THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Bernard Manning as Dick Deadeye in H.M.S. Pinafore

Bernard Manning (1920-25)

[Born Derbyshire 1888, died Perth, Australia 1961]

Bernard Manning sang as a boy in the choir at the Lichfield Cathedral in Staffordshore before moving to Queensland, Australia, due to ill health. There he continued his vocal training while a tenor at Brisbane Anglican Cathedral. When his health improved he returned to England where he continued his musical studies and appeared on the concert stage before joining the D'Oyly Carte "New" Opera Company as principal baritone in May 1920.

With the "New" Company he appeared as Counsel to the Plaintiff in Trial by Jury (June 1921-March 1923), Dick Deadeye in H.M.S. Pinafore (July 1923-June 1925), the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance (June 1921-June 1923), the Earl of Mountararat in Iolanthe (July 1923-June 24), Pish-Tush (May 1920-May 1921) and the Mikado (July 1922-June 1925) in The Mikado, Sir Roderick Murgatroyd in Ruddigore (July 1924-June 1925), the Lieutenant of the Tower (May 1920-May 1921) and Sergeant Meryll (June 1921-June 1925) in The Yeomen of the Guard, Annibale (May 1920), Luiz (May 1920-November 1922), and Giuseppe (December 1922-June 1924) in The Gondoliers, and Sergeant Bouncer in Cox and Box (July 1924-June 1925). He left the D'Oyly Carte organization in June 1925.

Manning then returned to Australia where he appeared regularly in the Gilbert & Sullivan operas with the J. C. Williamson organization between 1926 and 1949. He was Sir Roderick in the Australian premier of Ruddigore in Sydney in August 1927, and also appeared in Trial by Jury, H.M.S. Pinafore (as Dick Deadeye), The Pirates of Penzance (as the Pirate King), Patience (as Colonel Calverley), Iolanthe, Princess Ida, The Mikado (as the Mikado), The Yeomen of the Guard, and Cox and Box (as Bouncer).

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