Ruy Blas and the Blasé Roué

Recently Updated

Discovering "Ruy Blas and the Blasé Roué" on the West End

"Ruy Blas and the Blasé Roué" is a Victorian burlesque that brought its irreverent charm to London’s West End, opening at the Gaiety Theatre on September 21, 1889, following a tryout in Birmingham on September 3. Written by Fred Leslie (under the pseudonym A.C. Torr) and Herbert F. Clark, with music by Meyer Lutz, this full-length piece ran for 289 performances, marking a spirited return for the Gaiety company after a U.S. tour. Produced by George Edwardes, it starred Nellie Farren and Leslie himself, blending satire, dance, and original tunes in a playful riff on Victor Hugo’s drama Ruy Blas.

A Royal Farce Unfolds

The plot twists Hugo’s tale into a comedic romp. Ruy Blas and Don Caesar, strolling players, infiltrate the Spanish royal palace disguised as women, orchestrated by the corrupt Don Salluste to humiliate the Queen. She, unhappy and vocal about it in “The Flower Song,” unwittingly hires them. Salluste’s scheme backfires when he accuses her of smuggling men into her quarters, leading to Ruy and Caesar’s arrest. Their luxurious imprisonment doesn’t hold them they escape with the Queen’s help, leaving chaos and laughter in their wake. It’s a loose, pun-driven travesty that revels in absurdity over coherence.

A Gaiety Triumph

Edwardes expanded the burlesque format into a full evening’s entertainment, with Lutz’s original score replacing the era’s typical medleys. John D’Auban’s choreography dazzled, spotlighted in numbers like the Letty Lind Waltz. The cast Farren as the “principal boy,” Leslie as a rakish lead, and a troupe including Marion Hood, Letty Lind, and Sylvia Grey brought star power. A Henry Irving caricature, cut after objections, added early controversy. Written to celebrate the Gaiety’s reopening, it showcased the venue’s shift from one-act sketches to ambitious theatrical spectacles.

The West End Spotlight

Running at the Gaiety Theatre, "Ruy Blas and the Blasé Roué" drew mixed reviews. The Theatre noted its loose grip on Hugo’s plot beyond the first act, while Moonshine called it “probably the worst burlesque ever seen” for its faint parody. Yet The Era praised its entertainment value, despite a thin storyline, crediting the performances and staging. Its 289-performance run, followed by provincial and international tours, reflected its popularity, even as burlesque began fading in favor of Edwardian musical comedy by the early 1890s.

Musical Mischief

Lutz’s score featured highlights like “The Flower Song,” capturing the Queen’s discontent, and the “Letty Lind Waltz,” a dance showcase composed by C. Paston Cooper. The Pas de Quatre “Blanc et Noir” featuring Ruy Blas, Donna Etto, Don Caesar, and the Court Physician added visual flair. While not a songbook of hits, the music supported the burlesque’s chaotic energy, performed by a versatile cast amid lavish sets and costumes. It leaned on theatricality over narrative depth, a hallmark of Gaiety’s style.

A Burlesque Legacy

Though it never reached Broadway, "Ruy Blas and the Blasé Roué" toured widely, revised at least once during its lifespan. Its West End success tied to Farren and Leslie’s reign at the Gaiety, a duo whose chemistry defined the theatre’s golden era from 1885 to 1891. As burlesque waned, Edwardes pivoted the Gaiety toward musical comedy, but this show remains a snapshot of Victorian exuberance puns, cross-dressing, and all bridging an older theatrical tradition with emerging forms.

Why "Ruy Blas and the Blasé Roué" Endures

This musical revels in its cheeky defiance of convention, a West End hit that traded plot for panache. Its 1889 run captured a moment when theatre could be both frivolous and fabulous, delighting audiences with its stars and spectacle. For Londoners, it was a raucous escape proof that a shaky story could still soar with the right talent and a wink at the absurd, leaving a legacy of laughter in Theatreland’s storied halls.