GOSSIP FROM LONDON STAGELAND.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1197, 8 February 1895, Page 17

GOSSIP FROM LONDON STAGELAND.

From Our Own Correspondent London, December 14. The Sullivan-Burnand opera “ The Chieftain," produced at the Savoy on Wednesday evening, is merely an amplification of “ The Contrabandista," produced by the German Reeds at the old Gallery of Ulus 1 ration in Regent street on December 18th, 1867. The plot does not sound very original, having to do with the adventures of a travelling photographer who is captured by brigands, and made to marry their deceased leader’s wife and himself become chief. Of the original numbers (mostly ballads) six only . have been retained, the rest of the score being entirely fresh. At the German Reeds the.late Aynsley Cook, Mias Lucy Franklein And M ss Arabella Smyth were the principals. Yvette Guilbert is with us once again, and (amongst “ bluer " ballads from her remarkable repertoire) singing “ Linger Longer Loo" in English. Her art certaiuly seems a gift unequalled of its kind, and the marvellous manner in which she gives “ Linger Longer, etc., proves this to even the densest. One refrain (hr chorus) tears at your heartstrings ; it seems so full of tender liquid love,: the next is fiercely passionate, whilst a smile, a gesture, and a. tone, throws undescribable suggestion into a third. The French chansons of course are even worse as regaids the lower phases of Yvette’s art though out of compliment to our supposititous English morals, she confines herself just now to “ Les Cochons," the song ot a too complaisant pig sung to the tune of “ Johnny Jones and His Sister Sue," and to “ La Grand’inere" of Beranger. Even the latter is not from all accounts a eehoolgirl’s canticle. Yod may remember that some months ago there was a disturbance one evening at the Palace Theatre cause d by a num beif ofr the audience hissing Charlos Coborn for singing “ Como whore tho boozj is cheaper." Tbi3 chaste lyric is supposed by Charles himself and by his friends to possess subtly moral and educational tendencies. Some young fcdlowa amongst the audience could not however see tlrem, and opining the song outrageously vulgar hissed the inventor of “Two Lovely Black Eyes." Their feeble protest wou’d not have had much effect, but for the rowdy element, which is always latent in such audiences, and which gleefully took it up. Coborn in a rage cried “ If you are all druuk I’m not," and marched off the stage, having broken the law which forbids artistes on any pretence whatever to address the audience. He did not happen to have a “draw "song just then, so the management were glad of an excuse to save L2O a week, aud dismissed him. Coborn declined to accept dismissal and attempted technically to euforce his rights. He was then—also technically—thrown out and brought an ac'ion for damages. The trial came on in .the Queen’s Bench on Friday before Mr J osbice Lawrence without a jury. Mr Coborn’a case was that his momentary outburst uuder great provocation did not amount to “addressing the audience from the stage," and that other reasons had really influenced Mr Morton’s (the manager’s) action in dismissing him. Tho Judge, despite the evidence of several managers (who hang together like brothers in such action*), opined tho spirit of Coborn’s contract had not been broken. “Addressing the audience from the stage" was not intended to me <n an angry word extorted by misbehaviour in tho audience. If the contract wore re d thus literally it woilld be feasible for a manager who wished to get rid of an artiste to tempt him into breaking his agreement by placing interrupting rowdies in the audience. The Judge fouud for Cwborn for full emount of damages, L6O. Defendants have 'appealed. The run of “ The Masqueraders" at the St. James’ draws to a close, and “Guy Djmville," by Henry James, succeeds it. The last nights of “Money" are also announced. It will be succeeded by “Slaves of the Ring," by Sydney Grundy. . Though the controversy anont the morality or immorality *.f “John aDreams," has fille i the pockets jf lucky Mr Hadden Chambers with shekels, the accusation that he intentionally appealed to up to date morbidity therein has liar rowed his finest feelings. To prove that there is nut a syllable or suggestion which a child need blush at Mr Chambers has decided to publish the play. Incidentally this will provide him with further filthy lucre. Mr Marriott Watson has a sfory in the Christmas Sketch as well as in Vanity Fair. His Jin de siecle fiction in the January Yellow Book is called “ The House of Shame." Australian impresarios are not likely to be able to get Henry Irving to your part of the world whilst ho can command the terms he does in the States. At San Francisco (our only tragedian told your biggest manager) he played last winter to L 2200 in one day, i.e., that was the total realised by a Saturday matinee and evening performance. The public paid as much as a third more to speculators. “You couldn’t come within a distance of that," he added signifioantly. “THE CHIEFTAIN." December, 21. The new Savoy Opera, “ The Chieftain," produced last week is a curiously uneven piece of work both as to music and libretto. But that which is good in the work is sufficient to aton6 for that

which is commonplace, and taken as a whole “ The Chieftain " is good enough to be a Savoy success. Mr Burnand’s share of the play, the book, is to a large extent a rechauffe of “The Contrabandist," a piece he wrote for the German Reeds in 1867. The audience is introduced to Mr Peter Adolphus Grigg, an English tourist in search of the picturesque in Spain, who is captured by a band of brigands called the Ladrones. Providing he will look at matters from their point of view, the robbers do not intend to deal harshly with their captive. They propose, indeed, to confer upon him, the honour of chieftain of the band, plus tho hand of Inez, the supposed widow of their late commander. Griggs has other ideas, hut since refusal means immediate death, he subordinates his desire to be faithful to the girl he left behind him, to wit Dolly his wife, and accepts the sacred hand of Inez. The second act begins with the assumption that Peter i 3 ransomed from the brigands and his brigand bride. Dolly appears on the scene, her husband’s silence during captivity leading her to believe that “ a feniinine something" hascomebetweenthem. Grigg is most anxious to conceal from Dolly the fact that he has been guilty even of unwilling bigamy and the greater part of the act consists of his efforts to induce her to believe that his silence is merely duo to modest reticence concerning the fact that he has played a hero’s part in rescuing two friends from the La i rones. Grigg has difficulties in this, seeing that Inez and the chief members of her band appear on the scene, really in search ,of Ferdinand, her first husband, who is not dead at all, but has only vamoosed in company with the Ladrones’ cashboxes. Grigg contrives to buy their silence, and the destruction of a particularly compromising photograph, in which he and Inez appear in a very lover-like position, is secured. Inez finally discovers the missing Fordinand and all ends happily. As for tho music of the piece tho first act contains little that is worthy of Sir Arthur’s reputation, but in the second there are some delightful numbers, which, ala 3 ! will bo “ played oil barrel organs and by every German band," till they become as noxious as “ Tommy Atkins " and “ ’E Dunno where ’e are."

The present Savoy company, of which Miss Florence St. John, Mr Oourtice Pounds, and Mr Walter Passmore are the leading members, is not particularly strong and their individual performances do not call for special mention. “HAL, THE HIGHWAYMAN.” Mr Woedon Grossmith, who is still coining money with “The New Boy " at the Vaudeville, has earned the gratitude of theatrical early birds by the care he bestows upon tho selection and production of curtain raisers. Seldom it is that these front pieces are worth a five line notice. Ninety per cent, of them are woeful rubbish—“utter piffle”—and those that are of decent material are generally spoilt through the incompetence of the actors and actresses w ho are responsible for their interpretation. “ Hal, the Highwayman," with which Air Gros smith lifted the curtain on Saturday evening, is a piece worth hurrying over dinner to see. The author, Mr H. M. Paine, has chosen the picturesque period of 150 years ago, and has laid his scene at a country tavern, tho location of which is indicated by the Cheshire dialect and incidental allusions to Marplo as the neighbouring town. Kitty Carter, the pretty daughter of mine host 'of The Bull, has given her heart to Handsome Hal, a dashing Knight of the Road, who uses her fathei’s tavern as his house of call. In his lordly fashion the high way - mau reciprocates, but there is a touch of patronage in his kisses and caresses which tells Kitty that her hopes of happiness will never be realised. A ring which Hal has just acquired in a coach robbery he carelessly placed on her little linger, bnt refuses to change it to the third, since only one fair lady can claim such homage from him, and she is lost to him for aye Comes a disguised constable to the inn and, madly jea ous, Kitty is tempted by him to earn the 50 guineas reward by betraying Handsome Hal. The house is to be surrounded by armed police, and in half an hour the capture will be effected. But meantime a strange thing happens, for a portly magistrate and his fair niece, Celia Mortimer, no o her than the victims of tho coach robbery, turn up at The Bull for rest and refreshment. Whilst her uncle has retired to his room Celia is brought face to face wi'h Hal, in whom Blie recognises the ne’er do-weel cousin to whom she gave her heart in years gone by. She tells him of the robbery, and then, as she reads che description given of the notorious highwayman realises with horror his identity. Hal vows reformation, and as Celia listens, her old love come 3 back in full strength, and when tho alarm is given that the police have surrounded the house her nimble wit quickly devises a method of escape for the scapegrace. In a few seconds a merry trio of robber and robbed—for the old magistrate has been quickly cajoled into the deception—are laughing at the muddle-headed zeal of the constable who has mistaken the nephew of a magistrate for so disreputable a person as Handsome Hal. The treacherous Kitty, whose recognition would quickly upset Celia’s plot, has kept out of the way, and Tim, the stablelad is cunning enough is see that his bread is buttered on the non recognition side. Ho admits with a grin that the gent “ is very likd*" Hal, “ but it bain’t fim quite." So Hal is permitted to mount

his horse and ride oIF, followed when well out of range, by the bullets of the police officers, who are quickly made aware of their blunder vvhon Kitty re appears on the scene.

The little piece was capitally acted in every particular, but the honours of the play went to Miss Helena Dacre, who as the jealously revengeful country girl, showed herself to bo possessed of the true dramatic instinct.