GOSSIP FROM LONDON STAGELAND.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1180, 12 October 1894, Page 14

GOSSIP FROM LONDON STAGELAND.

From Our Special Correspondent. Lokdojs t , August 24. Mr W. J. Holloway’s season at Terry's Theatre is fixed to begin about September 3rd, and rehearsals are now in active progress.

Mr James W. Matthews, Mr Holloway’s business manager, is a son of your old friend Julia Vaith ws, and is an Antipodean by birth, having been born in Dunedin. He recently engineered the Flaw trey Company through South Africa its piece de resistance out of a repertoire of thirteen being “ Charley’s Aunt." The business done on this tour was —to use the favourite phrase—quite phenomenal.

Mr William Terriss and Miss Millward were unable to come to terms with Mr J. C. Williamson for a colonial tour, and will not visit your part of the world next year as announced.

Mr J. C. Williamson was at the Gaiety Theatre on Saturday eve to witness the revival of “ Little Jack Sheppard." He expressed himself well satisfied with the prospect of success of his recent purchase, “The New Boy," in the colonies, but I could not learn who will play the title role for him. On dit, Mr W. would like to secure Frank Thornton. Mr George Edwardes’ Prince of Wales’ Company, with the two great successes, “ In Town " and “ A Gaiety Girl," are engaged, as you know, to tour in the colonies under his management next year, and open in Sydney at Easter,

I had a little chat with W. J. Holloway the other afternoon concerning his pending season at Terry’s Theatre. The popular actor was very busy, a rehearsal being in progress on the stage at the time and several other persons waiting to see him. JHe managed, however, to spare me five minutes. In this period I learnt that the Australian will rely on “The Foundling/'a farcical comedy of the same sort as “Jane" and “ Uncles aud Aunts," and on a little poetical piece in one act

It - m» T7ll s~* Ti» .: ~ u Ccliltt'-l VXiltJil Tiuirmo XThe former is by Mr W. Lestocq, and the latter by Sutton Vane, author of “ The Cotton King." The interest of “ Then. Flowers Gre-v Fairer" is nabhe'ic.

Mr Holloway’s company contains no great popular colonial favourite, but Charles Groves (who came from Sheffield for .sq long in “ A Pair of Spectacles") and Sydney Brough may be said to possess world-wide reputations. Sydney Brough is a cousin of the Melbourne manager and actor, and the ' best jeune premiere of the younger school we have. Other males in the cast are Huntly Wright, Oswald York and George Ward-Ward. Tho latter belonged to the company that Garner took to the colonies fourteen or fifteen years ago, and that opened in Melbourne with “Friends."

Miss Ellis Jeffreys, erstwhile of the Criterion, is Mr Holloway’s leading lady, and Susie Vaughan and Lizzie Webster have minor parts.

Miss Decima Moore, erstwhile of the Prince of Wales’ and Savoy Theatres, starts for a twelve months’ tour of America, Australia and New Zealand on the Ist prox. She will play the principal part in “A. Gaiety Girl" in all these countries, and three or four new songs are being specially written in to that lively piece for her. Your theatre-goers are fortunately in the habit of accepting aa good what they , are told is. good or I should doubt “ A Gaiety Girl " hitting the mark at the Antipodes. (We are getting more critical every year, and a “London success” is not always a hit in thecolonies.— Lorgnette.) Eric Lewis’ caricature of Sir Francis Jeune and Monkhojiise’s sportive parson made it a “draw" here. Hayden Coffin, too, is always a sure a ( traction in London, What,'however, the latter did for “A Gaiety Girl" in the Old Country, Miss Decima Moore may do for it in Australia. She is a good-looking young lady with a sweet little voice and a generally “fetching "manner.

.Mr Charles Warner has accepted an engagement as leading man to Miss Anna Ruppert, the beautifnl-for-ever specialist. Miss Ruppert played at a matinee last season in “ Camille," and pleased herself so much she means to take to the stage. The lady lias leased the Princesses’ Theatre for a season and proposes to appear there in Sarlou’s “Odette," originally produced at the Haymarket about ten years ago. Miss Ruppert will perform the title role created in England by Madjeska.