W. S. PERCY ON HIS STAGE CAREER.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 943, 2 April 1908, Page 16

W. S. PERCY ON HIS STAGE CAREER.

“ How d d I go on the stage? I may as well say at the outset I owe my star, and practically my present pos..ion. solely and whollv to Mr J. C. Wlliamson, who ‘discovered’ me sevente n years ago. Mr Williamson founded a juvenile opera company, which later became famous n Australia as the Pollard Company A friend of mine who fancied he saw in me an embryo Charles Santley, risked a port on of his capital by having me taught singing, and on hearing one day that youngsters were wanted for Mr Williamson’s Juvenile Company. I sallied forth armed with a copy of Ho, Jolly Jenkn,’ from Sir Arthur Sull van’s ‘lvanhoe ’ determined .0 do or d e - I a rn stil. alive. When I handed the song to Mr W lliamson he was much amused. I think my audacity got me the job at any rate, I left Me’bourne for New Zealand the next aay. The first part I was entrusted with was the ‘Pirates of Penzance.’ I don’t think I could have been entire’y successful, because on the departure of the company from Dunedin I was not invited to travel wi'h it, but was, instead, .shipped with the scenery Of course, I felt verv crushed, and was wondering ’f I could swim back to AustraFa. How ever, when he company arrived in Christchurch my second chance came, one of the performers being indisposed. I was offered the name part in ‘Th Mikado.’ and pl' ved it ever after. ~o I .mag’ne I must h”ve sat sfied the management. Bv easy - ages I at length rea bed the position of lead’ng comedian and for ful’.v t m years rema ned in that position playing in all the Gilbert and Sull’v.-n operas as we!' as in a'l he stn-k roera bouffes touring Australasia and South Afr ca. Our company was the first purely Australian company to travel away from h. mew th an en’i’-Hv Austral’an p'oduct'.on. i.e ‘Diin Djin ’ I may sal- - em'nently successful. “ On the disbandment of PoTard’s combination I was offered an engagement by

my present manager, which I immediately accepted. The engagement has been a fortunate one for me, as I am at present in the enviable position of deputy for Mr George Lauri, Australia’s most popular comedian, who is now enjoying a holiday. I consider this opportunity one of the most important episodes in my theatrical career. “I should like to say here that my association with the Royal Comic Opera Company has been of a most pleasurable nature, besides being an object lesson in the very open' book oi Theatredom. ■ “My parts? I think I have played about 90 in various operas, musical comedies, pantomimes, etc. I started my career as a lad of fourteen, playing the heavy part of the Pirate King. Now' a married man with a family. I find myself sometimes cast for juvenile parts, as, for instance, Stephen Henry, a lad of ten years, in ‘Spring Chicken.’ At this rate of progression, or is it retrogression, when I am in the sere and yellow leaf, I may find myself the cause of much inexpressive grief by enacting the trying role of Little Willie in ‘East Lynne.’ ’’ —The “Referee.”