QUICK STUDIES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVIII, Issue 1021, 30 September 1909, Page 16

QUICK STUDIES.

PUTTING UP A RECORD. MR. W. S. PERCY’S ACHIEVEMENT. Mr. W. S. Percy, now playing the chief comedy role in “ The King of Cadonia” (says the “ Sydney Daily Telegraph” of September 18) achieved •a record in study ng this part, and the clory of how he did it on the express 10m Melbourne to Sydney, as he relates it, makes interesting reading. Everything, as in all emergencies, was done in a hurry. He was handed h s part inMelbourne and told to pack his bag and leave for Sydney within an hour of the departure of the express from the Spencer-street railway station. Having caught the train, his first misfortuhe was to get into a compartment vfliere there was a passenger who recognised him. Mr. Percy’s sole idea was to memorise the new part. Ho must have

created some astonishment by his method of reading a few lines from the ’script, then looking up and repeating them to himself —“ like a fowl drinking,” he says.

“It must be hard work getting all tnat stuff off by heart,” remarked his unwelcome friend.

what Mr. -Percy wanted to avoid was being engaged in a conversation. He had to play th regent the next n ! ght, and every moment was precious.’ So he nodded and/kept on mumbling. “I have a daughter who is in the chorus of the Essendon Amateur Operatic Society,” r&med the hereby way of himself with the theatrical profession. “Um,” nodded the; Comedian .without lifting his eyds from the ’script. “I think she w’buld have succeeded on the stage. knows how to move and use her fiends.” Mr. Percy glowered at him, and said (from the ’script), “That’s a mqe way to label my vegetables—asparagus’" “ She got a splendid notice in the ‘ Essendon Advocate,’ ” said the proud father, “ but I suppose it’s difficult to get a footing in the profession ?” “I felt how much I should have liked to'give him a footing,” Mr. Percy laughed in reminiscence; “but I went along the corridor till I came to a. carriage in which there were a young lady and a small boy- I sat down :n a corner and began to ‘ study.’ Aftar a while I became conscious of curious looks from the lady; but my one was that I had to play next night, and when in the train corridor I heard some men laughing. I wondered how they could possibly be so heartless u the face of a crisis at the theatre. The lady, however, doubtless came to the conclus’on that I was a harmless crank, and if the small boy made any remarks about me I didn’t hear them. “ At Albury they put me in the second division of the express, and 1 rushed round and saw porters and' guards about changing. At last the guard of the first express, to whom I explained the situation, urged me to hurry, as the train was just about ;o start. I dashed after my belong’ngs — the Albury platform is a long one, and the two sections of the express were at extreme ends—and when I was racing back with them the train began to move. The guard caught hold o’ my extended arm and dragged me into the van—grip and ’script. There hesaid I could do what I liked, so I read and grimaced until we got to a stopping place, when I secured a seat. All these happenings only made a. sub-conscious impression on me whenI was ‘ swoting’ the part up against, time. Now I am convinced that I could give a much better reading thanever before of the polite lunatic in ‘ The Belle of New York.’ ” Mr. Percy went direct from the trainto Her Majesty’s Theatre, rehearsedall day, and appeared as the regent the same night.