A COMEDIAN’S AMBITIONS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 1004, 3 June 1909, Page 17

A COMEDIAN’S AMBITIONS.

FIVE MINUTES’ CHAT WITH MR. W. S. PERCY. HE STILL PREFERS THE FUNNY BUSINESS. “ How do, Percy; back once more?” This, as Mr. W. S- Percy, the wellknown comedian, steps into the office. “Yes, ‘once more unto the breach, dear friends.’ The only parts of that applicable to my being here are ‘once more’ and ‘dear friends.’ Don’t forget to put that in, old chap.” •• You’re glad to be back in New Zealand, then?” “ Well, rather. It is good to see the old familiar faces. The name my colleagues sometimes give me —‘the Dunedin Buzzard’ —explains a lot. I used to get badly chaffed in Australia about my New Zealand enthusiasms, but after our trip through the * smalls’ it is a good deal worse. My receptions everywhere have been most cordial, and it is most flattering to me to find so many loyal friends.’* “Tell you about my progress?” “ Well, to continue the quotation, • There’s nothing so becomes a man as modest stillness and humility.’ For some months I was out of the bill, understudying the late George Laurie, of whom I have none but the happiest memories. Poor old chap! His health was failing for a considerable period, and I had to stand by for quite a while, r have had no resting time for the last 17 years. Five years of that time have been spent with the Royal Comics playing leading comedy parts in all ihe productions.”

“No! really I haven’t the least desire to play Hamlet, anyhow not as the vine William wrote it, although I believe most comedians are ensnared up i aspirations to do so, just as the ceding .baritone and tenor want to wear the cap and bells. In my salad (otherwise my Pollard) days, I once had a straight part and in a pathetic scene, where I hoped to raise a lump in the throat of the audience, it laughed uproariously. You see, I was the funny man.” “ No, I have no ambition to seize the leading lady’s wrist, and, striding down stage, hiss in her ear, ‘ At Last We are Aloneah ! ! ! I prefer the funny business to that.” “ The public gets queer enough ideas about actors which are sometimes amusing, sometimes not. At a reception given to Melba, at which I was also present, I was introduced to the wife of a city magnate, who flattered me by saying she knew me and remembered my wedding in Dunedin. Of course I blushed and smiled affably, but changed expression when she shot out ‘ Have you got the same wife still?’ I hastened to assure her I had, ‘Well,’ ■he said, ‘ I suppose you’re not a fullgrown actor yet?’ Now, why do folk get such silly notions about actors ? 1 guess there are as many polygamists off the stage as on. Every faux pas of a member of the profession gets its share of calcium, so that, with a strong light on the true, and plenty of untrue stories, the poor actor loses all claim to respectability. Actors, after all, are very human, and, taken as a whole, are no worse, if not any better, than the rest of mankind.” “Well, ‘tena koe.’ See you in front to-night, T hope.”