PLAYS AND PLAYERS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1263, 14 May 1896, Page 16

PLAYS AND PLAYERS.

"Tiie ac'ora arc come lrillr r, ray lord, Buz, Uuz !" —Damlrt The theatrical editor of the New Zealand M ml will be happy to receive and print route dates and any other information concerning Llio movements of companies. A post card living " route dates '* for the week is recommended. Address all communications fortius column to " Lorgnette," New Zealand Mail oilice, Lambton quay, Wellington.

NOTES BY LORGNETTE.

There may be somewhat of a theatrical famine just at present, but the list of coming 'attractions, absolutely decided upon or merely rumoured is now very long. Hero it is, as far as I have been able to make out from " information received," W. and M's "Trilby" Company ; Jloyte's American Comedy Company ; (W. and M.) in a "Trip to Chinatown;" W. and M's Royal Comic Opera Company ; (he Potter—Bellow Company ; Wostmacott's Dramatic Company ; ban Harry's Dramatic Company; Taylor Carrington Dramatic Company; Harry Packard's Variety Company ; Kev Charles Clarke's lectures; and, possibly, W. and M.'s grand spectacle " Djin Djin." The last 1 should say is very doubtful.

If all tho above como up to date, really we shall have a " gorge."

My Christchurch correspondent writes: —Tom Pollard and his clever Company opened in the Theatre Royal on Monday night in "Paul Jones " to a packed house, and the business kept up all the week, "standing room only " being exhibited on several occasions. The Misses Maud and May Beatty received a hearty welcorao and a number of floral offerings. These young ladies have improved greatly since their last appearance here, and fully deserve the high preiso given them by the Empire press. ' The Weekly Press this week goes for tho Company all round, and many wondered why this should be, but the solution was found in a small advertisement published by Mr Pollard in Thursday evening's papers, which was as follows : "Apology—l beg to apologise to Mr P. Selig, of the Evening Press and Referee, for tho action of my ticket taker in refusing him admission to the first performance of ' Paul Jones,' on Monday night.—Tom Pollard." It appears the usual number of tickets had been sent to tho office, but had not been delivered. Hence the notice Verb sop !— Tho Firm evidently intend sending several companies to New Zealand as Mr' Kent, the local manager of tho Theatre Royal, informs me that they have pencilled in a further six nights (Aug (3 to 12). Tho general impression here now is that the firm intend sending the Opera Company for a flying trip through New Zealand (opening Juno 10 in Dunedin), and that the last named dates are for " Trilby," and that Mrs Brown Potter will bo the attraction at Wellington at Christmas— Tho Percy St. John Company return here for the Queen's Birthday. I suppose it will be stale news to you to learn that Percy had to seek the protection of tho Bankruptcy Court a few days ago, but such is a fact.—Tho Fredo Family and the Paragon 'I rio left last week- for a tour of the West Coast. They are now piloted by Mr James I'etherick. — IV-.ies.sor Mavis is -till doing the cmtntry towns <if Canterbury, lie will probably give a few performances in Christchurch shortly.

Mr Walter \'< oily writes mi from Brisbane, when; lie has settled down as a teacher of elocution- I beg pardon, of the "dramatic art" In say be is very much alive, and has recent !y diioefod an amateur performance of "Money," in aid of the lirunnei' fund. Mi Lentley himself played Evelyn, and il was largely owing to hi-. energy as a. ic.ial manager that the affair was ..m '•■ a financial as. woilas artistic

Pearl's '!< all) was a very sad .-•.fiair. and mad'' a big si illation in Sydney. The poor follow was fully a\i;ui! bow Rieal a risk he ran in pcrfonning his feats, but, as ho raid to w..: when heic in Wellington, " There's big money in it." Ho intended to retire alter another five < r six year, at the g-imo. The tragic i i:d of Ihe dive;' will, I aiii afraid, seriously injuro Kit/geralds' season in Sydney. The brothers had engaged new talent in America during the Sydney £o.ison, hut I. should net be surprised it' they lind business falling of)'. L'ersonully ! don't care about these sensational porfoimance, high 'Jives, shooting fi'om a cannon, and so forth. Hut they draw i there';; no doubt about that. Apropos of Pearl's death, the Bulletin says that when Fitzgeralds' Circus opened

at Burnie, Tasmania, the other night, before a big audience, it was announced that a difficulty in the way of Professor Paart doing his high dive act was the fact that there was but 20 inches water in the tank. When the professor was ready Dan Fitzgerald said ho would leave Peart to decide when on the platform. There were many calls fiom the audience to come down and not risk his life, but Peart said he had never been known to como down off the platform the same way as he went up, and as hundreds had come many miles to witness his feat he would try it, and believed he would succeed. He emerged smiling amid great enthusiasm, having made the world's record diva—OS feet in '2O inches water.

May Pollard will play Nellie Stewart's parts "when the Koyal Comic Opera Company next visits New Zealand. Hum.

Myra Kemble was to be given a benefit at Sydney Lyceum on Friday, last week. She has been very ill for many months past. Bland Holt, Williamson, Brough, and Boucicault were to run the show.

"To what base uses " " Trilby '" has now been adopted, so it is said, as tho name of a notorious " Temple of Venus " in Melbourne.

" Djin-Djin " was still running at Sydney Lyceum last week, and going as strong as ever. It is a pity that this line spectacb

—tho finest ever seen in Australia—is too big a show to bring over to Maoriland. "Trilby" succeeds " Djin-Djin" when the Melbourne run is over.

According to Adelaide Quiz a "popular young bachelor, with landed property, a stud farm, and a string of racehorses all his own, has, they say, lost his heart to a shining light of the Royal Comic Opera Company." Name, name !

Her Majesty's, Sydney, seems to be doing well just now with blood and thunder drama. Lilla Wilde, Robert Inman, and others well known over hero are in the company.

The death is announced of Florence Terry, the youngest and prettiest of the Terry sisters.

Miss Grace Noble, formerly with Brough and Boucicault—how well she acted in "The Amazons"—has been engaged by George Edwardes to play lead in his South Africa company.

The Permans, tho well-known variety artistes, are said to be doing well at Homo. They have been engaged by Lob Courtneidgo (hero with Lonnen-Lethbridge Company), and now manager of the Princess Theatre, Manchester, one of the biggest of English provincial houses, to appear in tho next Christmas pantomime.

There are now two Wirth's Circuses. One at Buenos Ayres (Argentina), when last heard of, the other (Harry Wirth's) recently at Honolulu, has left for Japan. How these show people do see the world to be sure.

Two circuses, the names of which arc new to me, are touring New South Wales. One is Eroni Brothers' Palace Circus, tho other is Perry's Jubilee Circus.

Tho German Court. Singers, who madoso many friends when hero in Wellington, appeared at Melbourne Town Hall last week.

Rev. Charles Clark, Smythe's latest importation, was due at Adelaide last week. He drew big houses in Western Australia.

Kennedy, the mesmerist, recently here, is giving farewell performances in Melbourne. He leaves for New York shortly. Kennedy did very poor biz. during the latter part of his isew Zealand tour, mainly owing to tho " show up " at Napier bavin" been noised about tho land, and tho professional "subject" humbug being played out.

Seeing all tho fuss and gush over tho tragic end of the poor Dacres, and the alleged sympathy of tho profession, tho fact" that the " Dacre .Memorial Fund" only totted up to X\] os doesn't look very nice. Williamson and Musgrove g.'.ve XI Is, and George Leitch Ids.

There's a lot of humbug talked and written about the "sympathy" of pros, with their follows, but the fact remains.

that Li.e average (successful) mummer is a selfish fellow, who will deck himself out with big diamond rings and pins and so forth, and yl grumble exceedingly when tl,ij bat is. passed round. Ho wdl, "f can.-." take part in a benefit perfoi-mni.-e, bill there, y.-ai ;;eo, ho get:; !ii> " little bit back ngain'in the shape oj a i'vee a- 1 . Dickens' "Click- t on the il-arCi " has been made the ; id j < ' ->l a I lu ■■■■■. opera by a, Vienna mii-i '.■>> n-d '■ ■ • '" ; ■'' k'J'"he libretto ir, sai 1 !•> f..i:in'u!!y I'oPow the delightful Christmas .-'.ray. Richards' lax-st importations from " Loudim'" include W.ll Crackles, a great favmirila at the Iv.sl Hud 'alls and lav ell iV,. ~;,ri :y ,!.•■;;■;. (Ins Lien, who first introduced " 'E Dunno "Where'o Are "to fame, has got a. new song called "If-a Groat [Jig Shame," willi which be is making another hit. lieie's a sample verse : 'J hey 'adn'c bin married not u inunf nor more Wen uiidtuiicaf 'or fum goes Jim. Isn't if a pity that the likes of'er Should put upon the likes of 'iui'r Royal Burlesque Company were still at Dunedin last week. Return visits to

Christchurch and Wellington are announced.

Under the heading "Their Names are Walker" tho Nelson Star says:—" Several pieces of blue have been out for tho Faust Family, who have not been paying their way. Wo have been advised that tho firm were defaulters from Blenheim and Oamaru, and at Nelson they did not have the common courtesy to call and explain matters. On Monday tho Mahinapua steamed out in the bay to meet tho s.s. Lily to ship tho Company, and thus the vigilanco of tho Bailiif was defeated. The wires still remain, and we will have the satisfaction of making the Company pay in advance in New Plymouth. New Zealand newspapers will kindly note this conduct."

It is high timo that the newspapers of this colony adopted a hard and fast rule to make all these " variety " companies to pay cash down for their advertising and printing. Tho reckless way in which some of these so-called " artistes " incur liabilities whilst flaunting about in " flash " jewellery, drinking the best wines and smoking choice cigars, is a perfect scandal.

An " aerial aitist," Ouida, and the boxing kangaroo, are amongst the leading features of Lawtou's Novelty Company, now at Auckland.

Bland Holt starts his next tour of tho colony from Auckland, when ho begins a three weeks' season at Abbot's Opera House on Boxing night.

Miss Nagel, formerly contralto singer in the Steiuhaur-Bahnson Concert Company, sings Trilby's song behind the scenes in " Trilby " at Melbourne Princess's. The Bulletin said of her :—-" Her deep contralto declaration that' Sweet Alice lies under (ho stone,' justifies the belief that AdaCrossley will have to look to her laurels. Mis 3 Nagel has a great voice."

"Call Boy" in the Dunedin Star says t hat Mr Harry Pick-aids has secured the Princess's, Dunedin, for a season iu September. According to a London contemporary, Mr Bland Holt lias forwarded to Mr Sutton Vane a cheque for .£loo—over and above his regular author's fees—to buy a souvenir of the Australian success of "The Span of Life."

Jennie Peinfarth, a prominent member of the Trilby Company, played in 'Murka with J. C. "Williamson (in "Struck Oil") and George Pignold (in "Henry V.") ovor fifteen years ago.

A farcical comedy, " The Fool of tho Family," written by Fergus Hume, once of Dunedin, and author of "The Mystery of the Hansom Cab," only ran two nights when produced recently in London. Shortest run on record?

In a recent number of the Sketch there is a page " interview " with J. 0. Williamson. Tho famous manager declares that "Tho Firm " has niado most money out of comic opera.