DAME ARTHUR STIGANT.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1521, 19 June 1919, Page 33

DAME ARTHUR STIGANT.

“Goody Two Shoes” will be chiefly remembered as a triumph for Mr. Arthur Stigant, says the “Sunday Times” (Sydney). It hardly seemed possible that Mr. Stigant could give us anything new in pantomime, and yet here he is as fresh as ever, and using his experience just to round off the performance. Pantomimes, like circuses, usually claim a little license in the way of old and favourite jokes, but Mr. Stigant scorned such preferential treatment. His witticisms brought that spontaneous laugh that breaks forth when even the most blase hear a good thing for the first time. Already Arthur Stigant has achieved an Australian record with his successive Dames under the Williamson banner. But this, after all, is only a small slice out of his pantomime career, which extends over the past 29 years. Mrs. Tutt, of “Goody Two Shoes,” has, on occasion, played in two pantomimes hi the one year. The popular comedian has not always been the dame, and is of the belief that his greatest success was his Will Atkins in “Robinson Crusoe.” The following table gives an idea of Mr. Stigant’s remarkable record. It will be noticed that he has played in five different versions of “The Babes in the Wood.” Mr. Stigant has appeared in “80-Peep,” as dame, one version; Crusoe,” Will Atkins (three times) and Dame, four versions; “Dick Whittington,” Idle Jack and Dame, two versions; “Blue Beard,” title role, one version; “Babes in the Wood,” Boy Babe, Baron, and Dame (three times), five versions; “Aladdin,” Widow Twankey (twice), Chinese part and Vizier, four versions; “The House That Jack Built,” Dame, two versions; “Cinderella,” Baron (twice), Sister, and Baroness, four versions; “Goody Two Shoes,” Dame, one version; “Mother Goose,” title role, one version* “Jack and the Beanstalk," flame, one “Red Riding Hood,” Johnny StouC Dame, and Mr. Dignum, three versions; “Sinbad - the Sailer,” Sammy, one version; “Boy Blue,” Dame, one version; “Sleeping Beauty,” The King, one version.

Harry Lauder, who is now enchanting great audiences at the Melbourne King’s Theatre under the J. and N. Tait engagement, might have succeeded on the legitimate stage as a Scotch character actor if he had not thoroughly proved his merit as a “comic.” Harry Lauder’s talent as an actor, of which the audience gets gleams in his present programme at the King’s Theatre, would be strong enough to carry him to a very high position on the British stage. It is not generally known that he once appeared in London in Graham Moffat’s “Scrape o’ the Pen,” which will be recalled by many who saw the piece out here with the Graham Moffats. In the play there is a character, Geordie Pow, a humble farm hand, who creates great diversion by his marriage with Beenie Scott. Lauder appeared in this part in the English capital, and contemporary reports of the event mention that he was the hit of the show. • • • « It is strange but true that no revue has yet got a scene called: “Jazz you like it.” —London “Opinion.”