MISS NELLIE STEWART.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 582, 10 August 1909, Page 6

MISS NELLIE STEWART.

AN INTERVIEW. (By "First, Nighter.") Miss Nellie Stewart, who has for so long endeared herself, to colonial playgoers, seems to have become a personal and intimate friend and favourite with all theatregoers. Off-hand, Lean name no actress who lias so unassumingly assumed a like position to that Miss Stewart has. and holds, with the playgoing public. Asked to explain why and how would be difficult—it just is. Forced for an explanation, I would say that Miss Nellie Stewart's personality does it all, but that is very vague and weakly general. But there you are—it is' her personality; one of such perfect charm, allied to a lively intellect and delicate buoyancy, and that form of magnetism which acts as Wireless telegraphy on each heart and head on the other side of "that funny little row of lights." She was born to the stage, if ever a woman was. Everyone, I suppose, has his or her limitations; Miss Stewart has not so far been, imprudent enough to appear in any character which has disclosed' the: outer boundary of her varied talents. ,

•Frftm the Bettina—what a Bettina! —in "La Mascotte" to Sweet Nell of Old Drury is a fat cry, but whatcan be said of the actress

who can charm-to the last degree as. Yum Yum, in "The Mikado"-one night and wring hearts , the nest .as , Camiile. . • This' is versatility in its highest form, and, to. crib from the Banished Duke/ there is "good-in everything" Miss Stewart does. Remembering the engaging qualities of her talent as the prima donna of. the.Royal Comic Opera Company—not so many years ago either-r-one can scarcely conceive the quick transitions' she has made in taking up coin-' edy. and the higher • drama, and doing more than simply, well in both. She is. so happily constituted .that,it would.be impossible for her .to do. anything on the stage badly, and .it takes some thinking l just 'to know in what parts' the artistry she has "up her sleeve," so to. speak, , would" not effect, a' surprise in the critical mind of: the doubter.' So we .take honour and credit for having her, and lay it on by labelling her in all affection "Our Nell," with the same enthusiasm; as. Australians. There.is no doubt, about crowd broke up the barriers and damaged Wildman's in • Auckland' in it's anxiety, to book seats only, 'the other day, Miss Stewart feels this, and reciprocates. She told a Dominion interviewer up the line that she had : a great and; abiding love for New Zealand. It 'was''good to .come' back' and. find friends—real friends—holding'out' the glad .hand of welcome. '' It,'was so different to .being just .one littlo' person in the greater, world on the. other side of the sphere. "I. have not .had as much time as I would. ha,ve liked to enjoy the lavish hospitality and genial friendship that has awaited me.- Ever since I came back to Australia there has, been plenty of work to do in getting up our repertoire, but I was born to work.. In .my father's tiine;! lived 1 in the' atmosphero of the-theatre—it was theatre, theatro, theatre all day and night and every 'day ; and night, owing to . the frequent of . bill, that had to be.made to keop,.our audiences together. Even on a Sunday we would be at the theatre, or working out something' for it at home. There was no time for society or afternoon teas or 'at homos' and such-like in those days. Heigthol

"I don't suppose I could call it so arduous now, but there is still plenty of , work. "Kitty Bellairs' is a heavy part—and thankless, at that,. I. call it, for one has to keep going at it;hammer and tongs..to make it go as it should."- s . . Well, you~ certainly sucpeed. ; . : ' • "Ah, that's very nice of you t6 say- so, and I'm vain : enough' still to believe you. I can't help it—the play has'gone so well in New Zealand:"- ' But, there are sacrifices to. make in leaving the bigger world? . , "Yes, there of course. , I am passionately fond of good music, and . I miss it—the grand opera and the great orchestras that thrill one-so delightfullv. That has to come yet in Australia and New Zealand. It is part and parcel of the artistic side of life in London. There I am just a unit among the many —herd, well, everybody knows and recognises me, and I can't help being a little conscious of it. What tickles; and, at times, touches, me is that the children in Australia seem to have tho same interest in me as their parents—at least it is, so in Sydney and Melbourne. Tlie other evening in Melbourne I arrived at tlio stage-door, and the doorkeeper said there were some boys who wished to speak to mo. There were three or, four of them about ten or eleven ye&rs old. 'Well, what is it, my lads?' I said. They were all very nervous and inclined, to be shaky;''' 'Don't shiver,' I- said,'- 'but tell me what you want with me.' 'I'm not shivering,' said one, 'Now don't be frightened, just-talk to'me as if I were your mother.' Tlien they tpld me that they were the junior. B's of some football club or other, and had a favour to ask. I found out,exactly what it was that, was wanted, and sent them away rejoicing.-' lit .was what', some might call a funny, incident, but it is the sort of thing that touches me somewhere. Foolish, perhaps, but it's true." "Miss Stewart spoke highly, of the transcendent talent of Oscar A-sche and Lily Braytoa, and sympathised: with' New Zealand, on learning that they were' not coming over. Haying played Rosalind, she,, in answer to a question, stated that she would like to. have played Peter Pan and the, part in. the latest Barrio play, "What Every Woman Knows." She also aspires'to Juliet,; and who knows— but we must not anticipate; Sufficient,in tho meantime, is .the; fact'that Mfe! Stewart will appear .in '.'Sweet Kitty BeUofrs". at-.the Opera.--Hoiise on. Saturdiiy next. ' , , • '