Oh! Oh! Delphine!!!

Performed at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London.
Musical comedy by C.M.S. McLellan, music by Ivan Carlyll.
Opened 18th February, 1913 - ran for 174 performances.

Starring: Iris Hoey.

Editorial and Photos as published in 'The Play Pictorial' No. 130 (1913).

IF the gentle Elia could but come from the Shades and write as a sequel to his "Tales from Shakespeare," "Plots of Musical Comedies," he would be canonised by those whose duty it is to put on record the stories of the pieces that are one of the most attractive features of the gay life of Londinium.

It would exercise his pleasant wit, and the pecuniary contributions of his grateful fellow scribes would add something to his retiring pension of £400 per annum.

But I cannot requisition the services of my valued friend, Charles Lamb, of Edmonton, and therefore must perforce do my best to tell you why the Parrot had its moral susceptibilities aroused to such an extent that "Oh! Oh! Delphine!!" came to its beak as naturally as the cry of "Sweet Lavender" to the lips of the itinerant vendor of that fragrant flower.

If Alice in Wonderland had met that parrot, she would have had many sentient remarks to make concerning its acute powers of observation !

Delphine arrives by way of Paris, where she was originated by MM. Georges Berrand Marcel Guillemaud, in the "Villa Primrose," and thence brought by Mr. C. M. S. McLellan (to the agreeable accompaniment of much cheerful melody by Mr. Ivan Caryll), to the Shaftesbury Theatre, London, having, it should be said, paid a highly satisfactory visit to the United States of America.

Delphine had her connubial home in the French Capital, and a most attractive young husband, who was by way of being an artist. Now there are some professions carried on in civilised cities which appear to have been invented solely with the design of wounding the susceptibilities of loving and faithful wives---even the stage and music have not escaped scot free from the insinuation, and what, therefore, can be said in extenuation of the Studio? Especially when the young husband has gathered around him a group of charming ladies whose beauty in the aggregate is to supply him with the perfect form of "Venus Rising from the Sea."

Delphine divorces him---and rightly so, and also quite rightly says, she is having no more handsome and attractive young artists, and that her next spouse shall be a strong solution of the Common-place.

Victor ]olibeau is exchanged for Alphonse Bouchotte---divorced from the piquant Simone. The illusory Ideal makes way for the Positive prosaic. Then the irony of Fate ordains they shall meet, and absence has spread the cloak of forgiveness over the Past. Worse still, wealthy Uncle Noel appears, and the divorced couple have to superficially resume their matrimonial relationship, while Bouchotte, for reasons quite obvious to those skilled in the unravelling of musical comedy plots, gives out that he is the husband of a sylph-like, sinuous lady who carries Persian rugs about on her shoulders, and whose knowledge of the English language consists of a liberal use of the word "Carpets."

The parrot does not cry out "Oh, Oh, Bimboula," but that is only because he has nothing but a formal acquaintance with the beautiful Oriental, or else he would, and probably add to it the name of Colonel Pomponnet, a lady-killer of unquestioned skill and who, from what we can see and hear, is more popular with his officers' wives than he is with his military subordinates.

Now this is where Charles Lamb would have come in so effectively with his quick eye and retentive memory. He would have set down on this page in a categorical manner all the gay doings at the "Villa Primrose," and why everybody went that night to the Ball at the Hotel Beau Rivage.

He would have sorted out the couples who had wrongly paired themselves off in a transient fit of spleen or frivolity; he would have made it quite clear that Delphine and the seductive Simone were quite right to cast off their second husbands and return to their first; have given a satisfactory explanation of why it was the debonnair Colonel purchased carpets of the plastic Persian; in short, we should have had a lucid description of a Palais Royal farce. The pity of it is that instead of Charles Lamb, the signature is that of ...

B.W. FINDON.

FROCKS & FRILLS

THE modern dresses in "Oh! Oh! Delphine!!!" in the first act emanate from the far-famed Parisian House of Martial Armand and Co. Ltd, whose London address is 125, New Bond Street.

Miss Iris Hoey's gown in this act is of very pale pink broche, the skirt being draped in front. There is a charmingly dainty tunique of cream lace, which is ernbroidered all over with pink silk to match the skirt. The bodice of the broche is draped with the same embroidered lace as the tunique. An elegant coat in faced cloth of a very pale beige, lined throughout with pink satin, and trimmed with buttons and embroidered motiv, is worn with the above at first.

The six Model Girls are gowned alike in satin of the shade known as petal de rose. The tuniques are of Ibis lace and are belted in Ibis taffetas. The skirt opens at the side displaying a pleated petticoat of chiffon, prettily inserted with lace. Strass buttons finish the skirt and are seen also on the belt.

Some of the guests in the Lounge of the Hotel Bea Rivage wear some particularly lovely and up-to-date gowns, also made by this same firm. A delightful dress is in broche paille, the draperies of the skirt being caught at one side with insertions of white and green embroideries. The corsage is in the same material, the green and white embroidery forming the effect of a collar edged with pleated tulle. Short sleeves with pleated tulle edging to correspond. Very lovely also is a gown of green paon broche crepe de chine, draped and veiled with tulle of the same shade, turned back with handsome cream guipure. The bodice is of cream guipure and green paon tulle.

The fashionable yellow shade is another beautiful conception, treated very simply, with double panniers and large lace collars falling over the sleeves.

Miss Forsyth wears a dainty gown of white fantaisie crepon, with raised design of green and yellow flowers. The skirt is draped both sides and on one side discloses a pleated tulle underskirt. The collar and top half of the sheeves are in white guipure, with an over-collar green velvet.

Miss Newcombe is gowned in nil crepe royal, with an overdress of pleated crepe royal. The bodice is in the kimono style, and has an embroidered collar that forms a pointed decolletage.

Mauve meteor forms the lower part of the pretty dress worn by Miss Lindsey. This is as usual draped and the upper part of the skirt is of pleated mousseline de soie in the shape of a yoke. The bodice is very charming, the revers of gold lace making a delightful relief against the mauve mousseline de soie.

In the first act the dancing girls' dresses are very picturesque and are designed and made by Madame Lucette, of 21, Sydney Street, South Kensington. The skirts are of pale pink accordion-pleated ninon, with panniers of brocaded blue and gold velvet, the points of brocades are carried up on to the bodice of ninon and are very effective. The newsvendor in this act wears a smart little frock of black and white striped silk, draped with mauve and revers of orange velvet. The lower part of the skirt has a band of orange

Then the dressmakers' girls in the second act wear very effective gowns of pink charmeuse, with silver net and coral embroidery and sashes of pale blue, draped from the shoulder and hanging at the side, finished with tassels and corals.

The milliners' frocks, also made by Lucette, are very picturesque. They are fashioned of silver tissue with bouquets woven into it of pink roses, and panels back and front of silver net embroidered in turquoise.

In the third act again, there are some very charming gowns worn at the ball given at the Hotel Beau Rivage, but really the short time the guests and dancers were on the stage made it almost an impossibility to detail any of the toilettes worn.

The impression of colour remained, but as to detail, well, as I said before, that cannot be entered into.

Miss Dorothy Jardon as the Persian Woman, whose only intelligible word is "carpets," makes a most effective, if somewhat daring figure throughout. Her snake - like charm and movements are decidedly fascinating.

RITA DETMOLD

SCENES FROM THE PLAY

Click any image for a larger view
Iris Hoey as Delphine	Delphine	Delphine with Jolibeau and Alphonse	Delphine and Jolibeau	Delphine and Louis
Delphine dances with jolibeau	A dramatic scene	Jolibeaus staff of models	A dramatic scene	The Finale