Robbery Under Arms (play)

Robbery Under Arms is a 1890 play by Alfred Dampier and Garnet Walch based on the novel of the same name by Rolf Boldrewood.

History

In 1889 Dampier secured the exclusive rights to prepare a dramatization of the Boldrewood novel.[1]

This was not an easy task, as the novel is mostly first person descriptive, with very little dialogue, and great sections had to be omitted, notably the opening chapter, in which "Captain Starlight" takes 2000 head of stolen cattle overland from country New South Wales to Adelaide.

The play premiered on March 1, 1890, following Walch's dramatization of Victor Hugo's Count of Monte Cristo.

Opening night

The play was staged on 1 March 1890 at the Alexandra Theatre, Melbourne, which Dampier had on a long lease. T. A. Browne and family were guests of honour in a stage box. The following were principal players that evening:[2]

  • Alfred Dampier as Captain Starlight
  • Walter E. Baker as Dick Marston, his loyal lieutenant
  • Watkin Wynne[lower-alpha 1] as Jim Marston, the amiable reluctant outlaw
  • Edmund Holloway as Ben Marston
  • Lily Dampier as Aileen Marston
  • Alfred Boothman as George Storefield, an industrious settler
  • Carrie Bilton as Billy the Boy
  • Harry Stoneham as the cold-blooded villain Dick Moran
  • J. B. Atholwood as Warrigal, the Aboriginal hero
  • Katherine Russell as the vengeful Kate Morrison
  • Julia Merton as elderly spinster Euphrosyne Aspen, a comic character
  • J. Caesar, as trooper Maginnis, another comic character
  • Reg Rede, trooper O'Hara, also a comic character

Six years later the play had evolved somewhat with a couple of new characters but very few cast changes:[4]

  • F. C. Appleton as Sir Ferdinand Merringer
  • Charles Field as Inspector Goring
  • George Buller as trooper O'Hara
  • Belcher as trooper Maginnis
  • Alfred Rolfe as Dick Marston
  • Herbert Forrest as Jim Marston

Notes
  1. Watkin Wynne was stage name for actor/architect William Watkins who was briefly married to Lily Dampier.[3] Nothing further has been found.

References
  1. "Theatrical and Musical". The Australian Star. No. 623. New South Wales, Australia. 30 November 1889. p. 3. Retrieved 14 August 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. "Alexandra Theatre — Robbery Under Arms". The Age. No. 10927. Victoria, Australia. 3 March 1890. p. 4. Retrieved 14 August 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. "A Theatrical Divorce Case". Barrier Miner. Vol. 5, no. 1320. New South Wales, Australia. 18 June 1892. p. 4. Retrieved 14 August 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. "Robbery Under Arms". Table Talk. No. 589. Victoria, Australia. 9 October 1896. p. 7. Retrieved 14 August 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
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