Appendix III

Tours of ‘Sherlock Holmes’, 1903–6

Chaplin is thought to have played the role of Billy throughout these tours, in the absence of any record of performances missed through illness or other causes.

1903	week commencing:
		Charles Frohman’s Northern Company H. A. SAINTSBURY as Holmes
	27 July	Pavilion Theatre, Whitechapel Road, London.
	10 August	Theatre Royal, Newcastle.
	17 August	Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield.
	26 October	Theatre Royal, Bolton.
	2 November	Royal Court Theatre, Wigan.
	9 November	Theatre Royal, Ashton-under-Lyne.
	16 November	New Theatre Royal, Stockport.
	23 November	Gaiety Theatre, Burnley.
	30 November	New Theatre Royal, Rochdale.
	7 December	Victoria Theatre, Broughton.
	14 December	Theatre Royal, Bury.
	21 December	Theatre Royal, Dewsbury.
	28 December	Royalty Theatre and Opera House, Barrow.
1904	4 January	Royal Opera House, Wakefield.
	11 January	Queen’s Theatre, Leeds.
	18 January	Grand Theatre, West Hartlepool.
	25 January	Grand Theatre, West Hartlepool.
	1 February	Grand Opera House, York.
	4 February	Grand Opera House, Harrogate.
	8 February	Theatre Royal, Jarrow.
	15 February	Theatre Royal, Middlesbrough.
	22 February	Avenue Theatre, Sunderland.
	29 February	Theatre Royal, North Shields.
	7 March	Prince of Wales Theatre, Grimsby.
	14 March	His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen.
	21 March	His Majesty’s Theatre, Dundee.
	28 March	Paisley Theatre, Paisley.
	4 April	His Majesty’s Theatre, Carlisle.
	11 April	Royal Princess’s Theatre, Glasgow.
	18 April	Grand Theatre, Glasgow.
	25 April	Grand Theatre, West Hartlepool.
	2 May	Grand Theatre, Hyson Green, Nottingham.
	9 May	Theatre Royal, Aldershot.
	16 May	Theatre Royal, Bradford.
	23 May	His Majesty’s Opera House, Blackpool.
	30 May	Royal West London Theatre, Church Street, Edgware Road.
	6 June	Royal West London Theatre, Church Street, Edgware Road.
		Charles Frohman’s Midland Company KENNETH RIVINGTON as Holmes
	31 October	New Theatre Royal, King’s Lynn (two-day engagement only).
	7 November	Theatre Royal, Shrewsbury.
	14 November	Royal Court Theatre, Warrington.
	21 November	No engagement traced
	28 November	Prince of Wales Theatre, Mexborough.
	5 December	Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield.
	12 December	Theatre Royal, Barnsley.
	19 December	No engagement traced
1905	2 January	Theatre Royal, Darlington.
	9 January	Theatre Royal, Dumfries (three-day engagement only).
	16 January	No engagement traced
	23 January	Theatre Royal, Perth.
	30 January	New Century Theatre, Motherwell.
	6 February	Theatre Royal, Greenock.
	13 February	No engagement traced
	20 February	Royal Worcester Theatre, Bootle.
	27 February	Princes’ Theatre, Accrington.
	6 March	Theatre Royal, Hyde.
	13 March	No engagement traced
	20 March	Theatre Royal and Opera House, Merthyr Tydfil.
	27 March	No engagement traced
	3 April	Theatre Royal, Tonypandy.
	10 April	No engagement traced
	17 April	Poole’s Opera House, Perth.
		Harry Yorke’s Company H. LAWRENCE LAYTON as Holmes
	12 August	Theatre Royal, Blackburn.
	19 August	Theatre Royal, Hull.
	26 August	Theatre Royal, Dewsbury.
	4 September	Theatre Royal, Huddersfield.
	11 September	Queen’s Theatre, Manchester.
	18 September	Rotunda Theatre, Liverpool.
	25 September	Court Theatre, Warrington.
		From 3–14 October Chaplin played the role of Billy in William C. Gillette’s The Painful Predicament of Sherlock Holmes at the Duke of York’s Theatre, St Martin’s Lane, London.
		From 17 October to 2 December Chaplin played the role of Billy in William C. Gillette’s revival of Sherlock Holmes at the Duke of York’s Theatre, London. Royal Gala performance, 20 November.
1906		Harry Yorke’s Company
	1 January	Grand Theatre, Doncaster.
	8 January	No engagement traced
	15 January	New Theatre, Cambridge.
	22 January	Pavilion Theatre, Whitechapel Road, London.
	29 January	Dalston Theatre, London.
	5 February	Carlton Theatre, Greenwich.
	12 February	Crown Theatre, Peckham.
	19 February	Lyceum Theatre, Crewe.
	26 February	Theatre Royal, Rochdale.

Frohman at times had three Sherlock Holmes companies touring at the same time. Other boys who played the part of Billy the page included Walter Hicks, Cedric Walters and Ernest Hollern. The last-named took over from Chaplin when he left the 1905 tour to play the role at the Duke of York’s. Chaplin left the company on 30 September: nevertheless he received a favourable notice in The Era for his performance at the Theatre Royal, Preston, in the week of 2 October. Presumably his sudden departure had not given time to alter the programmes. It is a useful lesson that contemporary documentation must always be regarded with caution.