au 5 361 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.1 Australia May 2012 PROMPT EPHEMERA Collection Finding Aid J.C. Williamson theatre programs Starring John Gielgud 1 program 1 booking form 1 leaflet Ah, Wilderness / Eugene O’Neill — see also Australian newspaper and magazine coverage 1960 Season commencing 15 June Her Majesty’s Theatre, Brisbane (Queensland) Starring Ron Haddrick 1 The Trust Players 1960 Season program L’aiglon / Edmond Rostand — see also Australian newspaper and magazine coverage 1904 Season commencing 8 October Her Majesty’s Theatre, Sydney (New South Wales) Starring Miss Tittell Brune 2 copies of pictorial program - covers differ. 1 magazine program 1904-5 Season commencing 24 December Princess’ Theatre, Melbourne (Victoria) Starring Miss Tittell Brune 2 programs – advertisements the same, but centre leaf slightly different 1917 Season commencing 6 October Theatre Royal, Melbourne (Victoria) Starring Kathlene MacDonell 2 copies of program 1917 Season commencing 3 November Criterion Theatre, Sydney (New South Wales) Starring Kathlene MacDonell 1 program The Alarm Clock / Avery Hopwood — see also Australian newspaper and magazine coverage 1928 Season commencing 4 February Theatre Royal, Adelaide (South Australia) Starring Basil Radford and Frank Bradley 1 program Alegrias de Espana – see also Australian newspaper and magazine coverage 1960 Season commencing 21 June Theatre Royal, Sydney (New South Wales) Gran Ballet Espanol 3 copies of program 1 publicity brochure 4 newspaper clippings (reviews) 6│361 www.nla.gov.au May 2012 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.1 Australia PROMPT