A "STAR" COMEDIAN.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 941, 7 October 1910, Page 2

A "STAR" COMEDIAN.

SOME AMUSING STORIES. CHAT AVITH NEIL ' KENTON,

Most people who lend an ear to the whirr of the theatrical wheel have.heard of Neil Kcnyon, the famous ' Scotch comedian,' and'one of the highest-paid artists in the vaudeville business." Mr.' Kenyon' is at present in Wellington.-His wife's mother and brother are in New Zealand, and it has been a long-established desire of hers to. visit them, so when. Mr. Kenyon, feeling a bit run, down, decided, to adjourn to this .part of the world on holiday bent, he thought of combining business with. pleasure, so entered into a three months' engagement with Mr. J. C. Williamson,. after ■ which ho will, if his health: permits, return to England, playing a; month en route at New Tork (for which little service he is to receive £WW). ' .'.''.' Mr. Kenyon is not a .stage Scotchman. Ho is the real MlCay, or, in his case, one should say MTiinuon, for-: he is-Neil MlCinnon, son of Neil MTCinn'on, grandson of THE M'Kinnon, from the Isle'of Skye. Haying in "his youth what his parents understood to 'be intelligence, he was. put to the law an' 'Glasgow, but Dick's editions of plays' were, more ,to his liking than Blackstone, and being plucked in his -second examination (in 1892) he made a' bold plunge into tho swirling sea of theatrical adventure,- •■■accepting a humble' position .with Messrs. How© and. Wyndham,- who operated in Glasgow, and' Edinburgh, .in wdiich cities Mr.' Kenyon. appeared uuobtrusively-in. a Version of ' Scott's.:"Lady .'of -the .Lake.". After, he. had' once smelt the grease-paint there was no going back.' He nest honoured- Mr. William • Mollison' with' his talent; playing.no less a part than Douce Davie Deans in "Jeanie Deans," a dramatisation of "The Heart of : Mid-Lothian," and a minor part in "The Bells." ''Mr.' Kenyon tells a good story, about: "The Bells":,'':' : • , 'V :',;.'•>..

•' "We were Splaying the -small towns of. Scotland, (and,'ha'd'.arrived :in ;Hamilton., As I. was 'concerned': iii" the "stage management,. I. went, first of\all'.'tb the,hall,-':and found it was wretchedly. equipped. There was: no decent lighting for.the.stage, and 'l;was'at/-niy''wits''end' what'to do. At last 'a daft--idea came' into' my, head.: I wandered down to the/railway station, intending to' get." hold'.' of;, some.' lamps, when' I saw. an. engine:' standing! on the' -track,; remote' from, the station,: with' nobody in or. near it.. I: was fascinated, ■by-v its head-light.: It;'- 'was > -the very thing.'4l approached it, turned •out :...;the ■; light, "lifted-'''''.out:;.;, the lamp and. bolted'for the .Ha 11..: It acted fairly, well.when. Hung-,up at one side"of ■the stage;. but as;, there .was;' only -'one head-light one side of.;tHe stage,was brilliantly .lighted;:.whilst'.the other, was in a '-.sort of.'. twilight;. .But I was. so 'ner-' vous-. at my. own, daring;;that I:rang 'the down' right.,in : .tHe; :■■ middle''of.! Mathias's '.'dream ;f :r WHo' didtliat'f-.-: hissed Mr.. .Mollisori. as'He came, off. ;.T!. did, ,:',sir.!V<l- replied.';X 'Idiot!'; said.'He, and went off to;. His ...dressing room. -It has often struck!me since what magnificent .'self-restraint' Mr.. , Mollison. showed in letting me'off 60lightly.".'" •:;■, : After touring with'.Mr.-Mollis6n,"Mr.. Kenyon supported: Mr. Henry Bradford in a play called "Fornishae. _,In' this drama' ,thejherb,''had ;tb:make his.tescape from .prison 'with-the.'aid■ bf.'a gaoler. "Iwasthe gaoler who had to Hand, him ,a, stout, length of'>rope in .a i; Highly .dramatic.;scene. One night I was persuaded ,to, hand Mr. Bradford a piece■ of. twine instead of a' rope.:. The House-roared : with laughter, Mr, Bradford roared :'with» rage, the curtain fell; with"a',roar,'tahd':l-felt pretty for an Hour ;or - two- after-, wards. - Practical'. jokes are 'all" very . —-but'itis best:to read about them. : - -

•'- "Later .in my.experience.Lwas-playihg the' trainer in 'The Plying'.Scud.' ;I was, just concluding; a" dramatic recital as' to how my Horse :Had won the; Derby when' the audience burst into tears—of laughter; j .could.not makttiit.out,:,until.l.looked 'round. ! The Derby winner'was standing! sorrowfully, on^three'.legs—he.had : ;,bee'n. borrowed from the coal-man- three'doors from,the theatre!" ■-.■■ ■■■ .'•;,';:-;

'Mr; Kenyon Has also played with.'Osman Tearle;. the 'late- Wilson;.; Berrett and Williain.Terris. He became a Scotch oomedian 'through an accident; yvHeiwasifomirigun:'. Englandwhen an emergency arose as they: •will aTise:"••An';actor :who ; whs I 'to;Have: : ,played the part of, a Scotchman .in a comedy changed ; his. mind : at' the last; mpment. Mr. Kenyon stepped into.the'.breach, hnd' found' that he . could-' make 'people laugh. He-has been; making- them-laugh ; with his sketches ; ever since.; '; ■

In pantomime Mr; Kenyon is,recognisedas .one. of 'the - most;desirable ■ comedians. His list;of;-appearances in T this' field of theatrical endeavour .is.',a.- long; one. He first .appeared; in : pantomime, inVPeter Wilkins at'"'.the;.PrincesS Theatre, ! Edinburgh. In 1900 he. played M'Stinger in a star,; cast;of "Kobinson.; Crusoß";W , liicE; J. 8.-,"Sullivan ••■ (the-' 1 .original ! ;lunatic in-;*Thevßelle}ofi-New-,; :Tork"), Geo.i " Charles-' Laufi,"'•;. Queenie ■Leighton: and May; Palotta.": Next-year" he played the"Baron ;: in "Cinderella, at : Stoke-Neflington. and : 7 'a. year later .: the, .King in "The .Sleeping Beauty" at\ Manchester.-: Then c'ame_ Drury Lane,'.and;a, , big London, success since' which Mr; Ken-' .yon has been in steady demand; .He is one of the : most, popular comedians' in the v halls,;ahd is even.now booked: up to, :191G. A ; ■:-;-, : :■: -V'-:& - -■:::->

Quite redently Mr.! Kenyon m'ade/a -. big. hit :in "The-Islander": in London,; in which ,he plays a: Persian' Pasha, who- becomes: a .Highland chieftain: by s, ,comi-' cal process.' This is the,;musical comedy he is-.'to play in. under Mr. J.'C William-' son's management. 'The.'piece rah imonths-in .London, ahd; says Mr. Kenyon; "it.would'be. running still only the'lease, of the; theatre expired."..: '.;. ; ~;: