Description

A lively, tongue‑in‑cheek chronicle opens with the author’s backstage musings on the grand opening of a new “King Arthur.” He sketches the bustling Lyceum, where the multi‑talented Mr. Comyns Carr bows as “the Arthur of the piece,” and immediately sets a comic tone by comparing the production’s Wagnerian pretensions to a jumble of familiar literary giants. The narrator’s wry eye follows the flamboyant entrance of Merlin, water‑sprites, and the priceless moment when Excalibur appears, all described with a blend of theatrical reverence and satirical wink.

The second paragraph widens the scope, mocking the glittering cast—Ellen Terry’s ethereal Guinevere, Forbes‑Robertson’s chivalrous Lancelot, and a band of knights forced to “keep their hair on.” Through vivid, sarcastic snapshots, the piece lampoons Victorian stage conventions, the pomp of costume, and the absurdities of overblown drama. Listeners will enjoy the brisk, witty commentary that captures the spirit of a bygone theatrical world, all delivered in the unmistakable, dry humor that made the original periodical a favorite of its time.

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