A Famous Theatrical Row.

Otago Witness, Issue 2400, 1 March 1900, Page 64

A Famous Theatrical Row.

One of the most memorable theatrical rows took place at the old Princess's Theatre on the 4th of October, 1865.

It was the first night of Charles Reade's "Never Too Late to Mend." The house was crowded with all the celebrities of the time.

George Vining, an irascible man. who hated the pres* and independent criticism, wa& the manager of the hou*e, and played the part of Ton> .Robinson.

All went well until the second act of the prison f=cene, when poor little Josephs was tied up to be thrashed for nome minor offence at the command of the Governor, and to the righteous indigiu*ion of the tender-hearted chaplain. Well, the discipline was so rigoro\isly and so vigorously administered, and the shrieks of little Laura Moore as the boy Josephs were so piercing, po heartrending, and fo natural, that an absolute thrill of horror went thioucjh the house. And then, on the impulse of the moment, Frederick Guest Tomlins, the veteran critic of the Morning Advertiser, a handsome oW fellow, with a charming smile and snowywhite hair, leaped to his feet in the stalls, and protested against the disgusting realism, which had nothing whatever to do with art. Theie was a senpii^on ! Tom Robinson, the convict, came to the footlights, and addressed the recalcitrant Tomlins in the character of George Vining, the manager.

Excitedly he defended Charles Reade, talked about Blue Books, and made every possible excuse; but, as a last shot at old Tomlins, Vinmgnyas foolish enough to say that a dramatic critic was the last person to make any complaint about anybody or anything, as he had come in with an order !

This fairly drove the old gentleman crazy. Here was the power of criticism upset by an actor, full mouthed, on his own staae ! "Apologise, sir !'' lie shouted. The other critics rose and echoed the cry, "Apologise!" They delighted in the vigorous energy of their spokesman ; and old John Oxcnford, in his private box (always given to the doyen of the critics), winked over his gold spectacles and grinned approval. It was a rare fight between the press and an arrogant, insolent, actor manager !

The delighted house, thoroughly enjoying the thrilling situation, took up the cry again of "Apologise !" which rang out from oil parts of the house. And the actor manager, who had insulted the press as well as the audience, thought that discretion was the better part of valour ; so apologise he did, and Tomlins sat down once more. The storm auhikled. and the nlay. W6U& Oil

until midnight. It started at 7, so it was a long and exciting evening.