Enrico Muzio

Enrico Muzio (tenor)

Enrico MUZIO appeared at the Leas Pavilion in Ronald FRANKAU’s production of Cabaret Kittens from 8-23 June 1925 and again from 21-26 September 1925.  Others in the cast were Vera CLARKE, Milton EDWARDS, Renee Ambrose, Gwen ALBAN, Conrad LEONARD and Ronald FRANKAU.

He also appeared in the same production from 18-23 June 1928.

Enrico MUZIO was born in Naples in 1892/3 and worked in the UK throughout the 1920s and 1930s, appearing in productions in most music hall venues.  He received acclaim for his singing with references to ‘the brilliant tenor’, ‘the renowned tenor’ and praised for his ability to ‘sing equally well in English, French and Spanish’ – and, one assumes, Italian!

In 1931 in The Stage magazine published on 24 December it is noted that ‘last Friday (the magazine is published on a Thursday) he sailed from Southampton on RMS Balmoral Castle to ‘fulfil engagements with Messrs African Theatre.’

In 1934 he appeared with Jimmy JEWELL (of Jewell and Warriss) and in the same year with the Three Stooges and Eddie GRAY (Monsewer Eddie Gray).  In 1935 he appeared with Tommy HANDLEY of ITMA (It’s That Man Again) fame.

One of the last records for him in The Stage Archive is entertaining at the No 1 Balloon Barage Group in February 1939.  After that there is one record on 3 November 1939, when he appeared in a Sunday afternoon concert in Southsea, then nothing more.

https://archive.thestage.co.uk

In the Guardian Archive there is a piece ‘The problems of the imperfect landlady’ attributed to Enrico Muzio which includes a photo of him practising in the bath at one of his lodgings.  One cannot be too surprised that landladies might not take too kindly to having their bathrooms taken over as a rehearsal studio.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/Jul/01/renting-lodgers-landlady-imperfect-1930-archive

From here, the story takes a very sad turn.

On 2 July 1940 the U-boat U-47 torpedoed the Arandora Star which was en route for Canada.  She went down off the Hebrides carrying a complement of 1,670 souls, including 479 German internees, 734 Italian internees and some German POWs, with a military guard of 200 men, the Captain and crew.

Enrico MUZIO was one of the Italian internees who did not survive.  Nearly half of those on board were lost.  A full account can be found on https://www.clydemaritime.co.uk

A comment on Scottish Review re the Isle of Barra reads – ‘the grave you looked at on Cille Bharraidh was that of  Enrico MUZIO, an opera singer from Napoli who lived in London.  He was an internee from the Arandora Star heading for Canada in July 1940 when she was torpedoed off the West coast of the Hebrides.  More on https://www.scottishreview.co.uk

A sad end for a man who just wanted to sing.

Enrico MUZIO 1892/3 – 2 July 1940 (aged 47).