Faust up to Date

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Faust up to Date: A Victorian Burlesque on the West End

"Faust up to Date" premiered at London’s Gaiety Theatre in the West End on October 30, 1888, delivering a musical burlesque that ran until August 1889, totaling over 250 performances. With a libretto by G.R. Sims and Henry Pettitt, and a score by Meyer Lutz interspersed with tunes by others this satire of Gounod’s "Faust" brought Victorian flair to Nuremberg’s streets. Produced by George Edwardes and directed by Charles Harris, it starred Florence St. John as Margaret, E.J. Lonnen as Mephistopheles, and Fanny Robina as Faust. Revived in July 1892 with St. John reprising her role alongside Edmund Payne as Mephistopheles and Arthur Williams as Valentine, the show cemented its place as a Gaiety staple, blending irreverent humor with catchy melodies and a standout quadrille dance.

Origins and Creative Mischief

The show emerged from the Gaiety’s burlesque tradition, following Lutz’s earlier "Mephistopheles, or Faust and Marguerite." Sims and Pettitt spun a cheeky riff on Gounod’s 1864 opera, setting it in a fantastical Nuremberg where Old Faust, transformed into a dashing gallant, woos Margaret under Mephistopheles’ devilish pact. Edwardes, taking the reins from John Hollingshead in 1886, pushed for full-length burlesques with original music, enlisting Lutz to craft a score that echoed the era’s taste for light, tuneful satire. The 1888 debut capitalized on the Gaiety’s reputation for legs and laughs, while the 1892 revival refreshed the cast, keeping its spirit alive amid shifting theatrical tides.

The West End Run

Opening at the Gaiety Theatre, "Faust up to Date" starred St. John’s radiant Margaret, Lonnen’s sly Mephistopheles, and Robina’s Faust, with George Stone as Valentine and Mabel Love as Totchen. The plot twists Old Faust’s pact into a balloon-ascending escape from a vengeful Lord Chancellor, sparked by Valentine’s sisterly wardship scheme. Its 1888-1889 run drew crowds with its spectacle, notably a “grotesque petticoat quadrille” encored nightly. The 1892 revival swapped Lonnen for Payne’s Mephistopheles and added Williams’ Valentine, whose Waterbury watch deflects a fatal blow a comic nod to Victorian ingenuity. Despite missing Nellie Farren and Fred Leslie, away in America, the show thrived, filling the Gaiety with laughter and song.

Musical and Theatrical Flair

Lutz’s score sparkled with tunes like “A Simple Little Maid” and “Fond Heart, Oh Tell Me Why,” sung enchantingly by St. John, alongside two added ballads that enriched the 1888 mix. The quadrille, a four-dancer highlight choreographed by John D’Auban, became a crowd-pleaser, its quirky steps a burlesque hallmark. The staging leaned on Edwardes’ lavish touch costumes and sets popping with color while Harris kept the pace brisk. Critics lauded the music’s appropriateness and the book’s amusement, though The Era noted the absence of Gaiety stalwarts dulled its edge. Still, the audience’s uproarious response underscored its West End charm.

Beyond the West End

After its initial run, "Faust up to Date" crossed the Atlantic, opening at New York’s Broadway Theatre on December 10, 1889, and later toured Australia with Robert Courtneidge as Valentine. The 1892 London revival stretched its legs, but as burlesque faded in the 1890s yielding to Edwardian musical comedy under Edwardes it saw no major West End encore. Its legacy lived on in Gaiety lore, influencing the shift to new genres, though no full cast recording survives. Productions elsewhere echoed its playful spirit, a testament to its portability and the era’s appetite for spoof.

Legacy and Victorian Echoes

"Faust up to Date" carved a niche in West End history, its 1888-1889 run and 1892 revival totaling over 300 performances a hit for its day. Outdone by longer-running epics, it thrived as a Gaiety gem, bridging opera and burlesque with Victorian wit. The Morning Post hailed its success, spotlighting the quadrille’s uproar, while its satire of Gounod’s "Faust" mirrored the era’s love for theatrical reinvention. As of March 2025, it remains a footnote of flair less revived than "The Shop Girl" but cherished for its revolving-door cast and the quadrille’s quirky legacy, a snapshot of a West End laughing at itself.