REMINISCENCES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 19, 5 January 1912, Page 3

REMINISCENCES.

R. A. ROBERTS!,, ALEMORIES OF THE STACIE. TWO WERE ENOUGH. Mr. R. A. Roberts’i recent lecture on “Twenty Years’ - Hurd” to He 0. R. Club at tJio London Criterion, 1 was a perfect mine of anecdote. . Ho told a very amusing story of Ids connection with a stock company at a Liverpool, theatre in the old days. “A welLknown Irish comedian, 0 lie said,-“was the star, his name was C. R. Cooke, i a rough adfcor,i accustomed to jwork in the smalls of ilreland, and a Very cloae-iisted maiui ■-d ■' >. - “Coalin'(walked on toithe middle of l the stage, and, addressing the manager, said, “Good morning, Mr Wood. It’s a mighty line play J. have brought you this week; bedad, it will tear them to pieces in Scotland Road, in ' the* third actp’when T throw the villain' front the top of the rocks, at the back of the stage 1 want a mob of real ‘howlers’, on the left of the stage a posse of police. How many Sapors' 1 have yojr got?’ I “Mr Wood replied’, r) .‘The ’ ■ffe'rms of, ydntr teontfflet) Mr' 1 Obdlte;’' are—We provide the theatre,“''lighting, '■ Mlpestiilg and window' hills, 'an efficient 'Company of "actors and actresses and soahery, and' the band; You', on yoiir side, provide yourkelf, the play, pictorials, and all supers over two.’ , “Mr Cooke said—T beg your pardon. Ho you mean to say if I have more than two supers I have got to pay for them, and a howling mob, an army, and a posse of police ?’ Mr Wood answered—‘Quite right, sir, you pay for them.’ “ ‘Oil, wel,’ said Cooke, ‘l’ll make the two do.’ ” RED AND BLUE TIGHTS. “Our stock company consisted of seven males and four females. We would have to twist up our costumes in the most ridiculous manner., I would play Sir William Catesby in ‘Richard the Third’ in the correct tunic, the corduroy trousers that 1 had played Nicodemus ,Nobbs in rolled up above' the knee, and a blue sash round my waist. “On one occasion I had to make this sash fit three different characters in one evening. ■ T wore it as a girdle as the Duke of A'enice in ‘Othello’— my hair was very long at the time, and thickly powdered for this part. After my exit 1 had to wash my hair, put on Catesby’s tunic, leather topOoots (made by myself with American cloth and brown paper) that J. wore in ‘The Lady of Lyons,’ red tights (1 only had one pair), and a blue sash draped from my shoulder, 'in the character of Montano. “J had great difficulty in keeping this sash to myself. Tt was about four yards long, and was of very good material. There was' an old saying in those days—‘Servebut the red tights to the thin legs, blue tights to the fat ’mis.’ ” NOT HIS WIFE. “I played throe parts in Melville’s ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ company, and wrote my own speeches. The first was that of a very old man, Uncle Tom’s employer, and for the sake of differentiation 1 made him almost a momigenarian.

“I did not know who was playing my wife; that is to say, 1 did not know which of the ladies had been selected. “I knew I had to enter from 1 the side in a front cloth to meet ‘inv wife,’ who came from the opposite side, and to make a live-minutes’ scene out of my conversation that came into my mind. “To quote the stage-manager, ‘Say anything you like, old man, but keep to the story.’ ■ ■ “So I quickly conceived that the best topic of live minutes’ conversation would he to quarrel with my wife. “Imagine my surprise and consternation when I saw my wife approaVh tor.arils the middle of tin* stage. She was eleven .years of ago, very small in stature, and was the little miss' who afterwards played Eva. “So with a quick wit, ] looked at her before she could call me husband, and said, ‘Come and kiss your grandfather.’ ” —“Km.”