WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS

Otago Witness, Issue 2254, 13 May 1897, Page 41

WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS

By P. FvOJJPteb.

Dear Pasquin,— " Shakeßpeare don't spelj c-a-s-h " is the common expression of the colonial manager ; but that dotsn't deter George Rignold giving Henry V's fine suit of armour an occasional airing, just to keep the rust off it and G, R.s brain, and to remind the people of a one-time something-of-a-man named AV.S. The trio— W- ) S., G. R., and H. V— were good enough to draw me to the Opera House last Monday, and proved attractive enough to keep me there until the ringdown I'm oxien to agree with the next man that there are worse iriays than " Henry V," that theie are many Shakespearean actors on the world's stage who would give a small and a largo consideration to be able to pourtray the character as docs Rignold, and that the scenery and details in costuming could be little bettered anywhere. This is holding myself ready to champion a big order, and it goes to prove that I enjoyed Shakespeare, Rignold, and Henry last Monday. I am told Bignold is an ideal Henry, playing him to the life. That may be so ; I never met Henry Plantagenet myself, but he and hi 3 armour make a very dignified appearance, the only objection coming to my mind being, the patent fact that the fifth Henry's long decease has a depressing effect even on Rignold— whicH may only be a sign of the actor's disappointment that he hasn't got a show to do the " Prisoner of Zenda" trick. I Bympathise with the actor. I feel sometimes myself as if a term at playing a live king's part would suit me all to pieces, affording some relief from being a mere honest man. I like to pass a good thing round when I see it, and so for the edification of listeners I repeat this paiagraphical introduction to the Po3t's notice of Henry with the fiver :— " One of the best and le*at known of Shakespeare's historical plays is ' Henry V.' It has not, we think, been put on the London staee hs.lf a dtzen times during the last 20 years. It is two decades since it was seen in this city until last evening ; and if Mr Rignold did not produce it in Australia during the last 10 or 15 years no one else would. The reason is obvious. The cast is, with knights, nobles, soldiers, Court ladies, and auxiliaries, an audience in itself ; and as a scrimpy and attenuated production of the play would inevitably end in failure, and as the utmost patronage lo a lavish outlay on ihe piece could hardly mean pcumary succtss, managers have preferred plays not so good and not nearly so expeusive. Indeed, managers have prefeired recently to let bhakespeare sleep altogether, for although his works stand alone, and will always stand alone, as incomparably superior to all other works ever written, still in these later times .Shakespeare does not pay. and managers cannot live on love for the ' Bard of Avon,' nor yet on any other love whatsoever." „. There are 42 principals in Henry V, and of these but five ar& women, counting Dame Rumour as Chorui?, who prefaces every apt with a leaning-upon-a-pe^estal act, and speaking fine lines very prottily. This is done by Miss Ada Guildford, and bhe is a first-rate aider to the prettinesses of the piece. Miss Georgia 5-mithson is a lively Dame Quickly, and the other ladies, like the hubby at the club, come in late upon the scene. Miss Eiuilie Hughes's Katherine is a very sprightly part, well played up to by Miss Watts Phillips as Alice. I would like to set it down here tint I am greatly taken with the talent of Miss Hughes's acting, which is not an original saying, but worthy lepetition. * To-night a dramatisation of Hugh Conway s fine novel " Called Back " goes on, and for Saturday, perhaps the last night of the season, the bill will be " Confusion." Mr Rigncld has fallen a victim to the catch- em-with-a-bike advertisement. To-night has been dubbed "A grand souvenir night, when every person paying for admittance will receive a present ranging in \ alue from Is tn £25, all taking an equal chance of winning a £25 TenipßSt j bicycle." The latest thing from the land of startling things and fitripyisnis is dubbed " A Newspaper Theatre." Every sub-editor must have dreamt of such a thing in his day dreams. The manager of the new theatre will present every evening to the sensation-loving public of New York a series of living pictures representing t>e latest news of interest. People in New York will no longer spend their five cents on the Journal or the Mail if they can learn the most thrilling events of the day in such a vivid and xncturesque manner. The daily variety show of the day's "horrible revelations" or "-shocking crimes" will be supplemented by a weekly dramatisation of foreign news Wellington's Opera House bookings for the immediate future show a three-nights' Carl Hertziana from the 22nd inst. ; then the Festival Choral Society (Robert Parker, conductoi) gives two concerts on the 10th and 11th June ; and on the sth Professor Kennedy, funnimerrimisr, will introduce his "hoise opera" and exhibit until the 12th. Follows the week's carnival of the Wellington Dramatic Students to aid the Victoria Operating Theatre fund. Henry Bracy may open in ox>era on the 15th July (it depends upon the success of his Melbourne season, which I am glad to see has caught on), and if so will give us merry music until the sth August. The Broughs have booked their farewell season in this city before disbandiDg from the 20th August, to the Bth September ; Bland Holt will put in a month of melodrama from 17th November to 15th December ; and the Pollards will bring pantomime for Chribtmas, opening on Boxing Night. Mr Frank Thornton is expected to come along in June or July, but he has not booked daten so far. Last night Mr Robert Parker guve a successful ! orsan recital. Mr J. l'rouse was the soloist. ; Mr Bland Holt &eems to have gotten so firm a | holt on the affections and purses and time of- : Totherci'ie playgoers that we poor Maorilanders do not appear to be in his thoughts. Anyway, these were my cogitation* until t'other day, when i the Melbourne mail brought mo a missive with i the evcr-confx>*cuous artistic "fist" of Bland Holt thereupon. Tho epistle from Melbourne gives a glowing account o£ the production at the Royal of the highly successful and sensational "In Sight of St. Paul's." To recount the story 1 would here take up 100 much space, but I may here state that " In Sight of St. Paul's " contains nil the elements of success. Apart from the beautiful scenery and thrilling sen^atiosal effects, the drama has much to recommend it. 'i he stmy is full of human interest, life ami passioD, tragedy and comedy. The funny people are Bland Holt, waiter and cabby ; Mis Bland Ilolr, hoardiughouje "canary"; at»d Mr Charlie Brown, a knavish attorney. The leading serious characters I are Cynthia Dell, who is the villainfeKS, nickI named The Panther (Mis 3 Elizabeth Watson), I Harry Chichester (Mr J. Cosgrove), Capt. Gridston (Mr Harry Normanl, and the hero Torn Chichester (Mr VV. E. Baker) and heroine Ail«en Millar (Miss Frances Ross). The parts of Chicheßter, senior (Mr Codes- e), Fletcher (Mr Hurfrnl). Beatiice Morland (Mus Vivienne), and ' Gracie Chichester (Miss Appleton) were also ably ; sustained, (tiqw pleasant it is to quote onre ; more the familiar names !) The niece is l>y Mi* i Suttou Vane, author of "The of Life," j j " For England," etc., and it was produced for the ! j firtt time in August of last year at the Princess j i Theitie. London. j Glad to hear from you again. Bland Holt, and i to hear of your rontinued success. Way it never , grow too much for you. , The annual report of the directors of the Weii lington Opera House Company, presented to shareholders on May 3, is .shove and -as it au1 nounces a dividend - sweet The jucomu for the i .year .shows a surplus of .£78 5 ovjr expenditure, j and the directors recommend that a dividend of 1 5 per cent, be decUie 4 , absorbing the turn of j £726 15? th» balance, £o2 5"-, to ba transferred to , profit and 1033 a coant. The retiring directors, f Messrs Ii Flockton, E. Sea;.!'-, J K. Hamilton, and W. 11. P B-rber, wer-i leeloctod. The balauce sheet bhows the year'< income to have 1 been £2365 33 (ki, in-luoins; £\7.n I>b 7d from rent. The liabilities cmbr..cu £1-1,530 on ."hare Recount a d .£SSOO on mortgage, and ihe as=a^oi the company aie valued at £21,323 ia 9<i. i