Fred Karno, after being asked, "Who are your
star comedians?" is quoted
as replying: "My name's up there, and that's good enough." But that
wasn't
always the case. There was a period, between December 1907 and August
1908
when the names of ALL the artistes appearing with the various Karno
productions,
were named in THE STAGE newspaper.
THE STAGE
- 4 June 1908
CALLS FOR
MONDAY, JUNE 8th,
1908
OXFORD
“The
Bailiff”
and
CANTERBURY
“Moses
and Son”
Messrs.
Fred Kitchen, Albert Bruno, Herbert Landeck,
Gipsy Dolin, Georgie Dolin,
Montague Williams, Jack Colet, Arthur
Austin, Tom Curtis, W. Davis, Nat Goodman, Phil Sinclair, Dave Asher,
W. Lee, Phil Davis, Geo. Cooper, Harold Wellesley, Ad. Smith, Alf
Weiner, A. Sprongson, John Samels, Misses Kate Forster, Madge Beckingham, Louis Arnold, Kathleen Boyd,
Evangeline Howard, Kitty Hyde, Alice Waters, Florrie
Dumfries, Jessie Crammond, Dorothy Denton,
May Purslow, Eva Hermance,
Marie Gould, Annie Asher, Lydin Weber,
Vera Gilda, Ethel Adams, and Aggie Morris.
Stage Manager, W. H. MORGAN –
Musical Director, DUDLEY POWELL
[N.B. The same company would have played both
venues.]
-----0-----
NEW
YORK – Klaw
and Erlanger Circuit
“Mumming
Birds”
Messrs. Billie Reeves, George Welch, Will Stanley,
Charles Emerald, Jack Osborne, Will Crackles, Jimmy Aubrey, W. Fern, Bert Clark, Misses Mabelle Welsh, Ninna
Dixon, Amy Minister
Manager, MR. A. REEVES.
-----0-----
ABERTILLERY
PAVILION
“Mumming
Birds”
Messrs.
Albert Weston, Bob Lewis, Bert Williams, Ernest Stone,
George Farnley, Dan Hendy, Harry Daniels,
Jimmy Beresford, Harry E. Howe, E. Waller, S. Harris, George
Seaman, Sam Poluski jun., Misses Amy Forrest, Phyllis Stuart, Elsa Nicholson, Lila Kemp, Ada Innes, Daisy
Lewis.
Manager, ARTHUR FORREST.
-----0-----
OLYMPIA,
SHOREDITCH
“The
Casuals”
and
HIPPODROME,
POPLAR
“Mumming
Birds”
Sydney
Chaplin, Jimmy Russell,
Johnny Doyle, Albert Darnley, Charles
Chaplin, Chas. Sewell, George Craig, Jack Royal, Frank
Melroyd, Billy Moran, John Hoare,
Will Amstell, Misses Sara Dudley, Louie
Dean, Rosie Mayville, Lillie Craig, Rosa Martinnia,
Dolly Baker.
Manager, CHAS. SEWELL – Stage Manager, George
Craig
[N.B. The same company would have played both
venues.]
-----0-----
EMPIRE,
SOUTH SHIELDS
“Saturday
to Monday”
Will
Letters, Harry Fischer, J. Fletch, Bert Crewe, Victor Crawford, H.
Ashton, Sidney Ross, Harry Marshall, E. Jenner,
Master F. Dance, Ada Maskell,
Julia Bassett, Elsie Molloy, Florence Stafford, Hilda Stewart, Daisy
Stone, Alma May, Ethel Wane, Vera Baretta,
May North, Daisy Freeman, May Plumer,
Louis Douglas, Mamie Marte,
Lilian Bowe,
Muriel Wetherall.
Acting Manager, H. A. DOOLEY –
Stage Manager, J. FLETCH – Musical Director, A.E. WILSON
-----0-----
COLISEUM,
LONDON
“Dandy
Thieves”
Messrs.
George Hestor, Roy Jackson, Theodore
Newman, Chas. Usher, Syd Bolton, Sam Gosling, B. Dean, A. Lawrence, Tom
Manarde, C. Clarance
Richardson, Chas. Griffiths, jun, and
Misses Blanche Lynd, Edith Ager, Kitty Brunton,
Annie Wright, Kitty Kearns, Nellie May, Florrie
Grahame, Cissie
Dale, Flo Pagnell,
Flo Foster.
Manager, J. B.
HELM – Stage Manager, CHAS.
USHER – Musical Director, WALTER SCOTT.
-----0-----
[Names in BOLD are those Karno comedians who also worked in America.]