Miss Jennie Lee on Australia.

Evening Star, Issue 7254, 4 July 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

Miss Jennie Lee on Australia.

Miss Jennie Lee has been playing “Jo ” about thirteen years. This talented little lady, speaking of her trip through the colonies, says:—“ I arrived in Sydney without having made any arrangements with any of the managers. I was the first star that the triumvirate had ever playedjn Melbourne. “Jo” was played for five j months, which was something unprecedented in Melbourne. After that 1 returned to Sydney, and played there at the Theatre Royal for three months. The engagement was a large one, the receipts frequently reaching L4OO per' night. After the completion of my season at Sydney I went to Tasmania, playing at Hobart on my way to New Zealand. I played in all the principal towns, and you will hardly believe I played in Dunedin for nine weeks in pieces in my repertoire. I visited Invercargill, Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland, and then back to Sydney, playing my engagement at the Opera House, From thence to Adelaide for six weeks, and then again to Hobart and Melbourne. I found the Australian people the most delightful in the world. Society opens its doors wide to the respectable actress who goes there, and nothing could have been more hospitable and cordial than was the treatment 1 received from the people. The Marquis and Marchioness of Normanby, at Melbourne, Lord and Lady Loftus, at Sydney, Sir George Strachan, of Tasmania, and Sir William and Lady Robinson, of South Australia, continually had me ' at Government House, and 1 was welcomed everywhere, and treated with a kindness. I shall never forget. I will, of course, return to the Antipodes. When I was leaving I was tendered a complimentary benefit, and at it I promised .to return in ... three years, and I intend to keep my word. In England you do not seem to care to see me in anything but ‘Jo,’ believing, as in the case of Joseph Jefferson, that I can only play in the one part with which my name - is more particularly associated. In Australia they are willing and ready to have me play what I please, and will come to see me in whatever I do. If there is merit in the piece, or in my rendering of it, I am givenfull credit, which you most acknowledge is different here. And these Australians know something about acting. Genevieve Ward made as great a success there with ' ‘Forget-me-not’ as she did here; so did Ristori in her favorite characters; and, in fact, all artists who have succeeded here are almost certain to succeed there. They like my ‘ Jo ’ just as much as yon did, but they did not make up their minds not to come and see me in anything else.”