| Main Performers | Lady Mayoress,
Lady Alexander,
Lady Noreen Bass,
The Earl of Lonsdale,
Mr J J Shannon RA - judges |
| Secondary Performers | Father Christmas - Mr George Grossmith,
Fairy Godmother - Mrs George Fitzwilliam |
| Set List | PROCESSION
'The Forty Theives' (organised by the students of University College Hospital)
'Dick Whittington' (organised by Lady Elizabeth Dawson, Lady Constance Hatch, Mrs Edwin Hanson, and Alderman Hanson),
'A Russian Fairy Story' (organised by Mrs Asquith),
'Simbad The Sailor',
'Lavender Blue',
'Sleeping Beauty' (organised by Lord Alington),
'Maid Marion' (organised by Mrs Herbert Jessel),
'Peter Pan' (organised by Mrs Berkeley Levett),
'Jack and the Beanstalk' (organised by Lady Garvagh),
'The Blue Bird' (organised by Lady Alington),
'Alladin' (organised by Mrs Emile Mond),
'Cinderella' (organised by Lady Ada Fitzwilliam and Mrs George Fitzwilliam),
'The Twelve Dancing Princesses (organised by Lady Sheffield of Alderley),
'Alice in Wonderland' (arranged by the Hon Mrs Reginald Parker),
'The Water Lily and the Gold Spinners' (organised by Lady Cohen and Mrs R. Waley Cohen),
'Hop O' My Thumb' (organised by Mrs Freeman Murray),
'Old King Cole and his Fiddlers Three' (organised by Mr Charles Pettit),
'The Malingerer' (organised by Miss Marie Tempest),
'The Yellow Dwarf' (organised by Lady Baring and Mr C. Aubrey Smith),
'A Harlequinade' (organised by Mr George Grossmith) |
| Royal Presence | HRH Princess Beatrice,
HRH Princess Henry of Battenberg,
HRH Prince Leopold of Battenberg |
| Performance Notes | 27 processions representing scenes from various fairy tales upon which Christmas pantomimes and other plays have been founded. The event started at midnight and prizes were presented on the evening by HRH Princess Beatrice. During the ball Santa Claus arrived on his sleigh, drawn by a reindeer, loaded with thousands of crackers for distribution to the ladies present. The crackers contained souvenirs.
A review of the Ball stated, "...We walked into a colossal stage, or drawing room, or nursery - which was it? - all white and gold from ceiling to floor, and holly and mistletoe all about us, and fairy light twinkling and blazing in our fairy-land, and music that made it impossible to keep still; and found ourselves part of a crowd of such splendour and, oddity and fun and dignity, so sumptuous and so grotesque, so gorgeous and so ridiculous, that we hardly knew whether to bow low in awe or to shout with laughter, or to do both at once."
(The Times, 5 December, 1912).
The white and gold decorations were installed by messrs John Barker and Co. and supper was provided by Mr. Elliott of Islington.
Guests at the event included Mrs Meyer Sassoon, HRH Prince Leopold of Battenberg, Lord and Lady Dufferin, Lord and Lady Malmesbury, Lord John Cavendish, Colonel and Lady Sarah Wilson, Mrs Walter Rubens, Lord Alington, Mr Holbech. (The Observer, 24 November 1912, page 8) |
| Related Archival Material | Illustration |