January 1870: Miss Clara St. Casse and her New Entertainment – “The Songs of Shakespeare”, at the Trades’ Hall, Glassford Street

On the 3rd, 4th and 5th of January, 1870, Miss Clara St. Casse was appearing in her “new entertainment”, The Songs of Shakespeare, at the Trades’ Hall on Glassford Street. She was supported by the Glasgow Solo and Glee Union. Advertisements, such as the one of the front page of The Glasgow Herald, on Tuesday the 4th of January, provide details of the programme.

 

The entertainment was “arranged expressly for her,” and readers were informed that she “would personate the following Characters, with appropriate Songs, IN COSTUME:-

 

“ROSALIND, in  …….  ‘As You Like It.’

DESDEMONA, in ….. ‘Othello.’

PUCK, in ………………. ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’

HECATE, in ………….. ‘Macbeth.’

ARIEL, in ……………… ‘The Tempest.’

KATHARINA, in ……. ‘The Taming of a [sic] Shrew.’

OBERON, in ………….. ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’

OPHELIA, in …………. ‘Hamlet.’

 

“The Music will be Selected from the following eminent Composers:- MENDELSSOHN, ROSSINI, PURCELL, Dr. ARNE, SCHUBERT, G. A. MACFARREN, Lord MORNINGTON, Sir H. BISHOP, COOKE, STEVENS, HORN, &c.”

 

Tickets were available from J. Muir Wood & Co., 42 Buchanan Street, and ranged from one shilling, to one-shilling-and-sixpence for the central area, and two-shillings-and-sixpence for reserved seats.

 

 

George Fairfull-Smith, June 2020.