THE LONDON STAGE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1095, 24 February 1893, Page 27

THE LONDON STAGE.

SPECIAL TO MAIL. (from our own correspondent.) London, January S. Playgoers will remember 1892 in the future chiefly by Beerbohm Trees’ ‘ Hamlet,’ and by the large number of pieces produced which were passable, and yet failed to/catch on.’ The successes of the twelve months can be counted on the fingers of one hand. They were ‘ Walker, London, 1 ‘ Lady Winder mere’s Fan,’ ‘Niobe,’ ‘The Prodigal Daughter,’ and ‘Liberty Hall.’ These and the revivals of ‘Hamlet’ and ‘ Henry VIII ’ were the only plays which brought good fortuno to their producers. On the other band semisuccesses and wholly unaccountable failures wore numerous. The uuluckiest bouses must, I should think, have been the Adelphi, Comedy, and the Criterion. At these, serial pieces were played, for which good judges would have predicted a long run. But somehow they failed to attract. ‘The White Rose’ and ‘ The Lights of Home ’ at the Adelphi, and ‘ The Grey Mare ’ and ‘ The Poet and the Puppets ’ at the Comedy received magnificent notices, so did ‘The Fool’s Paradise ’ and ‘ David ’ at tho Garrick, and ‘ Incognita ’ at the Lyric, Why the public would not go to see them it is impossible to say. Mrs Langtry’s season at tho market cost her, on dit, many thousand pounds,’ and poor Miss Estelle Burney and her young brother bought experience dearly daring theirjffiree months’ occupancy of the Garrick. Amongst theatrical managers I imagine Messrs Irving, Tree, Alexander, Toole and Harry Paulton will alone look back on ‘92 with complacency. Of the great Augustus Drurislauus it is risky to make statements. His friends say he has realised a colossal fortuno, whilst his enemies vow ho trembles on the brink of bankruptcy. Probably neither statement is correct. Mr Charles Brookfield’s cruel caricature of a curled darling of society (known to every man about town, to the whole of the Stock Exchange and to most theatre-goers) in ‘ ToDay ’ has raised considerable discussion. Tho majority, whilst admitting the ill-nature of the sketch, declare lothing can be done. A few, however, row it is monstrous that directly a man shows a little individuality and steps out of the ordinary groove his peou-

liarities should be malignantly distorted, and himself held up to public ridicule and reproach on the stage. These ad vise the original ‘ Bertie Twyford ’ to fit on the cap boldly and tako action against his libeller. I scarcely imagine he will do anything of the sort. It would be giving ‘ To-Day,’ which has not done big business so far, too much ol a lift.

It is my privilege to announce with exultation tho decease of tho monster ‘Ta-ra-ra-boom-do-ay,’ who lias been killed by the ‘ Mau Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo,’ after lingering for many months iu a state of advanced decomposition on the barrel organs. In early youth Ta-ra ra was extremely fascinating and subjugated even the most exalted personages. But his übiguity soon passed, and as the weeks passed on and Ta-ra-ra showed neither tact nor reticence, but cropped up every day everywhere love turned to loathing, and the melody was universally execrated. Ta ra-ra’s last days proved sad and shameful, only gentlemen far gone in liquor hiccoughing the once loved name. Death was a blessed release. R.I.P.

Organisers of entertainments should please note that they can got programmes or tickets printed in a better style and with more do* spatcli at the Maid office than in any other place in Wellington.