A SHAKESPEAREAN SEASON

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2869, 6 September 1916, Page 6

A SHAKESPEAREAN SEASON

HAMLETS OF THE PAST MR. J. M. CLARK TALKS OF OLD ACTORS

Mr. J. M. Clark, tho gifted Wellington elocutionist, is able to go a good way back in his memories or tho theatre, and as a keen Shakespearean has never missed a chance ol seeing those players who have essayed tho ot all parts of an actor—Hamlet. In view of the approaching visit to Wellington of the Allan Wilkie players, who are '•to be seen on Saturday evening next in "Hamlet," Mr. Clark's reminiscences are distinctly interesting. Of old-time Hamlets he remembers a good many. They date right back to tho days of William Hoskins (one of the late Sir Henry Irving's earliest tutors for the stage), and his contemporaries and successors. These included such actors as Charles Burford, Herr Bandmaiui, W. I<\ Sheridan, W. J. Holloway, Harkins (an American actor), Louise Pomoroy (the first female Hamlet seem in Wellington), Morton Travers, and in later years, George Darrell, Geo. C. Miln, Charles Warner, Walter Bentley, and H. B. Irving. > "Of course, the greatest actor I have seen in the part was old man Irving," said Mr. Clark. "He was inspirational. He was the only man who lias ever made mo feel creepy down the spino in the njirt. Yet he was an acquired taste. Many people seeing Irving only once could not realise his greatness,- because his figure was as eccentric as his mannerisms, his elocution was shocking, and his inflection appeared to the ordinary Shakespearean student to be all wrong. But after seeing him three or four times, I suddenly woko up to the man's extraordinary powers, and remember being surprised at myself for the first opinion I had formed. You became use,d to his manner and style,; and fo,r the rest he was purely inspirational—lie lived the part as no other Hamlet I have ever seen.' With 11. B. Irving vou got all tho father's eccentricities, without the illumination of genius behind it. The case of Sir Henry's genius was much like that of other great people, painters, com?oscrs, and writers, whose Great gifts are not always recognisable at first glance."

"Hamlet" In Extenso. "I saw Irving in London. When I ca'hie back that old Charlie Burford was playing a stock .season at the old Royal. A.s I, with other amateurs, had assisted him on yarious occasions before, he was glad to see me. It was with great glee that he told me that after twenty-five years' study he was at length going to play 'Hamlet' for his own benefit. It had always been his ambition to play the melancholy Dane, 'and now, my bov,' ho said, 'you will see the result of my twentyfive years' study.' Theji he took me by tlio arm, arid we went for a long walk, right round to the Patent Slip. On the way' he spouted the lines, audi' would get me, to show him how Irving had interpreted thorn. I was just as full of enthusiasm as lie, and, knowing 'Hamlet' backwards, I was not backward in giving him (impressions of the whom I could imitate very well. At length the night of tho benefit Arrived. The Rovnl wasn't more tban half full, and those that, were there sat out the worst performance of 'Hamlet' I have ever seen. The old man (using most of the Irving touches I had given him) plaved the tragedy oompletelv. The result was that the curtain fell abopt half an hour after midnight. At that time only about seven or eight people wpre left in the theatre. These, included Hnrry Nieholls", Fred. Haybittle, Morris Fox. and mvself, who were -bound to see it through.

The Most Intellectual "Hamlet." "I think of all the 'Hamlets' I have seen in Wellington, William __ Hoskins was the most interesting and. intellectual. Thero was always a gleam in this fine actor's work, and though he was perhaps 'more brilliant in good comedy, lie was always m<?re than interesting In drama, and tragedy, and looking back over the years, I don't think 1 would place any of the old-timers before lioskins, oven in 'Hamlet.' "Hcrr Bandmann was a notable Shakespearean scholar —his knowledge of the bard was profound, his enthusiasm unbounded. He was a big nian, with a big voicc. and was generally quite impressive. His big drawback was a most pronounced German accent, which marred his 'performance with many in the audience who found it difficult to follow him. It is sometimes difficult precisely the meaning of some of Sliakespearok linos when spolcon in good English, without having them mangled by a strong German accent. Yet some of us got quite used to the accent, and admired the'actor's fino conceptions. His , leading lady was a very pretty girl named Louise Boaudet,' who, by the way, I saw acting in the pictures tho other day, an old lady now, of course.

"It ivas Bamimaun who wanted me to go on the stage.. He heard me spouting Shakespeare in my bedroom in the old house in TVoolcombe Street, as ho passed along, and was so interested that he knocked at -the door and came in. We had a (long yarn about the bard and the stage, and used to go for long walks together. Finally, he made mo a definite offer. I loved the stage, but there was another attraction at home, and being of two mijids—my father strongly opposed the idea—l tossed up a coin, and it favoured staying ai> home—so the world Irjst no end of a great actor! A Lady Hamlet, v "Sheridan was a good man—a very good man, hut he drank heavily, and was not very reliable. Old Bill Holloway played 'Hamlet.' ,too,' if I mistake not., when he brought the gifted Essio Jenyns round New Zealand. He was a sound, actor of the old school, but without that insnirational uplift that is called for in the tragedies of Shakespeare. I am not sure whether Jimmy Cathcart nlavod 'Hamlet' here or no—if he did. I don't remember him in the part. Louise Pomeroy played it, but clever as she unquestionably was,- she could not convoy the spirit the Prince of Denmark—no woman over could, not even Bernhardt. Morton Travel's also nlayed the part, but was not very much li]?e it. Since then our Hamlets have not been great actors. Many of them have been sound in the ordinary sensq of the drama, but to succeed thoroughly in such a part as Hamlet, a man's intellect and inmcination must be of the highest and his sense of dramatic values abso-/ lutelv true. No. on the whole, T think T should give the jialm *° William TToskins as the best; Hamlet seen in Wellington in the old times."