EXCITING SCENE IN A LONDON THEATRE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11400, 18 April 1899, Page 8

EXCITING SCENE IN A LONDON THEATRE.

A more extraordinary scene than that win ~ nesssed at the Prince of WaUs's Theatre, Lon! ';.■. don, on Saturday niglit, February 11, hid ',- never been beheld by the oldest playgoefi (reports Ino Daily Telegraph). Messrs bam' ', ami Clerice's-new'comic operetta. "The Co-V----quette" was produced for the first time, andr mot with a generally favourable receptionij. though " b003," iiol altogether ill-natured \ (remarkK the Daily Telegraph), mingled with I tho applause. The performers at the closet ■ bowed their thanks, and here the matter I would have ended, il Mr Lowenfeld, the ' lessee, had not made his appearance, in re: sponso to ironical calls. A mingled ohorus of , cheers and " boos " greeted, his Krrival. Stand- ; ing in the centre of the stage, and giving an imperious wave of the hand in. order to obtain, silence, v, proceeding which seemed, to impress the Olympians, for order was momen- . tnrily.restored, and then the following extrar ; ordinary scene ensued. 'Manager—Will those ; gentlemen in the gallery who are booing kindly tell me what they have got to " boo , about? Cries of "Oh I" and groans, will) 1 soino elieers.) . Here lliere were conflicting j. cries from above. Manage! ■ (defiantly)— i Now, then, put with it. As man v o mauj ! who was it sent you here? (Loud groaning '[■ and hooting, mixed with derisive laughter.) tA voice from the gallery—Don'i mind 'em, I sir. It's only i,, lot "of roughs. (Disorder ' and tumult in the upper regions, several mem- i. jj'era of the disputing parties'being engaged in fierce altercation.) Meanwhile the manage , standing his ground, and pale with indignalion, repeated his inquiry. Some hissing ws.s • then heard, followed by cries oi " Order! " i presumably that Mr Lowenfeld might vet further listened to. The pit, tne dress circie, | and the upper boxes, so fa* aa could be ! gathered, took no part in the commotion, and tho lessee addressed himself exclusively i to the "gods." The noise dying down, tne arguments commenced anew. Manager—l ask ' you again, as man to man, who was it sent you here? (More " booing.") A voice— What-hao! (Laughter, disorder, and cries of * "Turn them out.'') Another voice—Nobody sent us. A third voice—"Who do you think sent us? (Uproar.) No comprehensible answer being forthcoming to his question, Mr Lowenfeld remarked:—" Ladies and. gentlemen, —I ask you very kindly to draw your own conclusions." The footlights Were again lowered, and the manager retired, many persons leaving also, under the impression that the unpleasant scene had come.toan end. Thio proved to be a mistake, for as the noise cori tinued in the shilling scats the lessee once more appeared, and the colloquy recommenced. Manager (to the gallery)— Now. dou't be silly. What don't you like in the day? (Confusion.) It shows what a lot of silly fools you are up there. (Loud hooting and some cheers.) A man in the stalls—Why the man must, be mad; I nevei heard of such a thing. Manager (continuing)-^-Confess yourselves . (Uproar.) ■ I am ready to talk to any of you.—("Oh, oh," and more noise.) A man in the stalls—Do go in and be quiet. Manager (addressing the gallery, very excitedly)—l think, I think, I'have produced a damned good play. (Great groaning and booing, which continued for sometime, with cheers and shouts and derisive laughter.) When the noise had somewhat subsided a voice in the gallery.cried, "Wo havo paid our money to come in." (Renewed noise.) Manager—Will you kindly, clear th« theatre? (Uproar.) Let us toss up for it. ("Oh, oh," and more noise.) Have you had your moneys worth? (Cries of "Yes1' and' "No" in opposing cries.) Come along. You won't frighten me, you know. (Uproar.) A man in the stalls—You don't know what'an exhibition you are making of yourself. Manager (to the gallery)—" Don't you ever come into this theatre again. (Hisses and laughter.) It was to be hoped" at thiß juncture that the unseemly wrangle would have come.to a termination, but the. gallery appeared to be deriving enjoyment from the proceedings^ Mr Carl Hontschel, an officer of the Playjiroers' Club, who was standing at the entrance to the stalls, asked if there wasl a claque in the gallery, to which Mr Lowenfeld emphatically replied that there was no claque of his. Somebody else might have sent themj but not he. , Mr Hentsehel repeated the'-ques-tion in a different: form —whether there was any claque" in gallery or the pit," and Mr Lowenfeld indignantly repudiated the idea that he had1 formed any claque. ' The1 Olympians had now got into full ""war cry," and it was impossible, even with the friendly aid. of Isaac Pitman's obliging system, to make a note of all the shoutings and!cries, some of whicli were only half heard upon the floor ,of the theatre. Several of the " gods" were.understood, to be asserting their right ■to , express disapproval of the performance. Mr Hentschel" (from tho stalls to Mr. Lowenfeld) — They have paid their money, and if they don't like the play they have a right to" say.so. (Cheers.) You have no right,to bully them. (Cheers and more shouting.) Manager—lf they were bona fide people—if they were bona fide people—i-.<' (Uproar.) Mr Hentßchel— They are hoiia1 fide people. I know the plajv goers. in the gallery, and——• A. voice—They are a sot of fools. At this point a man upstairs called out that the management had been trying to force encores—an, allegation which led to more noise. Mr Hentsehel— They have-a right to express, their opinion . Manager—We have had enough: of ■ this: ("Hear, hear," and "shouting.)- LaHies and gentlemen, now look-here. All I have .'got to say is Mr Hentsehel—You had better retire and put out the lights. (" Hear, hear,", and more noise!) If you want to/argiie .the question come to the Playgoers' Club, and we'll have a meeting. (Renewed noise.) A man in the stalls—He'must be mad. I never heard of such a thing, never! ManagerLadies and gentlemen (Hooting and cries of " Order.") A voice—Good-night. (Laughter and shouts.) Manager (holding,up his hand) —Ladies and gentlemen—l give you my word that I have tried my very ; best-— (Cheers, " Hear, hear," and " So you have.") A voice—That's much better. Manager (con : tinning)— And so has every member of my company. (General cheers.) If I have failed —(cries of " Yes " and "No," and confusion) —if I-have failed to do so, you gentlemen in the gallery lose one shilling. But what'shall I lose? Many thousands of pounds. r("Hear; hear." and a voice—■" Servo yiiu. right, "with much shouting and contention in the gallery.) Therefore I am the man to be sympathised with more than you. '(" Hear, hear," and noise.) Because, after-all, as the play'went throughout the evening A voices-Well, let future audiences decide about that. At this point Mr Lowenfeld, whose latter remarkK had considerably abated the feeling' which previously existed, made a bow to the audienc') and retired, the house "breaking up'" in a very animated fashion, discussing thcextraordinary scene. ■