The Grim Goblin

The Grim Goblin; or, Harlequin Octopus, the Devil Fish, and the Fairies of the Flowery Dell was a burlesque pantomime first performed at the Royal Grecian Theatre in London in 1876 with George Augustus Conquest and Herbert Campbell in the cast.

The King and Prince Pert make the journey, but the Grim Goblin has carried the treasure to his stronghold, the Dragon's Dell, where a wonderful phantom fight takes place: ... introducing many entirely new features, and some of the most astounding leaps, dives and flights ever witnessed at the Grecian, where it appears as natural for the human form to be seen flying through the air or projected through the floor, as to assume the ordinary postures of mankind.

The grotesque movements of the animal are so naturally, and at the same time so humorously assumed, that one might fancy Mr. Conquest had spent a greater portion of his life in studying monkey antics.

[5] The New York Clipper of 14 August 1880 gave details of the production, including the action and cast: - Wallack's Theatre was opened for a preliminary season Thursday night, when George Conquest, his son George, and his daughter Laura, made their American debut, supported by a company composed of English and American professionals who performed The Grim Goblin, which may be described as a compound of pantomime and burlesque, liberally interlaced with athletic feats and many of those specialties which have made the Conquests famous in England for many years past.

The piece is in two acts, and its plot and dialogue are of the flimsiest description... Mr. Conquest displayed rare skill in his make-up for the various characters he assumed, and for his impersonation of the dwarf, as which he seemed to be only about three feet high; for the working of the demon head, which was trunkless and capable of giving a great variety of expression to its features; for the rock-fiend, he being apparently dug out of a solid wall: and as the bat, Geo.

The flight was successfully accomplished, but after he had grasped the rope and had descended a few feet it parted, and Mr. Conquest fell a long distance, striking the stage with a heavy thud.

During the excitement behind the scenes, and the infux of strangers to learn the result of the accident, many exaggerated reports naturally galned circulation, and among these was one which subsequently found its way into print, to the effect that the broken rope gave evidence of having been cut.

Two days before the pantomime was withdrawn, a similar accident befell Mlle Etheria, the flying fairy - who was actually the young Ada Conquest who, on making her final descent fell to the stage when her wire broke.

Another performer attempted to catch her but she hurtled through his arms and, landing on her head, broke her nose and knocked out several teeth, but to reassure the audience that she had not been seriously injured walked to the front of the stage with her brother.