blackmore's association with the d'oyly carte opera company spanned almost 30 years. in october 1893, he created the small role of sir bailey barre, one of the 'flowers of progress', in gilbert and sullivan's "utopia, limited" at the savoy theatre in london. from 1894–96 he performed with a d'oyly carte touring company, playing captain fitzbattleaxe in "utopia", ralph rackstraw in "h.m.s. pinafore", picorin in "mirette", vasquez in "the chieftain", the duke of dunstable in "patience", marco in "the gondoliers", nanki-poo in "the mikado" and ernest dummkopf in the first british provincial production of "the grand duke".