MISS LINGARD'S DRESSINGROOM.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 5477, 7 February 1885, Page 5

MISS LINGARD'S DRESSINGROOM.

ALICE INTERVIEWED,

Won't You Have a Drink.'

Tin: following description of Miss Lingard a ■■"i mill >ii, or perhaps woshoiild say "buweiy' at tlio I'rinces Theatre, London (whero she

has so Ion;' been playing tho demented

heroine, of " (Jailed Hack," may, our London correspondent thinks, be of interest to the ninny colonial admirers of the lady. Tho daring pressman who penetrated its mysteries is on tho t-ralVof that enterprising red-hot-Tory rag, the "Evening News, and describes his experience thus: —

" What it fascination 'Behind theScentu' possesses for somo classes of theatre-goers. It seems to them n wonderland as full of mystery as Equatorial Africa. A few evenings ago I happened to penetrate that unknown region which lies beyond the curtain. Nay, more, I succeeded in ontoring that theatrical sanctum the dressing room of the

' lirst lady ' at a leading London theatre. She had given me an appointment thuro a few days before on it matter of business, at 8.80 sharp. ' For then,' sho said, ' I luivo n good half-bour's leisure.' I represented to her how vain might provo tho attempt to pass (ho gate of tho Inner Circle, and with what tc:mt courtesy the.janitor of the stage door would probably disposo ot my application. 'Say that Miss Lingiird ilosiros you l,n bo admitted, and admitted you will bo,' replied I ho lady, wilh a gesture before which Cerberus himnolf would havo quailed. I thought, nlhenvise, and provided my.-olf with Mis-iLiugard'scard usu more uffimktiul 'open Batumi. At Imlf-fMisfc eight, thon, I presented mysolf at the stage-door of the I'rinces Theatre. 'I wi.th to huo Miss Lingard,' I said deferentially to tho Htitlwart sergeant who throned it in tholiUle

glass box. Mo glared at mo for a moment iv unity astonishment. ' It's Alias Lingnrd you wish to »00, is it. Well, then, nobody's admitted buL what's business on tho stage. I enn't take no messages in.' Finding, as I expected, that thosorgoant would prove inexorable, I produced the lady's card. ' Oh, 1 bog your piirdsn, sir, .1 wasn't aware 'he lady oxpoctod you. I'ray step in,' was the roady reply of tho molHlicd giant. 1 passed through, to lind pasted on a door at the left the name of ' Miss Lingard.1 In response to a knock it was opened a couple of inches by a dresser clad in black with a coquettish white apron. 1 was requested to walk into the little croon-room tor a few minutes, when the lady would receive mo. In the greenroom I found the villain of tho piece in friendly converse with the gontleman, whom in twenty-live minutes ho will stab to death boforo the curtain ; while the spy, who will in the third act bring down tho curtain with iv couple of pi"tolshnts, which effectually disposo of the villain, makes a third in tho party. ' Oh, Mr Macau,' 1 said, 'I must compliment you on your performance last night.' 'Oil,- replied Mr Bee ( .bol,m-Tra>, modestly, ' it's a very trood part.' A summons from Mis.-, Lmgard's droiwor, and 1 am introduced to a tiny littlo room beeonv. in the French style. The walls were covered with chintz of a charming pattern, which the cheery tiro in the grate brightened up with the dickering light, The littlo room, as Miss Lingard told me, h.id been newly decorated from her own designs, and was now tho prettiest ' lirst lady'.s' dressing-room in any London theatre ; though it struck mo as rather too tiny to accommodate the elongated trains which aro tho vogue on the stage, and must almost cover the lloor. A sofa is heaped up with the woll-known coatumes of 'Called Mack. 1

"At n. dressing-tab.le, boforo » glass, sits Paulino in a simple white ea.shiu.ero robe, which displays to perfection tho outlines of hen magnificent hguio. Sho was putting the finishing touches tv her 'mako up'; and I must confess that her beautiful face looked white and ghostly under tho amount of violet powder which I suppose is required (o produce) tho necessary effect bo hind tho footlights. ' Won't you have a drink 1 wan ruthor a startling question to ouo introduced for the first timo into the bower of a theatrical Vonus. I assented at once, prepared forall events, when Pauline produced a black bottle from under tliu muslin covor of her dressing table, and filled mo a tumbler half full of brown sherry. Thin was proso indeed, but 1 (.wallowed my illusions -and the sherry ! ' Had 1 recovered my fright of SundayV' asked Miss Lingard, alluding to her pot bloodhound' Wanda' havingjumpod, as 1 thought, at my throat, whon I entered her lirawing-rooni on tho afternoon of that day, though 1 was iispurcd aftorwai i.U It was

'only WimilnV pretty way.' While I am chatting with Miss Lingard ill to her experiences in America, Australia, Now 7/oal'ind, and the South Son Islands- for she has boon a world-wide traveller—threu p.troicrH on a guiig aro heard. 'I must go now,'she said, '[shan't bo many minutes. Wait till I come back.' A round »f applause from parts unknown, and sho comes again into this room vory cold, declaring that tlio theatre is an ice-house ; and now sho is really obligod to givo mo my coaije, for tho charming dove coloured dress on tho sofa must bo assumed in the next act, and ho wo pay adieu.

Miss Lingard has had but a brief experience on the [(Otidon atajjo, but, unless 1 am mistiikon, j'ho lms not been seen yet in comedy here. To havu made nearly i'l,ollo a week for some time on tho Rt./iga of Sun Francisco, to have followod Kistori in Australia, And drawn as well as that great artist, i* a fortunate experience given to but few actresses. Coi'tftinly she must prove a great acquisition to the London stuge, already not too rich in rtrtixtex able to impersonate tho dclicatoand tiuo shades of the higher modern comedy. Thoro is a rumour that those bright, particular dramatic stars, Hermann and Wills, aro about to be in conjunction, and that this portends something dramanic to Miss Colin Lingard, who must noon vanish from tho pvotty drcs<-ing-rouin, and from tlio Prince's stago eho has su much adorned (to make room for tho beautiful Jersey Lily, fresh from her American triumphs), to find, no doubt, a congenial home on other London boards.,