CHANGE AGAINSTT THE PRINCE OF WALES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1810, 9 April 1888, Page 3

CHANGE AGAINSTT THE PRINCE OF WALES

No one who was present at the Opera Oomlquo Theatre last Wednesday (eaus tho "Pall Mall Budget" of February 16:h) could have failed to be annoyed at the very audible conversation which wag kept up at intervals all through the evening m a private box near the sage. Mr T. P. O'ounor, who w«a present m ! the stalla, calls attention to the matter ia the "Star" and roundly accuses tho I Prince of Wales of discreditable conduct. Tho play (says Mr O'Connor) started with a long conversation, intended to show np a miserable home, m whioh a disreputable fathe?, a drunken husband, and a wretohed' wife ate the personages. Suddenly, aa people were Btralnlng every ear to catch every word from the pallid Ups of Mra Beore, there came from the Royal box the loud ham— nay, that is not the word —the load ahouts of conversation. At first even the woll-trained andienoeof the stalla was startled out of its propriety, and looked around with a Bhock. It was soon seen what was the matter. Before the whole audience tbe Princa of Wales waa speaking, not m the natural tone of converdation, but m such a voice aa you would expect if he were shouting fomone cad to another oC a large field. As to the people on the stage, as to the people m tbe house, hia Royal Highness acted as if they were all thin air ; cr as if he recognised and wished to float their existence. . . . . The shouted conversation was not a momentary outburst. It wont on continuously for at least a quarter or half an hour, and though it waa less audible m the later hours of tho evening, it.broka out afresh pretty often. . . This business was allowed to proceed without any more reproof than a timid " Hush, hu-ih 1" vow and again. It were well if the gallery hart been ablo to show that it waa no respector of persons, a&d-trK* -bwto^d ou tho Prince of WIIIO3 a little of that brutal hollowing with which it aß3ailed hardworking aotora or actresses doing their best to please. Allowing for a little exaggeration wh : ch is natural under the circumstances (adds the "Budget"), tho above represents pretty accurately what occurred.