NOTES BY LORGNETTE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1189, 14 December 1894, Page 28

NOTES BY LORGNETTE.

The Brough and Boucicault Company are giving the Wellington play-goers another series of delightful productions. “ Sowing tho Wind " was one of the greatest treats we have had here for years ; the closing scene of the third act being, I take it, one of the finest bits of acting we have ever witnessed hero. Farcical comedy I do not care much for, but “ Aunt Jack " is undoubtedly an excellent laughter provoker, and in these hard times this is precisely tho sort of piece that a largo proportion of play goers prefer. The dressing and mounting of the pieces is, as on the company’s last visit, well nigh perfection.

To-night (Friday) “ Lady Windermere’s Fan," by Oscar Wilde, is to be staged, the same piece being played to-morrow. On Monday “She Stoops to Conquer" is on the bill, and then on Tuesday comes tho long and eagerly awaited “Second Mrs Tanqueray." This will be repeated on Wednesday and Thursday, the season closing on Friday with that riotously funny comedy “ Niobe—all smiles !"

Mr Keating, the B. and B. agent, has left for Hobart, whence tho company go direct after the season here is concluded. From Hobart tho company proceed to Launceston, and later on to Newcistle, Brisbano, and then hack to Sydney.

Messrs Williamson and Musgrovo’s Comedy Company their New Zealand tour at Auckland on Boxing night. The repertoire includes “The New Boy," to winch frequent allusion lias been made in these columns, both by our Loudon correspondent and myself, This company will be here on the fc9ch of January. On Boxing night too, as I have previously announced, the Royal Comic Opera Company, with Nellie Stewart and Wallace Brownlow, open at Dunedin. The repertoire I first gave last August.

Mr Fred Duval is in town busy making arrangements for the pantomime “The Forty Thieves," which Mr Pollard’s clover company are to produce on Boxing night. I understand that the “book" lma been largely re-written so as to include plenty of purely New Zealand allusions.

Mr- Keating informs me that MefS's Brough and Boucicault’a re organised company, which will start operations in Australia early in the New Year; will have the following repertoire of new plays:—“The Masqueraders, by TI. A. Jones ; “ The New Woman," by Sydney Grundy ; “ The Other Fellow," by Ralph Horner ; “ A Woman of No Importance," by Oscar Wilde ; “ The Honourable Herbert," by Haddon Chambers ; “ Gudgeons," by F. M. Parker ; “The Manxman," by Wilson Barrett. Besides Mrs Brough it is probable that Misses Temple and Noble, and perhaps Miss Romor and Mbs Gibson will be leaving fur England shortly. Some talented artistes will be engaged by Mr Boucicaulb, who is now on bis way to England, to take the place of the seceders.

Sydney Sunday Times says:—George Darrell, the versatile actor dramatist and author, is at present in Melbourne. Ho will produce his dramatised version of Nat Gould's famous novel, “The Double Event," at Christmas, upon an elaborate scalo. Upon its iirst production in Melbourne “The Double Event" ran- to crowded houses at the Theatre Royal for ovor a month, and the revival will no doubt bo a success. Mr Darrell is now looking ovor “Stuck Up," Nat Gould’s latest novel, with a view to dramatising it, and ho is evidently determined to do all lie can to bring Australian authors to the foro. In such a laudable work ho deserves to bo encouraged. Mr Darrell evidently does nob believe that a prophet lifts no honour in his own country.

Mr E. T. Gillon, of t.lip Post, who acts as a sort cf permanent representative of Messrs Williamson and Musgrovo’s in-

teres!s in New Zealand, courteously informs mo that tho famous “ Living Pictures" are not likely to be shown during the coining tour of the Royal Comic Opera Company. Mr Gordon, the famous scenic artist upon whom the principal work of arranging tho pictures falls, caunot be spared for tho tour, besides which the pictures require so large a stage and such extensive electric light arrangements that they could only be shown at two theatres, indeed the Wellington stage is practically the only one upon which they would receive full justice.

J. S. “Sonny" Parlatto has been engaged by Mr J. C. Williamson for the Princess panto, so also has “ Bobby " Watson, round here with Bland Holt.

Charles Holloway commences a dramatic season at Adelaide at Christmas.

Toor old Madame Sitnonsen has snecumbed to hard times and a long run of back luck, and sought the protection of the Bankruptcy Court. This is a pioco of news which a good many New Zealanders will be very sorry to hear. Messrs Abel and Klaer, the proprietors of a circus which has been showing on the “ other side ” for some time past, have also filed their schedule.

Minnie Hank (aciya the S in Francisco Argonaut) annoyed Ravelli very much while playing Carmen to his Don Jose. For some reason she suddenly embraced him in the middle of a high note, Ho was so furious that he tried to throw her into the orchestra. She held tightly to him to save herself, he shouting to her to let go the while, until her grip wrenched all Cm buttons oft' his red waistcoat. Ravelli rushed to the footlights and shouted, “ Look ! she has torn my waistcoat." The audience thought it was all acting, and responded with thunders of applause. After this scone Minnie Haulc’a husband stood at the wings every night, armed with a revolver, ready to blow out Don Jose’s brains if he dared to touch Carmen, while Ravelli threatened her with a huge knife if she attempted to approach him. As Jose is supposed to bo madly in love with tho girl, it looked very absurd, to see them dodging away from each other all round the stage.

Mr Sydney Jones, the composer of the “Gaiety Girl,” and of tho pretty trifle known as “Linger Longer Loo,” is reported to have refused .£SOO for the lastnamed when offered that sum for it by a well-known vocalist. His “ Gaiety Girl ” is said to be probably the most melodious piece which has been produced since “The Gondoliers.” Mr Hayden Coffin preferred to stay in London when tho other members of the “ Gaiety Girl " Company went to America, and still delights great audiences with “Tommy Atkins," which ditty this gifted baritono renders with wonderful verve.

It is astonishing how plays, like players, get into a groove, says London Truth. Not so very long ago nearly every farcical comedy turned on the freak of a respectable married man, usually a churchwarden, and governed by a mother inlaw, going off on the spree with a friendly noodle. But nowadays the hero of every farce is a champion liar of a bland and persuasive type. The race of mendacious heroes that started in our time with Charles Mathews, who was ao admirable in Foote’s “Liar,” was continued by Charles Wyndham ar.d Charles flaw trey, and now another stage Ana das turns up in Philip Cunningham, who has made a hit in Mr James Mortimer’s clever chiver play, “ Truthful James," so named on the Incus a non. lucendo principle The play went so well at the unpromising little Royalty, which has got a bad name with the public owing to such a doplor able exhibition of incapacity as that in “ Lit le Miss Cute,” that it lias been transferred to the Strand, and will doubtless meet with the approval of the public in that old house of fun.

The Australian tour of tno “Gviety Girl ” commence* at Melbourne in April next.

It is, as I thought when last week, I referred to “ Mercutio's" paragraph in tlio Auckland . Herald , concerning old Mrs Stirling, whose marriage to Sir Charles Hutton Gregory was recently imported. This lady was never in New Zealand. She was born in London in 181 G, her maiden name being Mis 3 Fanny Clifton, and she first appeared at the old Coburg Theatre

The Mrs Stirling with whom the above lady, now Lady Gregory, has been confounded, was a Miss Cleveland. She married Mr Charles Yyner, a well known actor, and with her husband visited the Australian colonies ar.d Now Zealand. After the sudden death of Mr Yyner (he was killed by a fall from his horse in Australia). Mrs Vyner returned to England, whore she subsequently married Mr Arthur Stirling. She has been for many years a legitimate actress of considerable repute, and latterly has had much vogue as an elocutionary teacher. She was the original Countess do Linioro in the “ Two Orphans " (Olympic 1874), and Madame Doprets in “ Proof " (Adelphi 1878). The above particulars arc very kindly furnished by a correspondent, M.F,, \yV

vouches for them as being thoroughly reliable. The same correspondent points out that “ Lorgnette " fell into an error recently by saying that Fred Terry (husband of Miss Julia Neilson) was a son of Edward Terry, the well known comedian. This is not so, says my correspondent, “he is the brother < f the big Terry family of which Ellon and Marion are the two most famous members. You can see the likeness to them in his face." Thanks very much.

Mr W. McKenzie, the Scotch vocalist round with Miss Bessie Doyle, and latterly touring with Mr George Leitch, has been engaged *.o take a principal part in “The Messiah," to be produced by the New Plymouth musical amateurs on the 19th.

Mr Walter Bentlej' has been playing at New Plymouth in “ Hamle*," and will gradually work down the coast, being due at Feilding on the 17th.