THE PLAY AND PLAYERS.

i [Bt Prompter in " Canterbury Times." I | The Lucifers have arrived in Auckland, under engagement to. Mr Abbott. Miss LilGe Mowbray has left the Henry Dramatic Company, and accepted an engagement with Mr Pollard. Miss Maud Williamson will be given a, benefit in Dunedin to-night. The members of the Ernest Toy Concert Company will assist. , The Moore-Roberts Company ended a moderately successful season in Wellington on March 27. It proceeded to Gisborne, and then on to Auckland, where it is now playing. The Pollard Company opened in Wellington on Monday night. Its season will extend over three weeks, during which the majority of the company's best-known pieces will be performed. During its present Wellington season the Pollard Company will produce a new burlesque -written round the story of v Blackeyed Susan." Mr Bevt'Royal is the librettist of the new work, and Mr Harrison has composed the music. . It is scarcely likely that the " Firm " will send its opera company to New Zealand during the approaching winter. Mr Pollard has secured from Messrs Williamson and Musgrove the right to produce " The Geisha." in the colony. . The "British Australasian" states that Miss Zcala Sampson, of New Zealand, who is acting in Mr William Hogarth's company tit the' Metropole Theatre, Camberwell, played with great sxiccess, the part of Germaine in "Les Cloches des Corneville." Who is Miss Zeala Sampson? Dante is experiencing a most successful season &b the -Sydney Palace Theatre. "The Geishiv" is running with undr.ninished popularity at Her Majesty's Thetii.ro, Sydney. Mr Brough revived " The Second Mrs Tiinquerny " at the Melbourne Princess's on March 19. When the mail left Melbourne, the last nights of "The White Heather" had been announced. Mr Alfred Rolfe and Mrs Rolfe (Miss Lily Dampier) have returned to Australia after a protracted absence in England. A new departure has been made at die Royal Standard Theatre, Sydney, where admission is now obtainable by presentation of a silver coin. Messrs Williamson and Musgrove produced their Christmas pantomime, " The Forty Thieves," at the Theatre Royal, Adelaide, on Saturday. Miss Beryl Paber, who was a popular favourite in a former Brough Comedy Company, is now a member of Mr George Alexander's Company in London. A benefit will be tendered to Miss Pattie Browne at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, on Friday. Miss Browne has recovered from the serious illness which recently affected her. Mr Alfred Dampier is fifty-two years oil. He is a miin with a wondrous knowledge of Shakespere, remarks Adelaide ' Quiz," arid fittingly enougli he began his stage earrer at Stratford-on-Avon. Miss Dora de Winton and her husband* Mr Stunders, have sailed from London. They are to join Mr Charles Holloway'. Dramatic Company at the Lyceum Theatre, Sydney. The new company opened at the Lyceum on Saturday in " Our Guardian Angel." Miss Lydia Thompson, whoSe sister, Mrs Henry Bracy (Miss Clara Thompson), is an old favourite of the colonial stage, is to be accorded a great benefit in London. Her committee, which is headed by Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, includes the Earls of Londesborough, Durham, Wharncliffe, Hardwicke, and Carrington, Sir Henry Irving, Sir Douglas Straight, Sir Squire Bancroft, Sir Arthur Sullivan, most of the leading metropolitan managers, and a large mm- ; ber of the best-Tmown London actors and actresses. The following paragraphs are from the 'Sydney Bulletin*' :— Fred J. Broomfield, of Sydney, is writing a four-act drama for George Eignold, with Paul Kruger as the central character. The masterful Oom Paul, washed and civilised, and with his hair cut, would make a grand central figure for a military play, and Broomfield takes the liberty of washing Paul, in which matter he does old Kruger a much-needed kindness. . . . Apropos " Three Musketeers.'' The day before the death of Dumas he ■ said to his son : " Tell me, Alexandre, as a critic and a brother artist, is there anything- of mine that will live?" "Yes!" said Alex., '"The Musketeers,' for ever!" "' Rupert of Hentzau " is being dramatised by Mr Anthony Hope, and this sequel to " The> Prisoner of Zenda" will be produced fey Mr George Alexander at an early date. Mr George Titheradge played at the old CouTt Theatre .. (London) twenty years ago with Miss Ellen Terry, Mr John Hare and Miss Amy Roselle, when he won a big success as the villain in Bulwer Lytton's "House of" Darnley." A cable message states that -Mr Kyrle Bellew is to play the part of Ollivier in M. Victorien Sardou's drama " Robespierre," which is to be produced at the London Lyceum after Easter. Sir Henry Irving will take the part of Robespierre. Miss Cissie Loftus, the burlesque actress, is suing here for a, divorce from her husbiuul. Air Justin Huntly M'Carthy, son of MV Justin M'Csivtliy, tli« English M.P. She admits that she is still on friendly terms with her husband, though there have been personal quarrels between them. Mr Clement K. Shorter, in the " Sketch," expresses regret that a- disposition to undermine Sir Henry Irvine's popularity in certain quarters has been unwittingly assisted by journals," the editors of which would never willingly have given him a moment's pain. "Editors, both English and American, have been unconscious ot the indirect influences which hud furnished forth ■certain paragraphs that they published. These stories, which have appeared indiscriminately in New York and in London, have told us that Miss Terry was leaving Irving; that his thc/tre.was to ie Hold ; that he was in hopeless financial embarrassment; that he was to be made thei object of a public subscription, and so on. All this," says Mr Shorter, " is absolutely false. Sir Henry will return to tho stajje in the company of Miss Terry, the Lyceum is not to be sold, and it is not proposed to raise any public subscription for the great actor." Thus far, on the authority of Sir Henry himself. Then follows Mr Shorter's addition thereto, which will meet with an" echo in the breast of every playgoer that loves the art and honours its greatest ami one of its most earnest exponents. "That there may b?. at some time or other a testimonial to him in recognition of his "great services to the British drama every one of his admirers must hope ; and all his admirers will rejoice that after his severe illness the strain of theatre management is to be lessened by the taking over of the Lyceum by a small private company upon terms exceed ingly generous to the famous actor-manager, who will thus be able to devote all his best energies and ripe judgment to the stage itself, without the pressure of counting-house details and the drudgery of the mere .business working of the front of the house. With such an accession of time and freedom dediactftd to tho art of which Ihe stage has probably nerer had so complete an all-round master, one may well look forward to a future for xho Lyceum, not only worthy of its highest traditions, "but surpassing} them in competition with other deservedly successful actor-managers who have been inspired by his work and example."