A NOTABLE COMEDIAN

Evening Star, Issue 12652, 4 November 1905, Page 9

A NOTABLE COMEDIAN

j A NOTABLE COMEDIAN. ! Mr J J. Dallas, the principal comedian in 'Tho J.P.,' was born in Soho square, and as a boy surreptitiously accepted ten .engagement to sing alto with Mr Christy's Minstrels. On being brought back and settled in business by his father, he ultimately broke away with the parental consent and joined tho ceighboring opera company ai the Alhamhra Theatre, where Mdme Emily was the princaptt 1 singer. Mr Dallas has the distinction of being the only actor who has ever played women's parts at the London. Gaiety Theatre. In the j>almy days when Nellie Farren, Kate Vaughan, Edward Royee, ami Edward Terry weio in the cast of ' The Forty Thieves,' Mr Dallas was Widow Cogia, and in ' Alladin' he was the Cook. In later days he figured prominently at i Ihe Avenue, where he was the Marquis to J "Polydore Poapart" of Arthur Roberts, I and wrote tho mnch-sung> duct ' Tlie days when we were young.' This authorship led to the perpetration of an original farce for tho Avenue, entitled 'A Warm Recept on.' Another piece to which the comedian placed his name was 'Hs Only Coat,' for the London Gaiety. Similarly, in after years Mr Dallas wrote am] stage managed three elaborate pantomimes for Manchester, two for the Prince's Theatre, and one for tks Palace. Aftfr taking part in the ' Bric-a-Br.ie' opera at the Lyric, Mr Dallas joined tho Savoy company for a long engagerrenl. p'&ying the chief comedian's <part in 'The Nawtch Girl.' That cast also included Mr Frank Thornton. Following this, Mr Dallas played all the important comedian's parts in", most of the Gilbert nmd RuTivaji operas at the Savoy, and produced ' The Snow Man,' a fairy opera, at • the Lyceum, and appeared in a round of farcical comedies p7ior to joindng Messra Moynell and Gtrnn's company for Australia. Mr Dallas his written th ; rty-two songs for the leading halls and variety theatres, and in other ways has proved liis gifts apart from the very serious duty of play- ; in-™ tho fool in farce. I Th.o appearand" of Mr Dallas, conjointly ' with Miss Florence Lloyd, in 'Tho J.P.," at His Majesty's on Thursday, is certain, to lead to an except'ornally heavy demand for seats- at the Dresden on Monday next.