AN INTERVIEW WITH HARRY RICKARDS.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7383, 8 August 1889, Page 2

AN INTERVIEW WITH HARRY RICKARDS.

Comiques Past and, Present. Harry Eickards and a first clasn Specialty Company will arrive in New Zealand at the latter end of September, opening at Dunedin. The Company has just concluded a long season at St. George's Hall, Melbourne, and are at present on a flying visit to the inland towns of New South Wales. The tour will be under the management of that popular agent, Mr W. A. Jinkins. A representative of the Melbourne Evening Standard recently interviewed the great coraique, when the following interesting facts of " comiques past and present " were elicited :~ "Wheu I commenced my professional career !a : 1808, Vance and Leybourne were the great representatives of the style of entertainment to which I have since devoted my life, and in which, I think I can, without vanity, say I have won a large measure of success and distinction in nearly all English speaking parts of the world; And speaking of Leybourne reminds mc that when he died, , and both have now passed away, a mutual friend commented thus :— * Ah, poor George !he drew the largest audiences while he lived, and had the biggest funeral when he died.' '

" I was a civil engineer in London when in the year named I accompanied some friends to Knightebridge, and at the Sun Hall, hearing & variety entertainment which included comic vocalism, the idea came into my head that I could go and do likewise, and I did. In 1868 I was introduced to Mr John Wilton, of Wilton's Hall, who, hearing mc sing, at once offered mc an engagement, which! accepted, and sang comic and topical song 3. My success was such that in the course of a few months Mr Charles Morton, the proprietor of the Oxford and Canterbury Halls, secured my services for those houses, and my income jumped at one bound to £20 a week. I remained therd for three years, and if thejesue of songs associated with a singer is an indication of then I had no reason to be dissatisfied, "as, I think, no vocalist, before or since, has had so much published with his name upon it as a claim for it of favourable recognition. One of my great successes at this time was ' Captain Jinke of the Horse Marines,' which became world-famous, and has been repeatedly eung sine'e by W. H. Llngard and Billy Emerson.

" Acting upon the hint given by Enderby Jackson, I brought out a company to Australia in 1872 and opened at the old Princess's Theatre on the occasion of a benefit tendered to Mrs Mary Gladstane, under the management of MrL.M. Bayleas. Subsequently I played long and successful seasons at that theatre, afc Bt. George's Hali, at the Apollo Hall, which was expressly built for mc, and in nearly every city and important centre throughout the whole of the colonies. Since then I have been home twice and retnrned with new companies, o£ which that now playing with mc is the fourth. It 13.n0w my intention to settle In Melbourne, and If my schemes are carried oat I %hall build a theatre especially adapted to my line of business, and then pay a flying visit to London and engage a flrst-claas company for it. I have said, Vance and Leyboariie were at the top of the tree when I commenced climbing it, but there were others like- George Hartley, Brian, and Connelly ("the Nerves") Stead ("the Cure"), Arthur Lloyd, Nelly Power, &c, most of whom are now gone. Of coarse there have been, and are still, imitators, and you have had several here. Charles Godfrey trhtvby the way, made mc a present of " Oα Guard," and a great number of other successful impersonations, including ' The Bridge, , makes between £80 and £100 a week; and Jennie Hill, another well-

knownartist, who has kindly sent meouft *W and £80. Some of those who earned names for themselves in this nro«seion have attained celebrity in other branches of dramatic art, as, for in. stance, Arthur Roberts, who is now a celebrated comedian. It was, and afwavt has been, my desire and ambition to be. come a comediau, and I have acted on several occasions In that capacity. I have playedtheeading star part in the pant* mime at Wllepn Barretfs Grand Theatre; Leeds and intended to bring out and play in Ihe Lights o , London 'in the colonies only I was juat tweuty-four hours too late to secure the rights, which had passed tn Mr George Rignold and Mr .Tames Allison You will have noticed that, as far as practicable I make my entertainment take the form of comediettas.

" There is the greatest possible difference bctweeu the comic singers of the time when I commenced and those of today. It is a fashion, and tastes have altered as completely as the types of charaoter caricatured. Think of the "Dundreary " of twenty years apro and the " masher of to-day, and the change will be apparent at once. That is only one example out of many which could readily be cited. Then the difference In the style of songs has made a difference in the style of singers, and has also had the effect of limiting the field and the workers In Jt, Now the necessity has arisen for the sinner to be an actor as well. Acted songs, Hire "The Bridge," for instance, are what people want, and hence a man who cau only sing and cannot act is speedly cut out of the running.

" The taste of my patrons in Melbourne is far above that of the London music hall goer, and they require a batter entertainment. You need nave no fear that a good show will succeed. It will, andtheiulroduction of vulgarity will condemn the best. That is my experience, $nd that is why I endeavour to my utmost to elevate the tone of my companies, and produce nothing but higher class programmes free from anything which could possibly offend."

Then there Iβ a call for ".Rickards," and the little chat perforce concludes.