ALL A MISTAKE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10442, 23 April 1912, Page 2

ALL A MISTAKE.

Shortly after Mr Wilson Barrett first joined tho theatrical profession, he became a member of a company performing at tho old Theatre Royal Dublin. His part naturally was a small one, and Mr Bariett had no expectation whatever of receiving any signs of approval from the audience. Greatly to his surpise, however, his first speech was greeted with a round of applause. This unlooked-for tribute quite elated the young actor, and he exerted himself to the utmost in tho endeavour to sustain the good impression lie appeared to have ma/de. He succeeded gven beyond his hopes, says Mr Harvey, in "Irish Life and Humour." Everything he said or did was rapturously applauded, and the principal performers were thrown completely into tho shade. Tho "stars" were, of' course, disgusted, and tho rest of'the company lost in amazement—none more bo than young Barrett himself. He scarcely supposed that ho quite deserved such an ovation, but with tho natural vanity of youth ho considered that these Dublin folk showed a rare appreciation of budding merit. Just as ho was leaving the theatre, however, one of the scene-shifters accosted him. "Sure ye wor cock o' the walk tonight, sir!" "Well, yes, Mickey," returned the actor, with pardonable pride, " I think I knocked |em a bit—eh?" " Och, sir," said Mickey, " sure it wasn't that at all at all! But it's got about among tho bho.vs that ye'ro a brother o' the man that was hung this morning 1" A Fenian named Barrett had that morning paid the extreme penalty of the lan, A Shakespeare Exhibition is announced to be held at Earl's Court from May to October this year, in aid oip p be" called "Shakespeare's England." and an endeavour will bo made" to reconstruct Earl's Court as an Elizabethan town, which will include a facsimile of tho old Globo Theatre, in which performances of Shakespeare's plays will be given. . ■. ~w