Philip Glenister Upstaged by His Acting Ancestor! | DNA Journey | Ancestry®
9 Video Views·Oct 11, 2024
Philip Glenister and John Simm find very special family history in the theatre. Watch on ITV1 at 9pm, Wednesday 9th October or stream on ITVX.
Pauline is at a huge disadvantage as opera singers require daily training to maintain their voice
and she's been away for seven years. However, two years later she makes a tremendous comeback
as she lands her first leading role in La Cenambula at the Drury Lane and somebody takes notice.
Richard D'Oyly-Cart, heard of that name? D'Oyly-Cart Opera. Is it? Yeah.
So Richard D'Oyly-Cart, D'Oyly-Cart Opera Company, you know he was a theatre owner,
he was the Cameron Mackintosh Andrew Lloyd Webber of the day and of course she's been
spotted by D'Oyly-Cart and she actually starts working with him and ultimately that pays off
big time because just as she's working with D'Oyly-Cart, he signs up two of the most
important musicians in history of not only British music but in music globally.
So a composer and a lyricist. Gilbert and Sullivan. Gilbert and Sullivan. Well done.
Exactly. Elton John and Bernie. Well in some ways. Lennon and McCartney. In some ways because...
They were at the time, yeah. D'Oyly-Cart brought the iconic duo together in 1875
with the intention of forming a new kind of comic opera that would appeal to the masses.
Such a successful partnership, we have them to thank for the phrases
short sharp shock and let the punishment fit the crime.
And the smash hit that began it all was a courtroom drama called Trial by Jury.
But what you need to know here is that, you know, one of the first tours of this,
the lead role was played by your two times great aunt, who at that point was going by the stage
name Rita. Wow. She would have been the Elaine Page of a day. Yeah. So she must have been sensational.
Yes. I mean she must have been fantastic. Absolutely. Yeah, so we've started the day
at a shoemaker's and we've ended up with an opera singer, which changed the whole course
of operatic history. Musical history. Musical history, exactly. Yeah. That's unbelievable.
You thought you were the biggest star.
Brought down a peg or two now. Oh yes. Thanks a lot, Pauline.