gaietytheatre

I dunno about an Ian Fleming connection, but James Joyce (no surprise I guess) mentions Moneypeny Corner in his Ulysses:

Five tallwhitehatted sandwichmen between Monypeny's corner and the slab where Wolfe Tone's statue was not, eeled themselves turning H. E. L. Y.'S and plodded back as they had come.

No walking advertisements or sandwich-board wearers to see here however. Although some of the view down South King Street is now (as per the obligatory street view) partially obscured by one of those "we'll pay for the bikes if you give us ad space" advertising hoardings.

I checked the 1901 Thoms Directory, and R.W. Monypeny is listed at 52 & 53 Grafton Street as a "designer and embroiderer of art needlework, and white wood depot". [White wood goods, anybody?]. Monypeny lived at 13 Anneley Park, Rathmines. Robert Forbes at 54 Grafton Street is described as a "photographic artist". And at 54/55 are our old friends Kapp and Peterson (Alfred and Charles respectively). Down South King Street, before the Gaiety Theatre is the Horse Shoe Bar at no. 51 - proprietor Francis Pryor.

I remember that corner, about thirty years later. Is it still deja vu if it is an earlier view of something you remember? -

Same day? See poster in Moneypeny's window and position of Forbes' blinds - catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000168731 Love these J. J. Clarke candid photos. Is she preggers, or is that a 'bird in her birdcage' ? ;-)

O Neill made his Lucania bicycles in one of those buildings opposite the Gaiety. www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland/10922005006/in/photolist-...

I found these images of Clara Beck at the National Portrait Gallery www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw50754/Clara-...

And I think this is the Syd Crossley listed en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syd_Crossley www.cyranos.ch/spcros-e.htm

The theatre was opened in 1871 www.gaietytheatre.ie/index.php/about-gaiety/history/78

The Parterre was originally a standing area or pit. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parterre_%28theater_audience%29 "As well, despite restrictions against women entering the parterre, cross-dressing was not uncommon."

Sounds like a good show in the offering!

The adverts & reviews for this production (in Freeman's Journal) spell it "Sindbad". The part of Sindbad Tinbad was played by Mr. Willie Crackles.

John Spooner Willie Crackles and Greenleaf Withers! You couldn't make this stuff up...

books.google.ie/books?id=vWH-OwAACAAJ&dq=inauthor:%22...

In the Freeman's review on 27 December, the sets and the costumes come in for particular praise. In addition

Mr J W Volt, as Mrs Sindbad, was mainly instrumental in making the fun of the piece go fast and furious, and Mr. Crackles, whose particular name will enter into the minds and memories of the youth of the city, made the part of Tinbad quite remarkable.

Also

The dances are good, and Miss Jessie Noire's Serpentine dance was a feature of the time.

That last bit has made me feel all peculiar.

John Spooner Have a sit down and a cuppa, John, and you'll be right as rain! The chorus dancers must have been raging about "the dances are good" - talk about damning with faint praise.

And we have a winner! John Spooner John Spooner added a note on the picture over Bonafide Travellers. John, do you never sleep?

Wasn't there a law which prohibited selling of alcoholic beverages on Sundays other than to 'bona fide travellers'? There's an advertisement on the 2nd tram (centre-right) with 'Refreshments on Sundays. Bona fide travellers'

National Library of Ireland on The Commons From time to time. I see that Arabian Nights was on at the Gaiety Theatre

Here's the none-too-complimentary review from Freeman's of May 20th 1890, which refers to Miss Vaudray's be-feathered hat (click for a readable version).

Over market gardens tidy, Taverns for the bona fide

John Spooner Ooh, you're ringing vague bells with me about Dubliners heading out to Wicklow hills on a Sunday to go to public houses.