AUSTRALIAN STAGE GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2236, 7 January 1897, Page 39

AUSTRALIAN STAGE GOSSIP.

(fjrKoiAM,Y Written for ihb Otago Witness.)

DsarPasquin;— Melbourne Alexandra has bean renamed Her MrtjeJity's. Under W. Oosgrove's jnaoaga:t:ent "The Serpent's Coil" was staged for the first time in Melbourne Christmas Kve. Maud Lltta, Cecel Hughes, Katie and Maud Kiploy, Wilfred Shice, John F. Ford, Augustus Glover, Tom Cosgrovc, Edward Fanning. Frank Foster, Charles Taylor, and William Cojgrove are in the cast.

Bland Holt iniroiuced the first real chandelier on the Australian stage in " The Derby Winner." Poor old "Bill" South (Fanny Wiseman's husband) died in Mslbourno last week.

Mies Dora Mitchell, a sister of Madame Melba, left for Triaco by the Mon-wai. Also Hoyt'a "A Trip to Chinatown" Cjrupmy, who ara booked ahead in (he States far two years. Floiritt Forde was tendered a benefit at Melbourne Opera House 22. The sale of "seats by auction for the opening night (28th) of the Sydney Palace Theatre realised good prices. Two boxes «oUI at 3gs each and four at 2gs each. The highest price realised for dress circle seats was 12a each for two seats in the second row. A dozen seats in the front row were sold for 10s, and others at intervening prices down to 6s. In the second row eight seats were sold at 10s each, a great many at 6s, and only two fell as low a3 ss. In the back rows, however, 5s was the most frequently accepted bid, aud eventually a few seats at this figure were left to be marked off in cue usual way &x Nicholson's. Two stalU were becured at 83, but bidding hy th&t time had- become languid, the price at once dropped to Es, *nd a good many stalls were reserved at the upset price of is. The last occasion i theatre scats were sold by auction was the 11th 1 June, 1395, when the dress circle teats for the j opening night of " A Gaiety Girl " averaged 10b 7d all round. * | Mr George Melville, now in Maoriland with Alfietl Wooda's Dramatic Company, was last round your . way in 1892-93-94 with the Charles llolloway Dramatic Company. Mr Scot Inglis doe» not accompany Mrs Brown- I Potter and Kyrle Bdllew on their Maoriland tour, but plays in the support of the American- Irish character comedian Charles M'Garthy, who made his first appearance in Australia at Sydney Lyceum on Bixing Nighfc in the first Australian production of " Lady Blarney." JR. G. Knowlcs, "the very peculiar comedian," one of the stara of All Nations at thu Sydney Palace Theatre, gives the alphabetical jok« which humorist Frank Lincoln done to death years ago. The most notable features in " Mataa, Queen of Fire ; or. The Apples of Isis," etc, etc. (this year's panto, at Melbourne Princess) are the rising of the Nile, the triumphal proeeoiion and entry of Rime.-es 111 into ancient Memphis, the neritil bullet and ftre ballet, alto sn ancient Egyptian floral ballet, a newjpipar ballet, match of animals, fhrongh the Suez Canal on b' P. and 0. liner, and a big specialty scene, in which, amongst others, Mr Leoni Clarke appears with his troupe of trained anitualfl. Misses Florence Young, Flora Graupaer, Juliet Wrjy, May Pollard, Ivy Scott, Carrie Moore, Gconte Lauri, Howard Vernon, Ernefit Fitts, Little Gulliver, acU others me in the cast. Frank Thornton's Comedy Company opened at Melbourne Bijou Boxing Night with " The Straugo Adventures of Miss Brown " (its first Australian production), a three-act farcical play by Robert Buchannan and Charles Marlowe,* which was originally produced at the Vaudeville Theatre, London, June 26, 1895, and in the midst of a successful run was transferred to Terry's Thuatre, October 14 of the tame year. "For England," an Anglo- African Rppctacular meln.lr.iuiii, received its fiivt Melbourne production by Bland Holi's Company at Melbourne Royal, Boxing Night. The" piece was first produced in Australia at Sydney Theatre Royal on ; September 2(5 of th s year. The following is the 1 cast ot Sutton Vane's four-act drama a3 played at Sydney aud Melbourne :—: — Alma Duiibar Miss Elizabeth Watson Vera Cvanbourne Mist Frances Rosb KeziaUPunn Mrs Bland Holt LezGi:i Miss Virgie Vivienne Lidy Crunbourne Mis* Flora Anstead '. Lieut. Cecil Cranbourse ... Mr Walter K. Baker ! Major Fordyce Dnigerfleld ... Mr Albert Norman Lieut. "Baby' 1 William Evan Beiubroße Mr John Co.«grove . Pretty Jeremy Grattan ... Mr Ch.is. Brown Drummer Benjamin Burke Miss Brigb.Ua Smith ; General Sir Felix Crauboume, (J.B. I Mr A. Harford Poiii Vo3loo Mr J. Montgomery ' Martinus Koffeuej-er ... Mr Cha*. Wheeler Krugsv Mr W.Watson Genmal Joubert Mr Muirice Kemp Captain jNeilson Air Hal Carr Andriei G-rfc Mr Hickey Petru» van de Manlen Mr Dftering Tanta Windvosel Mr Terry Tbeniis Van Zyl Mr Priugle Matthew Perm Mr E. C. Corlesse "Father" Galvin Mr J. J. Wivlsa " Litile Benjy" ... Young Ma.na»ses Marks ' Miinao&tt-i ttarka Bland Holu Dear Bis,— Regarding your paragraph in the Otago Witness of last week concerning Merivale and Grorb'a three-act play " Forget •Me - Not." The hi-tory of " Forget-Me-Not " is both interesting and instructive. It was originally written for Mr John Clayton, or at any rate the part of Sir - Horace Welby was originally destined for him. For many yeaz-s hia influence and that of the authors -not to mention the merits of the playwere exerted in vain in the attempt to secure \$ a hearing. At list Miss Genevlave Ward, "an.

American actresi," happened to take the Lyceum Theatre, London, for the autumn season, with the view of securing a footing in London. This was in August 1875*. Mr Forbea Robertson was the Sir Horace Welby. Her first attempt proved disastrous, her sec nd secured at best a success of esteem, and as a last resource, at the end of her season she determined to give " Forget-Me-Nat " a trial. The play was at ouca recognised by the critics as a very remarkable piece of work ; but the fortunes of the theatre were beyond retrieval. Another lapse of sevoral months occurred, and then v, fortunate opening was found at the Prince of AVale* Theatre. Mm wa3 iv 18S0, when the play bad a most sucoesbful rua. The piece was adequately mounted. Mr Clayton assumed the part originally intended for him. Miss Ward repeated hor remarkable performance of the heroine, and adventitious circumstances, including aa unwonted exertion of Royal patrouage, secure! for it a genuine succew, financial and artistic. Thus it is morelv the result of a series of happy chances that " Forget- Afe-Not" is no« Rt present reposing iv Mr Merivnle's d«sk, or at best remembered by a few theatrical enthusiavts a« a clever piece of work thrown away upon the barren soil of aa autumn season. — Youis truly, Stephanie.

Miss Florence Seymour, Mbs Laur* Roberts, Mr Jffidward Ferris (from England), and Mr H. tt. Roberts are the new members of Brough's Comedy Company. Mons. Provo, D'Arcy Staußeld, the Banvards, Will Ciackles, and Stella Itodaiie (" Sinbid ") are in C. B. Westmacott'a Ohrlulraus Box ''Sinbad the Sai'er" at Sydney Her Majesty's. "Nsncy and C 0.,". a four-act eoceutric comedy adapted from the German by Augustiu Daly toriginally produced at the Strand Theatre, London, July 7,~ 1886), which received its first Australian production at Melbourne Bijou by the Brough Comedy Company December 12 of this year, was seen in Sydney far the flwt time at the Criterion Theatre Boxing Night. -Yours truly, Poverty Point, December 2tf. Bis.