HENRY IRVING'S FUN.

Woodville Examiner, Volume XXXVI, Issue 5516, 24 October 1919, Page 4 (Supplement)

HENRY IRVING'S FUN.

The great English actor, Sir Henry Irving, had his own intensely gay and humorous side, says Mr Clement Scott, in old Bohemian Days. His lifelong stage-manager, Harry Loveday, used to say that the only time he ever saw “the chief” at a loss for words was at a dress rehearsal of “Henry the Eighth,” in 1892, when the situation appealed so strongly to his sense of humour and sent him into such fits of laughter that he simply couldn’t speak. Wearing the gorgeous geranium pink robes of Cardinal Wolsey, the actor manager stepped off the stage, and up to the back of the auditorium, to watch the gorgeousness of the scenes as arranged by Seymour Lucas, A.R.A.

He was standing there all alone, and thoroughly enjoyed the fanfare of silver trumpets, the magnificence of the processions, the choristers with their lace-trimmed albs and scarlet soutanes, the servitors, the retinue, the retainers, the rose-robed Cardinals who acted as the judges, when everything came to a sudden halt. A “silence that could be felt” swept over the whole crowd. Everybody paused breathlessly-

Irving shouted as loudly as he could: “Keep it up. Don’t drop it. Get on with it. Why this wait? For heaven’s sake, don’t let it down at such a moment! Loveday—where's Loveday?” On trotted little Mr. Loveday from the wings, not a smile on his face. “I’m here, Mr. Irving.” “What’s wrong? Who is keeping the whole stage waiting like this?” “It's your cue, Mr. Irving,” replied Harry Loveday, quietly. "Are you coming?”