A CHAT WITH CHRISTIE MURRAY.

Press, Volume XLVII, Issue 7737, 17 December 1890, Page 6

A CHAT WITH CHRISTIE MURRAY.

In an interview with a South Australian journalist, Christie Murray thus unbosoms i himself :— *• ' • ' ' ' . I "Before I made my debut on the stage lit bad for some time been in my mind to devote myself to dramatic writing, and, having come to this determination, I resolved that it would be the best thing to become thoroughly acquainted with the inside of the stage fron. an actor's point of view. And I can say that in the two -months' experience I have had of acting I. have learned enough of stage business to enable mc to improve my play," Chums, by quite 50 per cent. ••And have you given up novel writ.ug altogether, Mr Murray T _,_-.-. •• If I succeed as a dramatist I can say definitely that I shall write no more novels with the exception of one, the design of which Ihave had In my mind for the last fifteen years. It will be named "Paul Armstrong," and will be the autobiography of an ass. In this person I shall try to' paint a real live man, a clever fool, just exactly as he is with all his faults, and merits., Thackeray says that since "Tom Jones was written no writer has dared to paint a real man ; I" shall try to do it." " Have you been conscious of a dramatic instinct and impulse V *• My books have always been strongly dramatic both in Invention and incldaut, but "Wild Darrell" was my. first real experience in dramatic writing, and that work was produced In eoilaboration with Herman. It was arranged for theatrical representatloa for Mr Augustus Harris, but was not staged owing to the fear that the forest Are might frighten timid folk amoog the audience. There was no rear danger, for all the effects of the scene were to be given by means of the electric lights; it was only the realistic nature of the representation which it was thought might suggest the fear of fire. Just at than time there had been some dreadfol catastrophes from fires in places of an_usemea_, and the public was inclined to be timid, but in a year or two> this feeling will have subsided, and the play will be produced. We have another piece entitled "Good as Gold," which has been accepted, and is waiting production in London. The tendency of my mind for some time past has been towards dramatic Worku"' "You find a great difference, no doubt, between writing novels and writing plays I" " Between making a novel and dramatic writing there is a very marked difference. In constructing a novel you can follow the Chinese fashion and tell everything in the story as it goes forward. That style of composition will not do for the stage. Dramatic writing demands a broad touch; it is just as much a part of art as novel writing, but must be more swift and decisive, must concentrate into a single situation that which it would takes pages to describe ia a novel. The playwright needs to catch the necessary smack ot exaggeration an 1 no more, just as in. acting gesture and facial play tfeed always.to be a'little exaggerated. But It has always to be remembered that there is only one step from the sublime to the ridiculous." " What are your plans for the future?" "My movements are at present rather : uncertain. I have entered iato a business partnership with Mr Sk Maur. arid we tnaf go to India at the close of our season here, and ho home by way of China. We shall open in London In September of next year, and I am now at work on a social cbmedy which I have named "The Gilded Saob," and which I hope to have ready for production by that time. Another work I have on the anvil Is "The Barnacle." This play is founded on strange but actual facts . which I picked up in Tasmania. While over there I was put in possession of certain curious documents relating to circumstances in connection with.the old convict tife in that colony. X intend In "The Barnacle" to show tbejeffects on modern society of the complications which have arisen out of the dreadful old times of colonial convictism. Yet one more play I have in my mind; " False Fire" is the title. This is to be a romantic drama in blank verse. I hope * o get all these four Eieces ready for production next year 1 In ondon, and I mjsel_ shall play a leading part in each." "You mean, then, to continue to act?" "Yes, and the experience I thus gain will be invaluable to mc in constructing my plays. The advantage of learning the business behind the footlights thoroughly, in the only way possible for doing So, is incalculable to mc as a playwright. I thus gain a practical knowledge of stage effects, and can amend my works to suit'the'requirements of actual acting." Mr Murray here alluded to the criticism passed unon the accent of his broken English In the pare of Baron Hartfeldt," It hail been said it was Scotch rather than German. ' He explained that he spoke thirty or forty different dialects, and bad always been noted for his quick and exact imitations of different typical forms of speech. He then gave specimens of many of tbe various dialects spoken, in Scotland .and England, the Aberdoniah, Glasgow, Ayrshire, Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Stafford--shire, West country, and others;, and it must be. said Mr Murray has decided faculty for imitating the various peculiarities which mark the speech of the, people of different parts. In regard to the accent he uses as Baron Hartfeldt he said: —"It is Zuricher,'that is Swiss German, and I adopted it for a dear old friend of mine, Jean Ganz, to whom I dedicated my Bit of Human Life. The exactitude with which I could reproduce Gang's fashion of speech used to be a standing joke among our mutual friends for years." "Do you form your style of acting on any particular model ¥' " I haven't seen anyone in any of the part I have yet played. lam glad I did not see Beerbohm Tree as Baron Hartfeldt, because he was the original in the part, and made a great hit with it, and if I had seen him I might feel bound to follow the reading of so accomplished an actor, whereas, as things are, lam free to work out my own conception." '' Do you superintend the rehearsing of yourplays." "In that respect I have to be very humble, for. one wants vast, experience before attempting stage management; I watch the rehearsals very closely," bat I leave tbe directions to Mr St. Maur. I have, however, a final voice In the selection. of the artistes. I am learning stage management, and informing myself in every way In connection with dramatic ; effect, so as to be able to write my plays with tull knowledge of how they should be E performed. No dramatist can hope for < success who is without a thorough | knowledge of the stage. Let mc instance | Sheridan, who was born on the stage, and . Tom Robertson in oar time." ! ■** ladmiti" remarked Mr Murray, ** that I have taken up this new line rathe; late in life. People are not slow to tell mc so. I have received most amusing letters, some anonymous, from various good - people, warning mc that I am throwing myself away. Then lam told that I joined Mr St. Maur because I was hard up. also that Z can't go back to Europe for fear of being laughed at. Oh, I don t know what funny things! haven't learnt about myself in this w&y.Now,here*Btbepiai&. truth. If I like to break my back at my old work In the Old Country I can make __2QOS a year, whereas one -single successful play will bring mc in £2Q,000. n *: -j

The monument in Montmartre Cemetery, Paris, to the memory of Csriotta Patri deMuack, better knowa as Carlotti Patti, has been completed. It coasists of a column-in hard Enville stone, three metres high, which bears a bronze medallion, on which is inscribed the date of death—Juno 27, 1883. Under this are the verses addressed many years, ago to the charming " songstress by Aipho*aae Karr. Wolfe's Schnapps—Be ware of dan^sroos Counterfeits. :•--:-.;;-,>;-■ ■'. .--*.,"'- ■*■•:•.•■:•■'/•■■;..■" ■ .. Wolfe's Schnapps—Oalf those who haVo never used the genntoearticle_u»impoa«d noon