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From The Standard (London, England), Monday, April 02, 1883; pg. 2; Issue 18317.

A ne musical piece, called A Private Wire, has been added to the programme of the Savoy Theatre, and is given before Messrs. Gilbert and Sullivan's Iolanthe. This trifle is written by Messrs. Felix and Desprez, the music being by Mr. Percy Reeve. The "wire" is a telephone, and it unites the houses in which Mrs. Frumpington and her daughter Rose, on the one hand, and Fitzatubbs with his son, on the other, respectively live. The young people are in love with each other, and likewise are the elders. The scene shows the library at one house and the drawing-room of the neighbour's establishment. The nature of the mistakes which occur is tolerably obvious, and matters are complicated by the credulity of the widow, who believes in spirits. Mr. Reeve has written some suitable music, an unaccompanied quintette and a song "Rest thy weary head, sweet mother," being perhaps the best numbers, Every justice is done to the trifle by those concerned in it.

From The Graphic (London, England), Saturday, April 7, 1883; Issue 697.

Under the title of A Private Wire, the management of the Savoy Theatre have added to their programme a little piece which serves very well its purpose of filling half an hour before the rising of the curtain on Messrs. Gilbert and Sullivan's Iolanthe. It is a humorous trifle, the joint work of Messrs. Arnold Felix and Frank Desprez, for which Mr. Percy Reeve has written some tuneful music. Some care has been bestowed upon the production of the little piece, which, supported by the talents of Miss Brandram, Miss Sybil Grey, Miss M. Louis, Mr. Rowan, and Mr. Eric Lewis, goes on merrily to the end.


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