Star mezzos only live twice: Miss Hallande of Covent Garden.

In my ceaseless inquiring wandering through the theatre of the Victorian, and more recently, Georgian eras, there is, since publishing my Victorian Vocalists seven years ago, no particular rule as to what I light upon as fodder for my forensic research. Something catches my eye and ... if its the 'right day', away I go. Especially if the something involved has been otherwise ignored (or referred to without knowledge), by other writers.

I'm not talking about  choristers. Today's victim was an operatic leading lady at Covent Garden for several seasons, and starred round Britain for several more, before ....

Following her debut 'Miss HALLANDE' was rated, and cast at a level at least equivalent to Maria Tree, Kitty Stephens or Miss Paton. That debut was made in October 1821 when she was, allegedly ... well, nobody was quite sure. In fact, there was very little said about the lady in the press. She was said to have been born 'in Somerset', her father was 'a clergyman in Worcester'. All rather difficult to check up upon, for the Swedish-sounding surname of 'Hallande' fitted ill on an Anglican churchman's cassock.

I have worked really long and hard at this one, but I got there. 'Miss Hallande' was christened at St Swithin's, Walcot, 18 February 1800, as Julia ALLEN, a daughter of one William Allen, who may or may not have been a vicar, and his wife Elizabeth. So she was 21 when she came to Covent Garden, cast opposite Charles Kemble and billed above Miss Stephens in a piece entitled Don John. If she was a bit stage-frightened on the first night she quickly swung into gear, to rapturous reviews for her voice and singing. And praise for her lively performing. And it, quite simply, stayed that way. And the competition among the Garden's leading singing ladies seems to have been loyal: Julia's rich soaring mezzo, Kitty's agile trills and frills, Maria's all-round fine voice ...

So Julia was cast as Miranda in The Tempest (Maria was Ariel), as Silvia in Two Gentlemen of Verona...

Diana Vernon in Guy Mannering, Nannette in Fontainbleau, Kathlane in The Poor Soldier, Leonora in The Padlock, William in Rosina, Donna Isidora in Brother and Sister, Lucy in The Beggar's Opera and on occasion as Macheath to Kitty's Polly Peachum. When Miss Paton proved insufficient as Countess Almaviva, Julia was hurried on as her replacement (Kitty was Susanna), and she scored again as Carlos ('Sure, such a pair') in The Duenna. Ninetta in Clari, Daphne in Midas, Squalling Fran in Don Giovanni in London ..

She went a-touring to main centres, and then teamed up with star tenor, John Sinclair ... which is where my playbill comes in.

You can see at the bottom of the bill that, the other nights of the week, they played the most familiar of British musical plays ...  What the public wants ...

So, why is not Julia Hallande seen again in the patent theatres of London? There she is in 1825 appearing in Dublin, appearing in the repertoire with no less than John Braham and little Kitty grown great ... but when she returned to London, it was to play at the nearly completed Brunswick Theatre. And on 27 February 1828, during a rehearsal of Guy Mannering, the iron roof caved in. All the players and workmen, estimated at 230, were reported dead or 'deadfully mutilated'. 'The most melancholy forebodings prevail with regard to Miss Hallande ...'. But she was safe ...  The Sakers, who were late for rehearsal, saw the roof fall as they approached.

They say cats have nine lives. Mezzo-sopranos, alas, fewer.

Julia migrated to the Pavilion Theatre in Whitechapel and there I see her (the Pavilion was not covered much by the press) playing Mrs Christie in The Fortunes of Nigel alongside one Mr Hadaway, as David Ramsay. Mr Hadaway was Thomas Henry HADAWAY (b Worcestershire 18 January 1801). They were wed in Bloomsbury's St George's Church 10 May 1831.

Six months later (7 November 1831), they took ship for New York, and its Bowery Theatre. The Bowery! She who had been leading lady at Covent Garden. Nine months later, she was dead. The insanitary conditions of the Bowery led to both of the Hadaways falling prey to the cholera. Julia was taken after curtain fall, and dead by dawn. Tom, reported dead in the international press, in fact survived for sixty years, two wives, half a dozen children and the reputation as 'America's oldest actor'. He died 7 September 1892.

Bowery Theatre