WHEN VETERAN STAGE MAN SAW THE WORLD

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 29, 30 December 1938, Page 6

WHEN VETERAN STAGE MAN SAW THE WORLD

i! TENDENCY of the NBS to centralise the production of plays in Wellington and record them at headquarters was deplored by well-known radio actor J. M. Clark, Auckland, in a ‘‘Record’’ interview on a recent visit to Wellington. The stage has been a big part of the life of Myr. Clark ever since the days he knew William Hoskins, best all-round London actor of his day, in New ZeaImd many years ago. In fact, it was armed with R letter from William Hoskins, Irving’s old tutor, that — he set off as a youth to London, where the great man took him to his heart and where he had glimpses of

Ellen Terry, the famous Duse, Oscar Wilde and Whistler as they came into the green-room to pay tribute to the master. And to-day Mr, Clark still finds that the stage holds a large-sized part of his affections. These days, however, his work has not been given on the boards but through the microphone from 1YA. ‘‘Our radio plays from 1YA have had a special audience of their own,’’ Mr. Clark told the ‘‘Record.’’? ‘‘People used to meet on play-night at their homes to listen to us.’’ ‘""They were keen followers, learned to know our actors and actresses, sent us fan mail,

sometimes praising the cast and sometimes candidly eritical. The main thing was they were deeply interested. "It is a pity to see this personal interest lost by broadcasting more and. more recorded plays. And recordings lose some of the freshness of the living voice over the microphone, lessen the personal touch.’’ The stage claimed Mr. Clark from the time he was a boy. He used to belong to a debating society. Thirty or 40 other boys belonged. 'They sat round and mercilessly criticised one another’s efforts. ‘‘When I recited to them they said I was the biggest dud they had ever heard. The chairman said to them, ‘What you say may be true but Clark has a style of his own and when you are all dead and forgotten he will be doing this sort of work.’ ’’

Full of ambitions, Mr. Clark worked his way home. In England he was invited to a country home and asked if he had ever heard of Shakespeare. They were astonished to learn that people knew of ShakeSpeare in a place hardly visible on the map. They asked the boy Clark to recite some Shakespeare, When he went back to London he found 2. eheque for five guineas and a note saying he could have an. introduction to any home to recite Shakespeare. For atime Mr. Clark earned his living by reciting Shakespeare .in various homes, then joined a company to tour the provinces at 12/6 a week and board. The juvenile lead was drunk one night and Mr. Clark stepped into his place at a salary of £3 a week. "! was on velvet," he says. After 12 months of touring he came out to the Southern Hemisphere again. . One memory Mr. Clark dwells on with delight. In Wellington he discovered a young actress and introduced her to Shakespearean actor Allan Wilkie, who gave the girl her first engagement, Her name-and to-day one can read it in the electrics of Lon- don-was Marie Ney.