Chorus Gents - Waiter

Here’s a chorus gentlemen who may easily have been designed by Caroline Siedle for the same show as the last chorus gent I posted, the Saloon Keeper. At any rate both are wearing the same red-striped trousers! It's been suggested that this might have been drawn for The Monks of Malabar, a 1900 production which was set in India, but so far I've been unable to confirm that.

An inscription at the bottom of the board identifies this as "Waiter Act 2 Chorus Gent". On the back of the board is an obscure little note reading "No. 34 Niles" along with a slight partial sketch of something, perhaps the waistline of this or another piece.

Niles may possibly be the name of the chorus gent in question who was to play the waiter, but it's really not enough for identifying the use of this design. It's a striking costume, with the exaggerated pointed epaulets on the shoulders and the large buttons down the front of the jacket. The pointed cuffs of the sleeves and turned up toes of the slippers also lend an exotic tone to this gentleman, and the row of pearls lining the vest together with the crisp red & white color scheme give this waiter an elegant finish. It would have been a stylish cafe, or restaurant!

The poses and expressions chosen by Siedle for the characters in her designs often provide an extra spark of animation. This gives a sense of personality to the images, as opposed to a generic mannequin showing a costume. While the figures don’t necessarily resemble the actors portraying the roles, they do provide a lively sense of performance!