| Main Performers | Theatrical troupes:
Maids of Japan (from Shaftesbury Theatre),
Maeterlinckian (touring production of Blue Bird)
Bunty's family (from Haymarket Theatre),
Butterflies off the Wheel,
Man and Superman (disguised as cowboys, from Citerion Theatre),
Marionettes (from Comedy Theatre),
Follies (from Apollo Theatre),
Glad Eyes (from Globe Theatre)
Father Christmas (Mr Arthur Bourchier)
Fairies (Miss Unity Moore, Miss Phyllis Bedell, Miss Elise Craven, Miss Ivy Maynard, Miss Maynard, Miss Iris Hawkins, Miss June Tripp, Miss Yvonne Hebro, Miss Hero, Miss Florrie Lewis) |
| Set List | Dancing,
Theatrical Entertainment,
Father christmas and his sleigh pulled by Fairies,
Fake Snow Drop illuminated by naval searchlights,
Presentation of gifts |
| Performance Notes | The Ball, which returned to the Hall in 1919, 1920 and 1921, was masterminded by artist Augustus John.
'If Nature fails to arrange a proper Christmas, she cannot plead that Art has failed to show the way. In the Albert Hall last night it was easy to forget the dripping skies and warm, untimely air out of doors, so well had the traditional Christmas landscape been reproduced by the taste and toil of the Three Arts Club. The fancy dress ball organised by that infant organisation was a vast success, regarded either as a spectacle for the eyes or a performance for the feet
The interior of the hall was a study in green and white. Its most striking feature was a grove of snow-laden trees, towering 50ft. high, in front of the organ and behind Windeatt's orchestra. The hall was encircled under the boxes with white, simply festooned with laurel wreaths, among which shone out the names of the various rendezvous, such as 'Santa Claus', 'Peter Pan', 'Plum Pudding', 'Blue Beard', 'Punch Bowl', 'Mistletoe' and 'Baron of Beef'. A magnificent floor for dancing, 16,000 square feet in extent, hid the whole of the stalls and arena.'
(The Times, 21 December 1911)
Costumes worn included princes, peasants, knights, Quaker girls, courtiers, ladies of the Orient, historic aristocratic ladies, heroes of history and fiction, characters from fairy tales, orgres, witches, devils, clowns, columbines, brigands, bull fighters, costers, cowboys, Girl Scouts, Gainsborough Girls, Turks, and Italians.
Father Christmas's sleigh was designed by Mr Derwent Wood, Mr Walter Crane, John Hassall and Mr W K Hazelden. Gifts were distributed from the sleigh to ladies in the crowd.
Guests occupying boxes included Lord Cork, Lady Maitland, Sir Augustus FitzGeorge, Mr Alfred Rothschild, the Hon. Evalyn FitzGerald, Baroness de Langdorff, Miss Lilian Braithwaite (actress), Mrs Hope Hawkins, Miss Gabrielle Ray (actress, singer), Mr Dennis Eadie (actor), Mr Sutro, Sir Herbert Mackworth-Praed, Mrs Marjoribanke, Miss Marie Lohr (actress), Sir G Alexander, Mrs Frank Green (actress), Miss Lena Ashwell (actress), Mr Robert Mond, Miss Eva Moore (actress), Lady Speyer, Mrs Otto Beit (wife of Sir Otto Beit), Mr John Hassall, Mr Otho Stuart, Sir Charles Allen, Mme Kirkby Lunn (contralto), Mrs A Popplewell, Mr Landon Ronald, Lady Clarke-Jervoise, Lieutenant-Colonel A F Mulliner, Captain Mundey, Mrs Im Thurn, Miss Lily Brayton (actress, singer), and Miss Constance Drever (actress). |
| Related Archival Material | Illustration (RAHE/9/1911/1) |