Oh! Oh! Delphine
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Introduction to "Oh! Oh! Delphine"
"Oh! Oh! Delphine" premiered in London’s West End at the Shaftesbury Theatre on February 17, 1913, running for approximately 240 performances until September 1913. With music by Ivan Caryll and a book and lyrics by C.M.S. McLellan, this musical comedy adapts the French farce "Villa Primrose" by Georges Berr and Marcel Guillemaud. Directed by Herbert Gresham, it starred Courtice Pounds as Colonel Pomponnet, W.H. Berry as Algy, and Dorothy Ward as Delphine. Produced by George Edwardes, it followed a successful 1912 Broadway debut at the Knickerbocker Theatre, where it ran for 248 performances. Featuring catchy tunes like "Oh! Oh! Delphine!" and a plot of mistaken identities, its Edwardian charm and lively staging captivated audiences, marking it as a transatlantic hit that bridged French farce with British humor, though its West End run remained a modest success compared to longer-running contemporaries.
The Creative Team Behind the Show
Ivan Caryll composed the sprightly score, with C.M.S. McLellan crafting the book and lyrics, translating the French "Villa Primrose" into a frothy English romp. Herbert Gresham directed, with Julian Mitchell’s musical staging adding dance flair, while scenery by Homer Emens, Edward G. Unitt, and Joseph Wickes, and costumes by F. Richard Anderson, evoked a chic Edwardian world. Courtice Pounds brought vocal finesse to Colonel Pomponnet, W.H. Berry’s comedic Algy shone, and Dorothy Ward’s radiant Delphine anchored the cast, joined by Harry Welchman as Fernand and Mabel Sealby as Violette. Producer George Edwardes, a musical comedy titan, leveraged his Gaiety Theatre clout to refine the Broadway hit for London. This team, blending Caryll’s operetta roots with McLellan’s wit, delivered a polished farce that danced across cultures, its success buoyed by Edwardes’ knack for crowd-pleasing spectacle.
A Farce of Love and Disguise
In a French seaside villa, Colonel Pomponnet, a retired officer, plans a quiet retreat with his wife Delphine, only to find her ex-lover Fernand plotting a rendezvous ("Oh! Oh! Delphine!"). Delphine’s uncle Algy, a bumbling tippler, arrives with Violette, sparking chaos when Pomponnet mistakes her for a maid and Fernand for a rival. Disguises pile up Fernand dons a waiter’s garb, Violette feigns innocence while songs like "Hush! Hush! Hush!" and "Oh, Gifted Master Sleep!" propel the mix-ups. A housemaid rally and Algy’s drunken antics peak at a costume ball, where Pomponnet’s jealousy unravels the ruse. Fernand flees, Delphine reconciles with her Colonel, and Algy toasts the farce’s end a bubbly whirl of mistaken lovers and seaside silliness, tailored for Edwardian laughs over French cynicism.
Performance and Reception
Opening after its 1912 Broadway triumph, "Oh! Oh! Delphine" ran about 240 West End performances, a solid hit dwarfed by "The Girl from Utah"’s 446-show run that year. The Era likely praised Ward’s “delightful” Delphine and Berry’s “hilarious” Algy exact reviews are sparse while audiences filled the Shaftesbury, drawn by Pounds’ charm and Caryll’s tunes, totaling over 80,000 attendees. Critics probably noted its “bright” score, though some may have found its farce “slight” beside Gilbert and Sullivan’s heft. Its seven-month stint outpaced Broadway’s six, buoyed by Edwardes’ polish, yet lacked a cast recording sheet music carried its echo. Facing operetta giants, it thrived on froth and familiarity, a cheerful romp that charmed without rewriting Theatreland’s playbook, its appeal rooted in star turns and Edwardian escapism.
Legacy in West End Theatre
"Oh! Oh! Delphine"’s 240-show West End run and 248 on Broadway mark it a transatlantic success, though no match for "Chu Chin Chow"’s 2,235 performances. Its 1913 Shaftesbury debut spurred a UK tour, while Caryll’s score lacking standards like "Tea for Two" lives in vintage songbooks. Edwardes’ knack for farce shaped musical comedy’s lighter strain, influencing "The Maid of the Mountains," though it never hit Broadway again or nabbed awards. Ward’s star rose, Pounds cemented his repute, yet its legacy leans on nostalgia amateur stagings faded by the 1930s. A 1921 silent film "The Charm School" loosely nods to its vibe, but no direct adaptation emerged. In West End lore, it’s a fleeting Edwardian lark less a titan than "The Merry Widow," more a sprightly echo of cross-channel mirth and theatrical craft.