ABSTRACT
Opera was never more than a small component of the season, but as an art form it had something of the respectability of concert. At the beginning of the middle decades, operatic music was familiar in Belfast, but with very few exceptions it was only to be heard in the concert room. In retrospect, however, the most notable event in Belfast theatrical affairs in the early 1860s was the arrival in September 1864 of Joseph Frederick Warden. Born in Hull, he acquired experience of a wide repertoire as an actor, and married Jenny Butler who performed in comedy roles as Jenny Bellair. Their portrayal of Sir Peter and Lady Teazle from R. B. Sheridan's play The School for Scandal would continue to delight Belfast audiences for many years. Warden and Mills opened their theatrical season on 21 September 1865, and in October there was speculation about their building of a new theatre.
