NOTES BY LORGNETTE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1215, 14 June 1895, Page 18

NOTES BY LORGNETTE.

The Gourlay §‘okes Company were at Reef ton last week, and this week give the Nelsonians treat. Blenheim to follow, and then Wellington..

The Kennedy Lucas Company continue to draw good downstairs audiences at the Opera House. “ Fighting Fortune " was produced on Saturday and Monday last, and on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings the double bill, ‘‘Snowball " and “O’Callaghan on His Last Legs,” was staged. Miss Wilde and Mr Lucas have each made a hit, and 'Mr Kennedy is the good all-round actor he .always was. At cheap prices the venture oqghc to pay well.

The Rev. H. R. Haweis commenced his Wellington season on 'Tuesday might, his lecture on “ Music And Morals” . proving a great treat. In spite of the awful weather there ' was a good house. 'On Wednesday the rev. gentleman lectured on “ Tennyson," and other lectures wore to follow.

Mr Kyrle (“ Curly ’’) Bellew and Mrs Brown Potter (Gown Trotter the irreverent Bulletin calls her) are said to be arranging another tour of Australia.

The rumour goes that Sir Henry Irving leaves „ the stage next year. Another good man spoilt by these trumpery “ gee-gaws ” of knighthoods.

A well-known Hutt gentleman, who is a most enthusiastic patron of the drama, has written to thank me for having giveu “a really honest and outspoken criticism" on the repent*; performance of “ The Guv’nor." Another reader of this column writes to ask me if Lorgnette will be “ equally outspoken when he criticises the forthcoming performances of the Dramatic Students?” Towhich the reply is, “ Certainly !” .

A writer in -the Otago Witness points put that “Life for Life,” a piece now played in New Zealand by Mr George Darrell, is identical with “The Pakelia, or the Dumb Witness," .produced for the first time on any stage at the Opera House, Wellington, oil January 6, 1890.

The late Mr Pigott, who for many years was Examiner of Plays, was interviewed a short time before his death by a representative of that smart weekly, The Realm.- “ I am , growing old," he Baid ; “ ‘ King Arther ' may be the Nunc jDimittis of my work'at the reading of plays* but I am glad that I have had the chance of reading it. When our greatest actor sees his way to produce a romantic drama, there is no reason to despair of the English stage. The day of the problem play and of the frayed skirt, with all their borrowed and commonplace vulgarities* will ‘sooni I believe, be a thing of the past. The English stage will resume the position it has lost ; it will become the great educational factor it has long been in Germany, no longer playing Pandarus to the prurient inanity of our decadents. This generation,” he continued, after a pause, “ will never know the debt it owes to Mr Irving. He has done more for English 1 dramatic art than any man of the century. He has educated his audience and his stage. We have men now, such as Charles Wyndham, George Alexander, and Forbes Robertson, who have a high idea of the duty they owe to art. A cleaner, higher spirit is coming on our English stage. I have watched its approach, and I believe that the hour is come.”

Bland Holt’s new production at Melbourne Royal is 41 The Union Jack." “The Span of Life ” ran seven weeks, and even the “ Gaiety Girl” show didn't bring down the receipts. Bland will be with us in November.

At Dunedin the Mostyn-Dalziel Company have been producing sensational dramas at the Princess Theatre, and will be followed by the George Darrell Company whichhas done good business at

Napier,—At the City Hall the Tivoli Variety hold the fort, and at the Choral Hall the Gwen Davies Concert and Sketch Company have been giving entertainments, the season closing last Monday.—

The Haunted Swing is also in the Southern capital just now.

Pollard’s Liliputians commenced a short season ac Auckland Opera House on Saturday last. “ Uncle Tom’s Cabin was the opening production. At the City Hall, where popular entertainments are being given by Mr John Birch, an original one-act play, “Paul Darvon," was t<» be produced on Monday last, with Mr F. Alexander, recently here, in the title role.

Charlie Berkley, once well known on this side, is now a member of Mr William Elton’s Comedy Company in Australia. I hear, by the way, that Mr Elton may probably bring his company over to New Zealand before very long.

Mr Phil Stuart passed through Wellington last week on his his way to Dunedin where he was going to arrange for the Darrell season. Mr Stuart, who looks as jaunty and well groomed as ever tells me that if dates c<n posnibly be arranged, Mr Darrell will certainly visit Wellington later on.

Mr G. B. W. Lewis, who recent y took the title role in “Hamlet" on the other side, is said to be coming to New Zealand with a company of her own in November next.

An amateur dramatic co. gave the tearstained “East Lynne" down Brunswick (Vic.) way the other evening* The local paper said it was a most enjoyable per formance, and “ sent the house home in a good humour." “ East Lynne " and good humour !— Bulletin.

Heller’s Bonanza Coterie have finished their tour of Western Australia and sailed for London. Mr Heller writes me to say he hopes to be back again in New Zealand in eighteen months time with a host of new illusions and some new people.

“Bis" writes in the Witness W. J. Berresford, who was through Maoriland with Vivian Company 1889 and now stage manager of Billy Elton’s Company, reeensly took a company to Westralia with a repertoire in comedies by Pinero and others. At one place an old lady who lent her premises for bill-sticking purposes asked, “ How many horses have you got ?" “ Gh, about six," was the reply ; “but we’re strongest in lions and tigers !" “Lord save us ! But bow do you show the lions and tigers in the hall?" “Oh, we keep them in the back yard, and folks go out to see them in the intervals." At ijarrahdale the people sat out the comedy with perfectly stolid faces, and made invidious remarks about a visit paid by a variety company. To placate them a dance was held at the end of the performance, and Berresford thumped away at the piano until 2 a.m. The piano was an orphan, and it had to be carried nearly 200yds to the hall. It. was a very old instrument, and it had never been tuned since it had left the music emporium. At their next stopping place the company, grown wiser, notified that a dance would follow the dramatic performance. Shades of Pinero! The theatre at Coolgardie was a sort of boxing academy by day. The dressing-rooms were unique. There was no flooring and woe betide the actor who lost his only collar stud in the dust. Prices of admission at Coolgardie were Bs, 4s and 3s, afterwards reduced to 6s, 3s and 2s. Some variety artists just about this time were stranded in the Golden City of the West, and had to proceed southwards by waggon, the coach fire being L 5 and that by waggon about 15s. At Vasse an old lady who had done some service for the company was offered a complimentary ticket, which she declined. When the performance was over Berresford saw her, and was thus addressed : “I don’t think much of your show" “But you were not present, madam." “No; but I listened, and they didn’t make no noise. They was as quiet as the grave."

Mrs Patrick Campbell draws a salary of £7O a week. It is just 17 years, remarks the Napier Telegraph, since George Darrell visited Napier. In those days Mr G. H. Swan, our Mayor, was a shining light on the stage, and played with Mr Darrell in several pieces during the Napier season. The Criterion Theatre is to be re-opened on July 6th with a new variety and burlesque company. Messrs H. Hooper and J. P. Hausmann left for Sydney last week by the Talune for the purpose of engaging artists for Mr Smart, proprietor of the theatre. Miss Laura Fisher and Miss Rose Blaney have left Napier, en route for Melbourne. They intend pursuing a course of studies under Mr Brierly. Miss Blaney, who attended his classes last year, speaks very highly of his capabilities. After a six months’ stay in the capital of Yictoria, the two charming singers will return to New Zealand. Mr Cowen’s opera “ Harved ” has been produced at Covent Garden with great success. • • • • Miss Fanny Saville, the Australian singer, has signed an engagement for

twelve months at the Opera Comique, Paris. Madame Modjeslca, when she \yas. expelled by the Russian Government from Warsaw, was about to start with a Polish company on tour through Poland and Russia. It lias been intimated to her that she must henceforth keep away from Russian territory. This is owing to her speech against Russia at the Women’s Congress at Chicago.

The London correspondent of the Mail, writing on April 26th, says : Mr G. W. Anson has the leading male part in Mr G. W. Godfrey’s comedy, “Vanity Fair,” due at the Court Theatre to-morrow. Mrs John Wood returns to her old house to play a middle-aged lady with pronounced ideas concerning the rights of her sex, and Arthur Cecil is also in the cast.

Business has fallen off in the better parts of the St. James’ Theatre to nothing since Oscar Wilde’s arrest, and the last nights of “ The Importance of Being Earnest” are consequently announced. H. A. J ones’ “ The Triumph of the Philistines” will take its place on May 11th.

“Delia Harding,”at the Comedy Theatre, calls for no detailed description, as it is a failure, unworthy alike of Sardou’s genius and Marion Terry’s exquisite art. The plot turns on the hopelessly improbable sacrifice of the heroine, who, to save her brother from imprisonment for shooting a rascally gambler, swears away her own character, declaring it was whilst he was coming out of her bedroom her brother winged the wretch. Presently, when she loves a young baronet, this idiotic untruth rises up in judgment against her, and threatens to ruin her life. The brother she saved is dead, and the villain wants her for himself. Delia pours out a glass of “ cold pison,” to end all, but the villain kindly drinks it by accident, and also clears her character. The piece is shocking stuff.

The man with the incurable liver—Geo. R. Sims, I mean —in conjunction with Cecil Raleigh, has brought back old times to the Strand. In place of Scandinavian drama we have now a rollicking farce, out of which I defy anyone to extract a moral —or an immorality. It is all fun from beginning to end is “ Fanny.” Starting with ready-made complications, the business of the piece is to clear up a mystery instead of to make one. The piece is called “Fanny” after a young person who does not appear, she having ended her mortal career six months prior to the lifting of the curtain. Her sister Flo., however, is masquerading as Fanny for the purpose of drawing an allowance made to the departed by Professor Bixley—per his friend Captain O’Brien. Fanny was a barmaid, who married the Professor, but separated from him when a doubt arose as to whether her first husband was really dead. The Captain who pays the allowance has never seen Fanny, and the Professor is equally ignorant of the person of sister Flo. You can imagine the upshot when they all meet, the Professor having in the meantime married again. When poor Bixley hears from O’Brien that his first wife still exists and has turned Up, his embarrassment takes an incongruously serious turn. But the comic element speedily supervenes, and the piece bustles merrily along once more. “ Fanny,” of course, is bowled out in the end, but not before she has afforded us a good two hours’ pure amusement.

Mr Arthur Laws’ new farce, with which Mr Weedon Grossmith. has commenced his managerial career at the Vaudeville, is an olla podrida of funny ideas. To appreciate “ The Ladies’ Idol,” one has to see it, for to adequately describe the adventures of the comic singer who is Joseph Wix at home and Lionel Delamere when in society, mixed up with the search for a missing baby and the pursuit of a disappearing bracelet, and sundry other matters brought into the jumble, is an impossibility’. The piece serves its purposes well—that is to say, “The Ladies’ Idol” amuses the audience and brings together full houses. Mr Grossmith plays Delamere, the ladies’ idql. He has made his name and fame by singing comic songs “ with a pathetic touch.” For the purposes of his business, he has to pretend to bo a bachelor, otherwise he would not be run after; and his wife, who is helping to make a fortune for the baby by “skirt-dancing,” pretends to be a single lady—a deception which encourages many admirers, whose different methods of paying her court make many laughable scenes. The little misunderstandings arising from the deceptions of Delamere and his wife, however, are better imagined than described. The piece will undoubtedly be “ picked up ” by one or other of the Australasian entrepreneurs before many days are gone by.