THEATRICAL AND LITERARY NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6887, 24 June 1890, Page 2

THEATRICAL AND LITERARY NOTES.

[Fbom Oub London Cobbbbpondbnt.J London, May 2. thkatbical. The Cabinet Minister, Mr Pinero's new play at the Court Theatre, depends for succees wholly on its brilliant dialogue. Plot there is none worth mentioning. Lady Twombley, wife of a mild old Cabinet Minister (with a mania for tootling on the flute at all sorts of convenient and inconvenient moments) has, through extravagance in dress, fallen into the clutches of a lady milliner and her Jew brother, needless to say a money-lender. This precious pair waftt to get into smartsociety, and utilise their power over Lady Twombley by making ber introduce them to her friends. The unhappy lady takeß them (amongst other places) to Dumdunis Castle, tho palatial home of a highlyexclusive and aristocratic Earl and Countess. There the little Jew Lebanon's jattcTieries become so appalling that Lady Twombley bribes him with what she supposes to be a valuablo State secret to go away. Fortunately Sir Julian has discovered his wife's uiancouvring, and after frightening her a bit lets out that the Becret she thought valuable is no secret at all, and won't be of the slightest use to Lebanon. He also casually mentions* however, tidings it would be possible lo make a fortune out of. Lady Twombley promptly takes the unintentional hint, and proceeds to speculate on the Stock Exchange. Fortune favours her, and in a few hours she has mado enough to pay off both harpies. The piece bristles with smart sayings and brilliant retorts, and is capitally played. As the little Jew Lebanon, Weedon Gros-tnith made the success of his career so far. The great feature of the coming Italian opera season at Covent Garden will be the revival of Goring Thomaa' .Esmera-da, with Jean de Re.ke Lassalle and Melba iv the leading roles. It will be performed iv French, and the mise en scene is to bu unusually gorgeous even for Covent Garden. Patti has half promised to sing four or five times in midseason (the end of June), and Madame Melba will appear in at least two new rdles. Miss Mary Anderson's marriage to Mr Novarro is to take place at Brompton Oratory in about a fortnight. Amongst her bridesmaids will be one of her great friend's, Lady Lyt ton's, daughters, and her own sister. Miss Anderson bas retired from the stage, and (save possibly in the cause of charity) will not appear in publio again. The quiet way in which she has arranged matters finds little favour with the profession in general, who opine that an actress who retires without three or four last appearances, and as many farewell benefits, is false to precedent. The part of Clarice in " Comedy and Tragedy," hitherto Miss Anderson's special property, will be played next week at a Haymarket matinie by Miss Julia Neilson. Lionel Brough is on his way home from the South African goldfields, where he lost in speculation most of, if not all, the money he made out of acting. At a banquet given in his honour at Johannesburg the funny fellow seems to have been quite unable to resist giving the Africanders a piece of his mind. They were (he said) the most hospitable people in the world, but he never wanted to see thorn again. LOBD DUNLO. Lord Dunlo, who boasts that he has picked up "a trifle of sense " on his travels, writes to Augustus Moore from Bombay in quite a staid, sober, sown-iny-wild-oats tone. He briefly contradicts th© statement that he signed the petition for a divorce after writing to the fatrV-RCOuntess-that he would never part with her. " The case," he says, "will come on in June," adding, "the whole affair ha., I assure you, been a profitable lesson to me, and I hope will be so to any other fools who are knocking about town next season." Quite unexceptionable and edifying sentiments are they not? From what I can hear, though, I imagine the young Lord may find it is much easier to wed a dainty darling of the Belle Bilton class than to divorce her. The lady (as I told you some time ago) means to fight for her title to the last gasp. She defies all and sundry (for there is no false reticence about the young woman) to find a blot on her escutcheon since the Registrar made her Lady Dunlo, and the little Hebrew, Wertheimer, also pleads " Not guilty." " THE BOUQUET." Haddon Chambers has sold the Americanrights of The Bouquet for _8300 down and 10 per cent on all takings. It will probably be produced in New York at — I forget what theatre he said, but one of the Bmart houses. Some time ago Mr Overton (Palmer's manager in London) told me -he had given Chambers .£IOO for the option of buying the American rights of this piece. It seems, however, there was a mistake, or rather misunderstanding. Overton thought the play Chambers proposed writing was a melodrama, whereas, of course, it is a comedy. o. A. SALA. The rancorous venom displayed by George Augustus Sala in persisting in his libel action against Harry Furniss, despite the mediation of countless mutual friends,, has left a very unpleasant impression. The versatile journalist won his case and £5 damages, with taxed costs, but he has lost the respect and affection of many good friends. These complain indeed that G.A.S. is greatly changed. He has really never been the same since that fatal visit to Australia which cost him his first wife. There can be no question Mrs Sala was the good angel of the popular writer's life, and (judging by latter-day blunders), must have times and again prevented his strong prejudices making him ridiculous. She would certainly never have permitted tho Furniss case to go to Court. CHRISTIE MUBBAT. The collaboration arrangements between Christie Murray and Henry Herman, which end to day with the publication of the " Bishop's Bible," have not, according to the former's friends, been at all satisfactory. One fancied naturally the tales, bearing the men's joint names were written jointly. It is whispered now, however, that so far from that being the case all Herman supplied was a skeleton plot of each story. The writing-in was done almost entirely by Mr Murray. This would not have mattered if the division of the spoils had been on an equitable basis, but the man in the streetdeclares Herman claimed and got half shares. Mr Murray iB too much of a Bohemian and a good fellow to be a Bharp-bnsineßß man. Mr Herman on the other hand has, I fancy, the "true commercial instinct." If he has not made a good thing out of the collaboration rumour lies. ■ Mr Murray's friends are hoping the stories anent his settling down in your part of the world are fudge. They want him back at the Savage. I can, by the way, scarcely say I know Mr Christie Murray myself, though I've thrice been introduced to him. The last occasion we went through the form was at the Savage after hia valedictory banquet. Mr Philip Mennell presented a whole lot of us to the hero of the evening, but whether he remembers the -i.-uma-a.nc- is I should think to the last degree doubtful.