Pictorial Shakespeare, 1880-1890 - eTheses Repository - University ...

11
Laciec and C-c: blcmon, - I would nuch rothor have
nr.Cc no opeccl. to-night, for my h/:.rt it a little
too full. I v.ill tell you a little otory, -aiou^i,
v;hich nay pLi"h,..pc 'o ;IE well.
(The Daily Hows)
He went on to de: cribe how, 03 a boy, he had spent hie lent
sixpence by £oiiii_. to the gallery of the old Princess*o ?.:>oGtrc
to s«e~Charles Koan play ik.ralct. On coming out, he had . orn
that the time should coine when he would bo manager of tlic
t'lcj.tre, and would play r Tonlet upon its rjt;'£-e» Thanks to the
sympathetic c,u-->ort of his audiences, he hod now fulfilled
that oath.
It need not hove surprised Barrett that roro critics
seised on his speech and rno.de fun of it. The professionally
facetious >: -n. rr: t particularly Punch and The Illustrated
Sporting ar.C rr^aatic Hows, were cruel in their mockery, and.
two burlesquec used the story. Yardley'c Very Lit :le Hamle.t
opened v;ith a ecene in v;hich Hollie Forren as the young
jjri'rott, v/.is throivn out of the olc' Princess's, and A Fireside
H>_ule_tt by Coinyn;: Carr, der.lt v.ith the probl':m;_- of liick, a
"ookor v/hoce tocte for playgoing had /-oner- ted an cmbition to
introduce t^'\ ecly into rorl lifs. r.Irry, hie proc^octive f
rcmo;, :ti-:ted uith liim, pointing out that "it's '11 very v/cll
for Lir Brrrott to be aicLincholj1111 , but there in nothing in
Cu.iii;ion bet !.vc-n thorn. "Hot oo 'r::ty", replied Dick,
T'.vonty-five ycarc n^o whr.t wo.s ho? ''.'hy, r boy, anc:
vvhot ic he now? .vliy, Hamlet, anc 1 "j.r.rk Iiic career.
He liked melodrama 0-:cc and enjoyed :ii ,nclf in n
low vulgar wry Juot r.c I ('id, but he rin't :' roing
to -olr-- r no ;iorc melocrrmr.s. :io's taken to tro./'ccy,
and co '^ve I-o/
Dick cl: inied to have "p. o.ntic Oicposition on", end vhcn
offered brool:f:;ct replied:
Go thj' r.-oyo. Or-con deli, lits me not, no, nor o^'-c
neitlK r for the nntter o'thr.t.
His ide; of tr-j-ody extonfod lit.le further tlirn a : a,"ii to
abolish tli'.; Ilou:.,e of Lor