LORING FERNIE.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 968, 24 September 1908, Page 18

LORING FERNIE.

There can be no doubt in the mind of anyone (writes Mr. Tallis) who has seen Mr. Loring Fernie’s finished performance of Captain Hook in “Peter Pan” that he is an actor of wide experience and versatility. And a glance at his record confirms this. By a curious coincidence he began his histrionic career at the same time and in the same piece (“The Hunchback”) as Mrs. Patrick Campbell. That was with the Herman Veyzin

Company, with whom he remained some considerable time, getting a grounding in Shakespearian and English comedy. It must have been strenuous work, for he owns to having played Laertes, the First Player and the Ghost in “Hamlet,” all in one night and of doubling the First Witch and Macduff in “Macbeth,” Macduff, Mercutic and lago are his favourite Shakespearian ipartjs and Joseph Surface the only role he really cared for in the old comedies. .His first London appearance was with Sir Charles Wyndham with whom he remained for nearly two years, understudying him in all the plays put on at that time. Following on that engagement and a five weeks’ season with Lena Ashwell in The Mayflower,” Mr. Fernie was secured by “ Dot ” Boucicault for a long stay at the Court Theatre and then he went back to Sir Charles Wyndham for “Cyrano de Bergerac,” understudying the name part. His next move was to join Julia Neilson and Fred Terry for “Sweet Nell” in which he created the part of Rollins, and subsequently played that of Judge Jeffreys for three years. He left them for a provincial tour as Francois Villon in “If I Were King” and on his return to London was engaged by Boucicault to take up the work in “ Peter Pan ” of Gerald du Maurier, whose voice had given way under the strain of commanding Captain Hook’s ferocious band. He played the Pirate Chief also in Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow and again in London before transferring his energies to Denis O’Hara in “ Sweet Kitty Bellairs,” a part he was playing when engaged by J. C. Williamson for Australia.

Mr. Charles Frohman is to try the interesting experiment of staging “Brewster’s Millions” in Paris in the course of the next few weeks. One feels curious to know how that essentially American play, which by the way completes its long successful Australian career at the end of this month, will appeal to the French mind.

The Royal Welsh Male Choir have narrowly escaped a dark

and sinister attempt to waylay them on the ' part oF ■ a Victorian mining centre (humorously writes ' a correspondent). Among all the letters received by Messrs J. and N. Tait, from towns asking to be included in the projected tour of Australasia were severaL from this particular place, and the anxiety displayed by the residents was commented on. But no one suspected until a treacherous man gave the show away, that the reason for it was a scheme to entertain them in the lowest level of the deepest mine in the district, and then hold tlieni down there until they had sung every item in their repertoire to an audience consisting of the whole underground staff. ■* • • From the sheaf of anecdotes which Mark Hambourg is ever ready to entertain his friends with, the following is well worth repeating. He was once playing in a small back country town in South Africa where most of the buildings—including the concert hall—were of galvanised iron, just one thickness of that with naked studs showing inside. The acoiistic properties of such a place were naturally excellent, especially for those who remained outside, and consequently most of the township gathered round the hall when the concert commenced. At the end of the first item there was a tremendous knocking on the walls. The manager rushed out to remonstrate angrily with the wrongdoer, but was dumbfounded by being asked for a programme, as the people outside were anxious to know the names of the pieces being played inside. The Julius Knight Company reached their 100th performance of “ The Scarlet Pimpernel ” in Adelaide the other day, and a holiday audience (it was Eight Hours Day) celebrated the century in a fitting fashion. Brisbane has been rolling up in fine style for “ The Merry Widow ” ever since the Royal Comic Opera Company opened there. The season will be completed with a production of “ The Dairy'maids ” and on the 26th instant a long visit to Sydney will be commenced at Her Majesty’s Theatre.