THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Reginald Allen (1888-89, 1899-1903)

Reginald Allen was a bass chorister and understudy with Mr. D’Oyly Carte’s "C" (Repertory) Company from May 1888 through December 1889. He played the small part of Go-To in The Mikado from July through October 1888 when that opera played in repertory with The Pirates of Penzance and Patience. He also filled in on occasion as Pooh-Bah in Mikado (May 31) and Samuel in Pirates (August 20-25).

When the Company gave the first Provincial production of The Yeomen of the Guard in October 1888, Allen was in the chorus. Following the sudden death of David Fisher, Fred Billington shifted from Sergeant Meryll to Wilfred Shadbolt in June 1889, and Allen took the role of the Sergeant for about a month. When George Marler joined the Company to play Sergeant Meryll in July, Allen was back in the chorus.

Allen was with the D’Oyly Carte "E" Company in 1899, appearing as the Major Domo in Haddon Hall during October and November of that year. He was still with Carte’s Company "E" in March 1903, when he appears in the program for The Yeomen of the Guard in the tiny part of Third Yeoman.

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