The City of London Sinfonia are an English chamber orchestra which performs chamber orchestra and ensemble repertoire from the Baroque period to the present day. The orchestra performed at Hall for Cornwall on the 24th of October 2003 as part of the Classical Collection series of performances.
First performed in 1933, the Jolly Roger musical is set in Jamaica in 1690 and follows the events that follow in the aftermath of Jolly Roger’s arrest after being accused of piracy. The T.A.O.D.S staged a production of the musical at the Regent Theatre Truro between the 26th and 30th of October 1937. The show was produced by Arthur R. Hendy, who was accompanied by Bertram Lightbown as musical director.
Both situated in Victoria Square Truro, the advertisement boasts that Blewett’s bake the ‘best bread in town’ and that T. Mutton & Son’s provide ‘high class English meat.’ The design and tone of the promotions are typical of the advertisements which featured in theatre programmes at the time. They also showcase the design trends which characterised commerical promotions during the inter-war period.
This advertisement in the programme for the 1937 T.A.O.D.S production of Jolly Roger promotes three different Truro businesses, including a teacher of pianoforte, organ and theory, a men’s hairdressers and a building and contractors. These advertisements document the changes that have occured in shopping trends, advertising and ways of life since 1937.
A comic opera in two acts, The Count of Como is set in the fictional ‘Oblivia’ and follows the events that unfold in the aftermath of the betrothal of the Grand Duke Otto’s daughter with the ‘rich but ridiculous’ Crown Prince. The T.A.O.D.S staged their own production of the opera at the Regent Theatre Truro between the 21st and 25th of February, 1933. It was produced under the sole direction of Elsie A. Hall who was accompanied by Gordon Hall as musical director. The scenery was ‘specially painted’ by E. I. Ellery of Truro, who had extensively photographed a large number of the local aristocracy in the first two decades of the 1900s. Mr. Ellery was also the scenic artist and stage manager for the society and had painted the scenery for its productions since its formation. The dresses and wigs for the production were made by B. J. Simmons & Co., London who were best known for their historical costume designs. Daintily decorated, the programme is in keeping with the art-deco design trends of the era.
This advertisement in the programme for the 1933 T.A.O.D.S production of The Count of Como promotes four different Truro businesses including two confectioners, a house decorators and an opticians. These advertisements document the changes that have occured in shopping trends, advertising and ways of life since 1933.
The Gondoliers is the twelfth collaboration by Gilbert and Sullivan and is set in the fictional kingdom of Barataria. The comic opera follows the events which unfold when the young bride of the heir to the throne arrives in Venice. Premiering at the Savoy Theatre in 1889, it successively ran for 554 performances which, at that time, made it the fifth longest-running piece of musical theatre in history. The T.A.O.D.S staged their own production of the opera at the Regent Theatre Truro between the 11th and 15th of February, 1936. It was produced by Miss. Vera Ware who was accompanied by Mr. Bertram Lightbown as director of music.
This advertisement in the programme for the 1936 T.A.O.D.S production of The Gondoliers promotes three different Truro businesses including a music stockist, a fruiterer and confectioner and a ‘coiffeuse’ which is a women’s hairdressers. These advertisements document the changes that have occured in shopping trends, advertising and ways of life since 1936.
Pictured in this programme page is Mr E. I. Ellery who had extensively photographed a large number of the local aristocracy in the first two decades of the 1900s. Mr. Ellery was also the scenic artist and stage manager for the society and had painted the scenery for its productions since its formation. Also pictured is a photograph from a previous T.A.O.D.S production of The Mikado.
Both comic operas by Gilbert and Sullivan, the T.A.O.D.S production of Trial By Jury and The Pirates of Penzance ran at The County Theatre Truro between the 3rd and 7th of February 1931. Included in the programme is the statement that ‘to write a synopsis of this essentially Gilbertian Dramatic Cantata is almost a sacriledge: The words and the humour are so rich…’