THE GHOST WALK.

Otago Witness, Issue 2722, 16 May 1906, Page 60

THE GHOST WALK.

The Brough-Flemming Co. was at latest in Brisbane.

Comedian Fred. Bluett is on the bill at Sydney Tivoli. " Actresses will happen in the best-regu-lated families."

Bland Holt is producing " The Prodigal Son" in Sydney. ,

A chorus girl in Arr>erica is reported lo have fallen heir to £100,000.

Florrie Esdaile, an Australian vocalist, wag at London Tivoli at latest.

A brother of Mr Cyril Maude is a well-to-do brewer at Wellington (N.S.W.).

Miss Bessie Rignold is touring the English, provinces with "The Shop-boy."

Floirie and Stella Ranger are appearing with Bain's Entertainers in Hobart.

Wm. Anderson's "Tambour MajoT" Co. is now touring the Victorian provinces. " The Mariners of England" will be staged at the Princess Theatre this evening.

Tenor Reginald Roberts is returning to Australia to rejoin the Royal Comics.

Reported that one of the Diamond Duo, recently in these parts, has married in Manila.

Sheridan's Musical Comedy Company is at present playing a return season in the North. Island.

Two sisters of Miss Carrie Moore are at present touring in America, with the Pollard Company. Tyrone Power, the actor who visited these parts with Miss Edith Crane, wa« at latest in ICew York.

Matinees of "Sinbad the Sailor" are being given in Christchurch on Thursday and Saturday afternoons. Mr G. H. Snazelle has been appointed professor of elocution at the Guildhall School of Music, London.

"Sinbad the Sailor 1 ' pantomime has struck Chriatehurch whera it needed striking most. Business is splendid. West's Pictures and the Brescians, having concluded a successful season in Sydney, are now at Melbourne Athenieum.

Wm. Anderson's Dramatic Co., now showing at the Princess, will visit Christcliurch at tho termination of the Dunedin season.

Only those connected with the stage are to foe asked to contribute tc the proposed memorial to the late Robert Brough. Miss Geraldine Oliffe, once a member of the Broughßoucicault comedy organisation, is playing in " 'Twixt Axe and Crown." The Gilbert and Sullivan Repertoire Company commenced. » season in Auckland on. Monday evening, opening with ';The Gondoliers."

George Stcphenson's Company opened, to % big house with " The Moorish Maid" in Sydney. The opera ia highly sooken. of by tb' eriticst

-The Willoughby-Ward season of comedy commenced at Sydney Criterion on May 12, the opening bill being " The Man From Mexico."

Of "The Four Sydney Girls" appearing at the New Gaiety Theatre, Dundee, three are former chorus members of Mr WilliamsorTs Opera Company.

Mr jsen Fuller and Mrs Fuller were passergers for Sydney _by the Waikare on Satur-

day last. Mr Fuller is likely to be away for four or five weeks.

The great Russian dramatist Maxim. Gorki is reported to be about to visit London and personally superintend the production of one of his realistic dramas.

Mr Herbert Ross, the original Horace Parker in the Australian production of "A Messenger from Mars, ' is on tour in England with " Dr Wake's Patient."

In the latest issue of London Sporting Sketches, just to hand, a reproduction of Miss Marie Campbell, ijrincipal boy of " Sinbad the Sailor panto., appears.

Mr E. C. Corle??a who was for many years a member of Mr Bland Holt's company, is touring Queensland wi<h Mr Ernest Archer's dramatic combination.

Mr O. Heggie, of Sydney, a former member of Mr William Hawtrey's company, is playing the Duke in Henry Me'tzer's play, " The Duchess of Marlborough." on tour. latees Hsidy; the Anierican Blondin. describing himself as "the undisputed champion hdgh-vrire artist of the world," has offered to appear at the iN'ew Zealand Exhibition.

ActoT (to stage-lnanagerj: "But what is the audierice hcwling about? What does it want?" Stage 1 -Manager : "In' this particular case ii s=eoms to want, its money beck." The Knight-Jeffries Company -gave the last performance of ?. mort successful season in Adelaide, on Fridpy. April 27, aad to-day tha organisation .exists no longer as a company.

Arrangements are being made for the erection pi a rronument in Central Park. New York, +o perpetuate tha memory of Joseph Jefferson. The cost of the work will ba £10,000.

The relatives of Miss Irene. Outtrim, whohas been fulfilling for some months past a theatrical engagement in San Francisco, have received a cable from her announcing her safety.

Soma artists at latest with Fuller's Company. Auckland: Will Rollow. Scott Bros., Collier Sisters, Walker and Hughes, Frank Kine. Harry Davis, Mabel Lynne, Ward Lear, and Kate Maher.

Per picture post-card forwarded by George Callesder from Ka!gcorlie (W.A.) comes news of the HciJers' " Company, which was at latest fhowmg in Her Majesty's Theatre :n the mining centre.

It is reported that Mi=s Olga Netherpole has announced her intention of retiring from the stage, and of devotitg the remainder of her life (and savings) to making researches for a euro for consumption.

Mirs Lilian Bonna.s. who appeared here with Musgrove's Grand Opera Company, is appeariDg at the Cambridge Music Hall, London, where her refined ballad sinking has proved a rjopular addition to the bill.

Miss May Edcuin, with her husband, Mr Fre3. Edwards, leaves England in August for a two-years' tour of the world, during which she will visit Africa and India^ and revisit the land ot her birth — Australia.

k The Fitzgerald brothers were very closely associated nnd on extremely affectionate term?, and the general impression that the news of Mr Dan Fitzgerald's death Hastened that of Mr "Tom Fitzgerald -is possibly correct.

London's newest musical sensation, a conductor who directs without a baton, at the Queen's HaII symphony concert last month, is thus vividly described by an American critic : " Safonoiff is a personified coirvtilsiou or Nature."

Similar.— Star of the Comedy Coinoany.: " Did you kre-w theie was a cigar named after me? " Low Comedian: " I guess that was one of them* l just smoked." Star: '"Indeed! What -makes you think so?" Low Comedian: "It didn't draw very well."

Mr Frank T. Bulle/i. the "Kipling of the Sea," delivered his first lecture in Melbourne at the Athenaeum on W^ed^esday evening, April 25. The hall was crowded, and Mr Bullen's graphic descriptions of sea life and adventure were very interesting. The last two years have Tobbed the world of some of its most talented actors: — Irving, Joeeph Jefferson. Charles Arnold, Mel. B. Spurr. George Coppin. William Rignold. Dan Leno, Herbert Campbell. Maurice Barrymore. Lillian Wheeler, and Robert Brough.

Mr C. Carter, at one time the tenor of Pollard's Opera Company, who went to England some years ago, is now singing the principal tenor role in Nicholas Gatty's new opera "Grey Steel," which is being played in the provinces by the Moody-Manners Company.

Why should there not be a theatrical course at our great universities, where the drama, ancient and modern, could be studied, and elocution, methods of expression, and the technique of acting be taught by competent instructors, terminating with an appropriate degree? — From the Washington Post.

Mr J. C. Williamson's past pantomimes have been fo noteworthy — '" Ifatsa." in particular — that theatre-goers will be glad tc hear that he intends to stage anothei next Christmas. It will first be produced at Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, and in all probability, make a tour of Australia afterwards. Miss May Beatty, the well-known New Zealand actress, intends visiting England on the expiry in May of her present engagement with Mr George Stephenson. After a month or tyro on holiday in London sh« will (says the British Australasian) fulfil an engagement to tour the provinces with " The Skirt Dancer."

Mr Hall Came, despite his recent statement that he was out of pocket to the tune of JEJOOO over " The Prodigal Son," has contracted with Mr Arthur Collins to write the autumn drain a for the Lane, which is to be a dramatisation of his early " The Bondman," with the «cene laid in a Sicily sulphur mine.

There has lately returned to the London vaudeville stage an interesting figure in the person of Mr W. J. Ashcroft. " The Solid Mail." His quaint invention (in America many years ago), the " Scarecrow Dance," was popularised in Australia by the late Mr John Coleinan. and subsequently in London by Mr William Gourlay

The late Mr Robert Brough met his future wife for the first time when touring the English provinces with D'Oyley Carte's " Pinafore" Company. Miss Major — this being her maiden name — was taking the part of Little Buttercup when Mr Brough joined it to play Dick Deadeye. A year later they were married at Plymouth. The dismissal of the charges against Mr Michael "Joseph, business manager of Mr "William --Anderson's Pantomime Company, of overcrowding tie Theatre Royal must have inspired -the City Council's staff to greater seal (says Saturday's Christchurch Press), as it last evening's performance there were four inspectors on duty. ' After Nance O'Neil concludes her present tour of America, ending in Boston, she proceeds to Hawsis, Japan, China, the Straits Settlements, India, Egypt, and Europe. Contracts have already been made for the chartering of a special steamship in San Francisco for the transportation of Miss O'Neil and h«T company tc the Orient. Mr St. Clair Bayfield ia the subject

of a con-plimentary biographical notice in the "current Stage. From this it would appear that Mr Bayfield has been in turn a sailor, a journalist, a dairyfarmer, a hand on a cattle-boat, an employee of the New Zealand Government's Survey Department, a horse tradeT, and an actor of many pal ts

Advice h?.s just been received by Mr D. Ellwood, falheT of the juvenile Ellwood Family of Musicians, now performing at the Opera Hous€, Christchurch, that Master Harry FJlwood, the clevei young violinist, has won the Trinity College (London) Open Scholarship. Master E'.lwocd, who is on'.y 12 years of age, scored 91 marks out of a possible 100.

The following notices, says an exchange. were found in a small hall in a minirg town "Do not rnoov the pyano as it is too costly too be ruffly shifted. "Penut feans an hogs keep cut. If you mus eat Penuts svraller the hit Us." "Notic. No Intoksycated peaTson in this hall. Nobody arlowed to stomp feet, Cap hans insted. No wioelm — no tobaca spitin — no profain speakin. '

Miss Amy Murphy, after conclrding her " Faust " engagement with the Dunedin Choral Society, leaves immed'ately after tor Wangamu, Palrosrston North, and Masterton. where she sings on ihv 23rd. 24th, and '25th of this month. The Wellington Chora! Society has also engaged her for the soprano solo? in " Samson " and ' Cavalleiia Ruslicana," to be given in the Town Hall early naxt month.

A famous combination of ma!e singers is pioceeding to Australia, via Japan, and .will give a series of concerts, commencing in Melbourne, very shortly. It is called the Bohemian Quartet. It was founded by the celebrated composer Dvorak, and the individual members of the quartet have all studied at the Conservatoire at Prague, some of them being professors. Two membsrs of the quartet are soloists. The party has ju?t completed an engagement in America under Er.anger, the New ifork entrepreneur.

Mr Hugh Ward, who has returned to Sydney in connection with the company organised by M-essca Wil'.oughby, Ward, and Geach. is an old favourite in Australia. He was hero originally with Hany Connor's compary in A Trip to Chinatown " and " The StrangeT in New York." Since then, in London, he has played with Dan Leno. Harry Randall, and Herbert Campball ot DruMr Lane, where his "scarecrow act" in pantomime was one of the features of the season.

The latest mechanical d-evice popular in America is a motor car, driven by a girl, which " loops the loop" in mid-air. There is a long inclined path, down which the car dashes by gravity, striking two steel triggers close to the lowest point. These triggers release springs, which throw up the car as it leaves the track, the force being adjusted to s-uch a nicety that the car turns somersaults ir the air, landing on another plane inclined upwards. The act i« cailed "The Limit," and is being shown by Baruuni and Bailey. " I certainly think there ought to be a State theatie. Theatrical management is a business, and has to be conducted on commercial lines, like every other busin-ess, if it is to be financially sound. Managers often cannot afford to be patriotic, and art is a shibboleth which dos3n't oarrv you over the uver. ' Therefore, there should be one national temple of Thespis, which can be independent of the consideration whether a masterpiece or a classic will pay lor its production." — Oscar Asche. in the British Australasian.

Special performances for critics of new pieces are becoming frequent in London now. George Alexander says: — "I prefer to call it, as I did on my invitation card, 'the final rehearsal.' It seems to me that something of. the kind is absolutely necessary for the dramatic critics of those papers which, in order to circu'ste in va^t numbers all over the country by breakfast time, have to ™o to press at a comparatively early hour. How can a. dramatic critic do justice to the public, to hia paper, or to the theatre if he has to dash oS the notice of the play at high speed while the printing piesses are fretting for his copy?"

A London cablegram announces the death of Mis 3 Olga Brandon, the actress. She died in great destitution. Miss. Brandon was born in Australia in 1865. of Russian parentage, and was educated at a convent in Geelong. In 1378 &be accompanied her parents to China, and subsequently proceeded to America, where, in 1881, she made her first appearance on the stag© in New York. In 18S7 she appeared on ihe London stage, and, after returning to America for a short season, she again appeared in England. Her heart-whole identification with the personality of the character she was representing constituted in a great measure the secret of her success as one of the best emotional actresses of the day.