IN PERSONAL TOUCH.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1139, 8 February 1912, Page 17

IN PERSONAL TOUCH.

When Miss Ethel Irving’s Australasian tour is completed, she takes up a remarkable starring engagement at the London Colosseum. Her performance will comprise a sketch, and her salary will be £6OO per week —the largest paid to an actress at a London music hall, with the exception of Sara Bernhardt, who received £lOOO per week. Miss Irving will then once more enter upon her own management. * * * * ■‘Lady Frederick,” the comedy by Somerset Maughan, to be staged in New Zealand by Ethel Irving, holds the record for comedy in England. It was staged at five successive theatres in London, and ran for over 700 nights. It is said that it contains more satirical and humorous epigrams than any other comedy ever turned out by an English playwright. * * * * “The Speckled Band” Company concluded their Auckland season last night in “Alias Jimmy Valentine” to another appreciative audience. They play at New Flymouth to-morrow night in “The Speckled Band.” * • • » Mr. Joseph Biascheck and Miss Mildred Wrighton open at the Town Hall in their humorous recital tonight. As society entertainers they have few, if any, equals on the British platform to-day, and this is largely due to their powers to create as well as imitate. * Jk st ♦ Mr. Gaston Mervale, of the “Speckled Band” Company, is keenly interested in cinematography. He intends pictorialising New Zealand scenery, Maori life, and its legends being included in the scheme. * * * * Miss Maud Williamson and Mr. Alfred Woods are reviving “Boy Jim” at the Theatre Royal, Adelaide. Miss Williamson dramatised it from Conan Doyle’s “Rodney Stone” sixteen years ago. # * ♦ • The marriage has been announced of Miss Marie Narelle, the popular Australian singer to Mr. Harry Currie, a New York electrical engineer. Miss Narelle toured New Zealand some five years ago. a • * • Mr. Allen Doone, the Irish singing comedian, opens in Irish comedydrama at His Majesty’s on March 4th in “Sweet County Kerry.” « « * « Thus his late Majesty King Edward VII after hearing Joseph Blascheck: —“I could not have 'believed it possible for an actor to so completely change his identity without using any paint, wigs, or costumes. Your J.P. item made me laugh until I felt ashamed of myself, but when I saw His Grace the Bishop of London almost screaming with laughter, I then felt I had not exceeded the bounds.” » * * w Harry Lauder has arranged to make a trip round the world, beginning in December, 1913. He will visit the United States, Canada, Vancouver, Australia and New Zealand.

The death is reported from America of Miss Edith Crane, the wife of Mr. Tyrone Power, and the creator of the part of Trilby in Australia and New Zealand.

“A play written by a woman for women,” is the manner in which an English paper recently described Mrs. Morton Powell's English success, “Driving a Girl to Destruction,” which is to be staged in Melbourne, under the Marlow banner.

The New Zealand tour, which has been arranged for Allan Hamilton’s Repertoire Company, is as follows: — Auckland, 26th February; Gisborne, 11th and 12th March; Napier, 14th, 15th, and 16th; Hastings, 18th; Wellington, 19th to 26; Christchurch, 28th to 4th April; Dunedin, Easter.

An ardent motorist is Mr. Allen Doone, making nearly all his trips from town to town by that mode of transit. At the conclusion of his recent Brisbane season, Mr. Doone and a party of friends set out in his own motor for Sydney. Owing to several

accidents early on the trip they found that, in order to reach Sydney in time to catch the New Zealand boat, it would necessitate making a record. This was accomplished, however, and the party eventually arrived ahead of time, and doing the trip of 735 miles in 35 hours, driving time. This is claimed as a record from Brisbane to Sydney.

Miss Wells of Brennan's Vaudeville, is a most refined, highly educated coloured lady. Her father is a barrister practising in New York. Miss Wells herse'f speaks no less than seven different languages. A much admired feature of her stage-work is the elaborate and costly creations in the way or dresses that she disports.