THE “JINNEE” AND HIS VICTIM.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIX, Issue 1070, 8 September 1910, Page 19

THE “JINNEE” AND HIS VICTIM.

MR. .EVELYN VERNON AN® IGK. LESLIE HOLLAND.

TWO ENGLISH COMEDIANS.

“Surely this is not your usual New Zealand weather,” said Mr. Leslie Holland, to whom and to his colleague Mr. Evelyn Vernon (both members of the London Company of Comedians who are introducing, under the direction of Mr. J. C. Williamson, Mr. F. A. Anstey’s farcical play “The Brass Bottle” to the playgoers of the Dominion) the writer had obtained an introduction from his and their mutual friend, Mr. Charles W. Berkeley. . The remark was made anent the very depressing atmosphere which pervaded the city on( Monday, the heavy showers and lowering skies affording a vivid contrast to the glory of the preceding day. “No! We gave you a taste of New Zealand weather yesterday.” “Yes, that was glorious,” Mr. Holland remarked. “But we’re more used to this sort of thing; it is very homelike.” “Decidedly so,” assented Mr. Vernon, and then the interviewer broached his request that the two gentlemen should give him “something interesting” concerning their stage careers, only to be met with the modest disclaimer that, really, they had so little to say about themselves. What about “The Brass Bottle?” queried the writer. “Yes( we were specially engaged for that; chosen by the author, you mav say, in London for the Australian and New Zealand production; I’m the ‘Jinnee of the Green Jinn’,” Mr. Vernon remarked briskly. “And I’m his victim,” added Mr. Holland, “the victim of the Jinnee of the Brass Bottle. It’s a clever little play, typical of the Anstey humour; illusions and quick changes helping to sustain the interest- The play had a great run at the London Vaudeville where it was produced for eight months night after night. It is now being produced in the Provinces by two or three companies—and here.” Both Mr. Vernon and Mr. Holland made their first appearance in the play in Sydney, where it was produced at Her Majesty’s after a week’s rehearsal, for four or five months. “The first night,” Mr. Holland said, was a very trying one, “but we got through all right and the play jumped into popular favour straight away. We had a very successful run with it. There was one very funny thing happened there, however. Vernon here will tell you about it.” Mr. Vernon, thus appealed to, said that, with the other members of the company, he was greatly disturbed one evening by the action of an old gentleman, who was seated in the orchestral stalls, and who, while everyone was vigorously applauding the play and laughing heartily over its incidents, appeared to be hissing the play just as heartily as the others were applauding it- The annoyance increasing instead of d minishing, and as it appeared to be disturbing the other members of the Company, the manager was appealed to, and that gentleman walking up to the offender, who was very red in the face with his exertions, mildly suggested that, as he didn’t seem to be enjoying the Play, he had better accept his money back and leave the theatre. “But,” expostulated the old gentleman “1/ am enjoying it; I never relished anything more in my life than this.” “Then why are you hiss'ng?” asked the manager. “Hissing! hissing! I'm not hissing, I’m laughing,” replied the other, and his sides shaking with suppressed emotion, the old gentleman laughed and hissed aga n —or seemed to do. “What’s that but hissing?” asked the now irate manager who jumped to the conclus on that he was being fooled. “Oh we.l, really now I’m very sorry,” said the old gentlemen, but I can’t help thatYou see I have recently undergone an operation, tracheotomy of the throat and I’ve got the tube in still, And — well, everytime I laugh, some of the sound comes through the tube, and thai's what you mistake for hissing.” The manager retired and told the story to the principa’s behind the scenes. It relieved them of the.'r distress in one way, but increased it in another, tor everytime they glanced at the 0 d gent’eman in the stalls, they had the utmost difficulty in retaining their M arions feelings. “It was too funny - for words,” as the “Jinnee of the Creen Jinn” put it. Talking about the Eng’ish stage

both Mr. Vernon and Mr. Holland said there had been a great change in recent years in London, where quite a new school of actors and theatres have arisen. The Vaudeville revived memories of the Voulks Family, with whom Mr. Vernon was associated years ago —how many he did not (as he put it) care to confess. Mr. Vernon’s principal role is that of the comedian; he has figured most and best in comedy plays and comic opera. Mr. Holland has gone in more for musical comedy of which he is very fond. The tendency, he thinks, is to magnify the Music Hall at the expense of the Theatre. Some of the London Music Halls are, he says, finer and better appointed than the theatres, and with the Picture Shows they are cutting in upon legitimate business. But both Mr. Vernon and Mr. Holland agree in saying that .a really good comedy, musical or otherwise, or a first-class play, always takes with the crowd, and that there is still plenty of room for the really capable professional in the theatrical world.

The change in the conduct of the London Music Halls is very marked. At one time no artist with any claims to distinction in the theatrical world, would be seen upon the music hall stage. To-day every artist of note goes upon it.

Mr. Holland’s connection with the stage dates back to and before the Gilbert and Sullivan Conuc Opera boom. He has been associated with all sorts of musical plays and has appeared in “The Shop Girl,” “My Girl,” and “The Runaway Girl” etc.—a regular cycle of girls, as his colleague Mr. Vernon chafiingly remarks, adding, ‘and he is still in the running.” Amongst other members of the profession with whom he has appeared, is the accomplished and talented Grace Palotta. He was engaged at the London Gaiety for four or five years, and played at the Opera Comique and other wed-known theatres. He has thrice visited South Africa with George Edwardes’ Musical Companies, but this is his first New Zealand trip. He expects to remain in Australas a for some time. He is fond of athletic exercises, a great golfer and an; enthusiastic admirer of football, in which he worthily played his part years ago in the O.d Country. His col.eague, Mr. Vernon, shares his liking lor outdoor exercises. Ecth come of a healthy stock; as Engl shmen they are proud of their country and the thing that has so lar impressed them most favourably about Auckland is its English or

“homelike” They are, only regretful that their stay in the Dominion will be too short to admit of their seeing its many scenic beauties and the varied character of the country.

What has really been a triumphant season of Grand Opera in Melbourne is now rapidly drawing to a closeHer Majesty’s Theatre was, last week, visited by numerous playgoers from the country, who were down for the Show, and who were equally anxious 'o see their own countrymen in a Grand Opera role for the fist time, as well as to make the acquaintance of the visiting artists of whom they had heard such glowing accounts. One special performance of “Madame Butterfly” was given with Miss Castes as the luckless Cho Cho, and the rest of the week was. devoted to alternated presentations of “Carmen” and “La Boheme, ’ in which the three prima donnas, Mdlle- Bdl Sorel, Signorina Pampari and Miss Amy Castles appeared in alternation-