H. B. IRVING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1348, 27 January 1912, Page 6

H. B. IRVING.

AN ACTOR AND HIS ART. INTERESTING INTERVIEW. Of medium height, spare of figure. ■ with the "intellectual stoop." ol' shoulder, so characteristic of his l:ito "father, a pale fare, 'with, regular features, but seldom relaxing into a smile, ami black hair, .a little thin, on top, which curls in ;wisps .around a wpll-sbaped poll, and you have a hasty sketch of Henry B. Irving, the eminent English actor, and son of the late .Sir Henry Irving, who this evening is to revivo in our all too brief memories those treasures of thought and speech with which the Bant of Avon built to himself a monument secure for ever from decay. "With the illuminating example before him of a father whose dramatic ideals soared so high, young Irving could not have done better than endeavour to emulate tho example thns set him, and so we are to seo him during the next fortnight in four of the plays with which the player-knight . was most intimately and lovingly associated in the mind- of the British play-goer. It is good to have actors ■ of tho stamp ami quality of Mr. Irving visit New Zealand. Hero we have a public intensely fond of tho theatre—a restricted community which probably knows no rival in this respect where comparisons are fair—and it is refreshing to know that in this ago of musical comedy, commonplace melodrama, and pictures,, that there are still left those who stand or fair by tho legitimate drama, and. a public to appreciate their Endeavours. "Ifind the experience of visiting this part of-, tho _world a thoroughly, delightful one', - said Mr. Irving', when interviewed last evening. "J. don't fancy I hau any> preconceived.-' ideas - of . New Zealand, I really, knew nothing- about this picturesque, country,.-and. came with an .open .mind to see, and be:.seen—and it is • alldelightful... So ■ differept. .from what we . experience.; in ■ England—tjie freedom, .' the /sunshine, the, winters that are all summer, and the novel surroundings ;■ inseparable from, a young country are good to realise'and valuable.in many ways. . "What can I sav but what is nice about the audiences. They have' handed me, a full measure of appreciation— and' they like Shakaspear&r ,I, know. this: because it is forced'upon the' player. \Tbey follow the play .intelligently,'and are quick ■to pick out the. points, .however "subtle ■they, might-be. 'There is.a' big .theatrical future for New; Zealand. ■ You. will get the good people, ! am Mire. I will tell theln to come-4f only from, a" business point of ,view they must come. ..There 13 a public for' them which will pay for their coming. That after all is the' first essential. But. there are charms that count in the big empire that is openingout in Australia and New Zealand for. the . actor. "It- has been a delight to me to find out how much the-pubhc have appreciated Hamlef—just -fancy 'old 'Hamlet' beating 'The Merry Widow' receipts in Auckland. .Wonderfnl! It goes to show the extraordinary vitality of Shakespeare, and that there are audiences for the best''if managers would only give it- to them in moderation." Shakespeare's Value. Is .'Shakespeare played as much-in England'as he was,' say,' thirty Years ago? • , ''Well, now, that is difficult to'say,, but what is more to the point it is presented with greater elaboration as far as scenery anci 'effects are concerned, and.' what is more, it pays better. Instance Beerbohm Tree s production of 'Henry VIII,' which ran 200 nights in London, and more recently 'Macbeth,' which ' ran 100 nights. I believe my father was the first man to make Shakespeare pay, and I believe _he did it with the happy combinatioi of his owi superb .art and his way of doing things, as far as stage presentation was concerni ' than the y had been dono before. This is a house' did not meet with his ideas of scenery, and he spared neither pains nor. expense to give expression to big ideas of stage pictures and effects, all nbtained without for once transgressing the canons of his art.

" 'Hamlet' has been the first play to bo everywhere, for the simple reason that it was soon found that it was the plav likely to run the longest, and so desire went hand in hand with commercial expediency. But tho other plays in my repertoire. The Lyons Mail' (said bv one French critic to be the finest melodrama ever written), 'The Bells/ the play which made ay father famous, and 'Louis Xl' Boucicault's fine play, have all been wonderfully well received. Melodrama., "Melodrama—l fancy the word is beginning to lose its meaning. Melodrama appears to mean an inferior, class of play. That is not right—a melodrama is a play with strong-actioned dramatic situations, rhere are plenty of touches of melodrama in Shakespeare—in 'Hamlet' and 'Macbeth,' arid, of'course, 'The Lyons Mail' and 'The Bells' are melodramas. At the same time I must frankly confess that melodrama has deteriorated badly during tho past decade, and some of the plays served up under the- heading are awful, rubbish. What a falling-off ther are.from those dear old Irish plays which Boucicautt wrote with such a good touch, and from, the milder • domestic plays Of Tom Robertson, without speaking of the stronger stuff from Pinero, Jones, and others of later years.- It is a pity to see melodrama-degraded, and j nothing, but education will, improve tho taste of those who find a certain pleasure in such plays. The Need in New Zealand. "I was interested and/pleased to note," said Mr.' Irving,- "that you hayo ideas in New Zealand on training in elocution—l see you have had competitions here, in which-, there were several - elocutionary sections. All'-that is gooil— the criticism one : gets is good-'-it teaches all the time. If you are to have a stage of your own, which , one day you ' will, have,. it is ■ essential. to have ■ a , trainingground for the teaching' of English and its pronunciation. The establishment of. dramatic schools under efficient teachers—that is important—will do. a great deal for the future Jof the stage. Example is better. than precept always. • Study the Actor. "I notice that you are to havo a new theatre. I hope they will build one worthy of the play-going public you have, and I do trust' they will give proper attention' to the dressing-room accommodation for the actors. I have already played in a theatre in New Zealand with dress-ing-rooms that were not' fit to inhu-bit— that should not be allowed by law. The factory hand is protected by laws respect' ing'work-rooms in "this country.: Si/relv the la.w should see that rho a/jtor'is properly provided 1 for., ' You know the old story' illustrating how little attention is given to this'maCtar. . It relates of a'mail who built a theatre, aud forgot to provide any dressing-rooms at all. I amsorry to say the artists are still"the last persons considered in the building- of. a theatre." • I The Actors'- Union. In' response to'..a- question- 'as to .his ideas on the newly-formed Actors' Union Mr.'lrving said that the'idea was. tried in 'England without, success - some years ago, .and he very mucli doubted .if' the present venture would be any more successful. . "For instance,. I understand thev wish to check the importation of outside artists—that, I 1 think, wonld bo a fatftl step. There are so many plays which demand a certain class of actor, and which might suffer' if played by an All-Australian cast. They recognise this in- America, where they are loyal enongh—intensely loyal—to their own, and where they have many fine actors. But for an English play you-must'get, a bottor performance by English actors. Take the many delicate refined comedies of Somerset Maughan or Wilde, which are redolent of the West End—surely • the English actor who lias lived- in that atmosphere has advantages over the American or. even Australian actor. It would be just as unreasonable -'to stage a Wild West drama, chocked ■ with bruad American characters, by, English actors who have played . in nothing but essentially Kll2lish comedy. • Adaptability -should be part of. an. actor.'? equipment, but noHonfactor 'thai teriou.sly count* in the profession, Mind, there «s certain

things which I think -might be secured to the actor by combination. ' such as payment for rehearsals "when they extend over two or three weeks, but that does not apply so much in Australia as in England. 1 don't thiink that art. can be controlled by union laws, though a judicious ami wisely-controlled combination might bring about, .certain reforms beneficial to the poor player who struts and lrcls his hour upon the stage,".