Martyn Green on Encores in The Mikado

Correspondent Robert Morrison writes:

The encores of 'Here's a How-de-do' and 'The Flowers That Bloom in the Spring' used in the 1939 film of The Mikado may not have been as originally staged, but they were, albeit, modifications of the encores performed on stage by Martyn Green during this period, as evidenced by the follow extracts.]

Martyn Green, Here's A How-de-do:
Travelling with Gilbert and Sullivan
(Max Reinhardt: London, 1952)

[While appearing with the D'Oyly Carte Co. on Broadway during their American tour of 1936, Martyn Green attended a party hosted by Marion and Milton Ross where each of the guests were given a small present representing their professions.]

"My present at that party was a little celluloid fan, suggestive of Ko-Ko in The Mikado, and it was the beginning of what became known as 'Martyn's little fan business.' It happened in this way. Marion and Milton were once again seated in the front row at the Martin Beck; it was the day following the party, and I was wondering whether I could think up something to give them a personal laugh, when my eye fell on the small celluloid fan lying on my dressing table. I at once had an idea. During one of the encores to 'Here's a how-de-do!' I palmed the thing in my right hand — I have always been fond of indulging in simple feats of legerdemain — and right at the end of the number when I was standing directly in front of Marion and Milton I quietly 'disappeared' the ordinary fan and produced the little one in its place. Not for a moment did I think it would strike anyone but Marion and Milton as funny. They knew its history; the rest of the audience did not. Moreover, I did not really think anyone beyond the front row would be able to see it or recognise it for what it was. To my surprise the whole house rocked. Marion and Milton practically did another 'disappearing ' act under their seats, and as for Derek Oldham, I must again plead guilty to being the cause of complete 'dry up ' on his part. From that it was obvious that this small fan could be seen from every part of the house, and I continued to use it, never failing to bring a very big laugh. One day I mislaid it, so I hurriedly cut down one of the normal fans to half size. It served its purpose but was not quite so good as the very little one. Then I found the celluloid one again, and as I was preparing to go on I found myself wondering whether the two of them could not be used to advantage, the half-sized one first, and for the next encore a still smaller one. I thought I'd try it. I did. The result was we had to take another encore!"

Martyn Green's Treasury of Gilbert & Sullivan
(Simon and Schuster: New York, 1961)

"The Flowers that Bloom in the Spring": Two encores are traditionally the limit for this duet — although the audience usually wants more — because Ko-Ko has to make a quick change on the side of the stage and doesn't want to become too breathless dancing and then have to re-enter in the same condition.

To make some sort of a change between the first time through and the first encore Nanki-Poo goes into a cadenza (Ko-Ko is seated on the floor). Ko-Ko then sings his verse, still seated, and for some inexplicable reason finds his big toe sticking up. He pushes it down with his fan, but it won't stay down. After several tries, he gets to his feet and tries once more to push it down, only to find that as it does so the other one comes up. That one is pushed down and up comes number one toe again. This is too much for him so he stamps on it, hurts himself badly, and hops off the stage nursing the damaged toe. The second encore is mimed by Ko-Ko who brings on a big fan and draws a shocking caricature of Katisha on it, shows it to the audience, and ends up by making a sort of a bonnet out of it round Pooh-Bah's head. The toe business, it is said, was invented by Henry Lytton. He trod on a tin-tack — a very short and sharp pointed nail used for tacking down stage cloths, and inadvertently lifted his big toe, a thing he didn't know he could do until that moment. The audience thought it was very funny, and the bit remained in. However, he only used one toe. I can never remember the time when I couldn't lift both toes up. Well — up to 1959!

[NB. In 1959 Martyn Green had his left leg amputated after it was crushed in a serious accident in a New York lift.]

[In the film, the toe business is used for the encore to 'Here's a How-de-do' rather than that of 'The Flowers that Bloom in the Spring'.]