The Fred Karno produced Moses and Son was a touring sketch written by Fred Karno, Fred Kitchen, and Harold Gatty, with music by Dudley Powell. The production was billed as “Presented by Fred Karno’s No.1 Company, including Fred Kitchen. Supported by a Stupendous Cast of Hebrew Artistes.” The listings generally have just over 40 members of the cast on tour and the definition of a ‘sketch’ stretched to encompass three scenes with substantial numbers of jokes and comic business. For further details on the production please visit the main Moses and Son page. Details on the original 1905-07 tour are also available. This tour is not as consistent as the original tour, with some indications that the billed cast was sometimes not used at certain theatres and possibly changed at the last minute. Cast lists are only available between January and July 1908.
PRODUCTION: Estimated 425 performances over 45 weeks and 33 stops on tour (18/11/1907 – 26/09/08)
This tour is not as consistent as the original tour, with some indications that the billed cast was sometimes not used at certain theatres and possibly changed at the last minute. 16 published casts lists in the Era and the Stage only available for January-July 1908. Therefore the start and end dates of some performers may be incorrect. 38-44 performers were in each cast.
ORIGINAL CAST RETURNED FOR REVIVAL*: Perkins Fred Kitchen (337 estimated performances), Albert Bruno (88 estimated performances); Gluckstein Moses Herbert Landeck; Issy Nathaniel “Nat” Lewis (until mid-February 1908); Mrs Moses Madge Rockingham or Kate Forster (Rockingham had replaced Forster on original tour, but Forster is listed in the revival, except for April 1908, alongside Rockingham); Solly Harry Lappo (February to March 1908); Rebecca Moses Aggie Morris; Leah Rosa Abrahams (until May 1908) (played Rachel in original tour); Messenger Phil Sinclair; Servant Dave Asher; (Mr) Lou(is) Benjamin (until March 1908); (Mr) Georgie Dolin (not late Feb 1908); (Mr) Gipsy Dolin; (Mr) W. Davis; (Mr) Nat(haniel) Goodman; Hetty/Etty Ray (until March 1908); Lydia Weber (from April 1908); Dudley Powell (Musical Director listed from February 1908).
* Only the actors playing the characters of Perkins and Leah were named in reviews and articles; all other castings are assumed by that actor playing the role in the original production run.
ADDITIONAL NEW CAST FROM FIRST TO FINAL LISTING: Annie Asher; Arthur Austin; Kathleen Boyd; Jack Colet; Tom Curtis; Phil Davis; Dorothy Denton; Bert Griman; Eva Hermance; Evangeline Howard; Kitty Hyde; John Samuels; (Mr) Ad. Smith; (Mr) A. Sprengson; Alice Waters; Alf(red) Weiner; Montague Williams.
ADDITIONAL NEW CAST FOR PART OF THE RUN: Ethel Adams (May-June 1908); Maud Andrews (until mid-February 1908); (Miss) Louie Arnold (February-March 1908); Eva Brooks (January 1908); Marrie Christie (from June 1908); Geo. Cooper (April-May 1908); Jessie Crammonde (from February 1908); Betty Dane (February-March 1908); Florrie Dumfries (until May 1909); Maud Evans (February 1908); Vera Gilda (from April 1908); Marie Gould (until May 1908); George Hestor (June 1908); Violet Jones (until April 1908): (Mr) W. Lee (until May 1908); Tim McDonagh (from April 1908); (Mr) W.H. Morgan (listed in cast and as Manager from mid January 1908, except June 1908); Marie Newman (January 1908); May Parslow/Purslow (until July 1908, not early February 1908); Chas Paton (until mid-February 1908); Marnie Shaw (January 1908); (Mr) C. Leslie Steward (listed in cast and as Stage Manager in early January 1908); (Mr) J. Tucker (until mid-February 1908); Harold Wellesley (listed in cast from February 1908, and as Stage Manager in June 1908 instead of W.H. Morgan); Lily White (from June 1908).
PERFORMANCES
Starring Fred Kitchen as Perkins
EMPIRE PALACE THEATRE, Edinburgh, 18-23/11/07; COLISEUM, Glasgow, 25-30/11/07; EMPIRE THEATRE, Lime Street, Liverpool, 2-7/12/07 (Twice nightly and Wednesday matinee at 2.30pm); EMPIRE, Ardwick Green, Manchester, 9-14/12/07; HACKNEY EMPIRE, 16-21/12/07; HOLLOWAY EMPIRE, 23-28/12/07 (excepting Christmas Day); EMPIRE, New Cross, 30/12/07 – 04/01/08.
Fred Kitchen, and Fred Karno, launched a ‘second edition’ production of Humpty Dumpty at the GRAND, Glasgow from Saturday 11th January – 1st February 1908 to revive its fortunes. Also during this period Fred Kitchen and Frank Lister company presented the Sundowner, an Australian sketch first performed at the HOLLOWAY EMPIRE at the start of January. It does not look like Kitchen performed himself.
Starring Albert Bruno as Perkins
EMPIRE, Stratford, 06-11/01/08; EMPIRE, Shepherd’s Bush, 13-18/01/08; EMPIRE, Cardiff, 20-25/01/08; EMPIRE, Swansea, 27/01-01/02/08
Starring Fred Kitchen as Perkins
SURREY THEATRE, London, 03-08/02/08 (Fred Kitchen listed, but was reported to be in Glasgow 4th February for a charity Wrestling match); HOLBORN EMPIRE, London, 10-15/02/08; PALACE, Leicester, 17-22/02/08; EMPIRE, Nottingham, 24-29/02/08; GRAND THEATRE OF VARIETIES, Corporation Street, Birmingham, 02-07/03/08 (twice nightly, Thursday matinee 2.30pm); EMPIRE, Sheffield, 09-14/03/08; EMPIRE, Bradford, 16-21/03/08; PALACE THEATRE, Hull, 23-28/03/08; EMPIRE PALACE, Briggate, Leeds, 30/03-04/04/08; EMPIRE, Newgate Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 06-11/04/08 (twice nightly and Saturday matinee 2.30pm); HIPPODROME, Oxford Street, Manchester, 13-18/04/08 (excepting Good Friday, twice nightly and Saturday matinee 2pm); OLYMPIA, West Redby Road, Liverpool, 20-25/04/08 (Twice nightly and Saturday matinee 2.30pm); [THE BAILIFF – OLYMPIA, Liverpool, 27/04-01/05/08]; COLISEUM, Glasgow, 04-09/05/08; THE OXFORD, Oxford Street, London, 11/05-06/06/08 (7.15 doors opened, 10.50 performance, Saturday matinee 2.30pm); [Fred Kitchen stayed at the Oxford for The Bailiff, 08-20/06/08]
Starring Albert Bruno as Perkins
THE CANTERBURY, Westminster Bridge, London, 08-20/06/08; ROYAL VICTORIA PAVILION, Ramsgate, 22-27/06/08 (In double bill with The Bailiff, Albert Bruno as Perkins. Fred Kitchen in His Majesty’s Guests in Birkenhead)
Starring Fred Kitchen as Perkins
EAST HAM PALACE* but also listed at PARAGON THEATRE OF VARIETIES, Mile End Road, 06-11/07/08; EMPIRE, Birmingham, 13-18/07/08; EMPIRE, Broadway, Stratford, 20-25/07/08; EMPIRE, Shepherd’s Bush, 27/07-1/08/08; [Fred Kitchen appeared in the Bailiff at the HOLBORN EMPIRE, 03-07/08/08 and METROPOLITAN, Edgware Road, 09-15/08/08]; EMPIRE, Croydon, 17-22/08/08; [Fred Kitchen appeared In Possession at the ALBERT HALL, Southport, 14-19/09/08]; EMPIRE, Glasgow, 21-26/09/08.
* East Ham Palace Theatre Programme (06/07/08) available at V&A and East London Theatre project. This programme seems to list an old cast list, including Rosa Abrahams who had left the cast by this time.