In the words of Baden-Powell, from "Lessons on the 'Varsity of Life."
I had just landed in Malta on my return there from a visit to Sicily. While in that island I had bought, as a curio, one of those high brass saddles with which the natives decorate their horses and mules.
It was ornamented with a row of brass knobs upon a kind of spike in front, which terminated with a couple of brass flags at the top. One the sides were also rather larger and more conspicuous knobs.
A friend, seeing me arrive with this strange implement, asked: “Is that a musical instrument?”
“What else do you suppose it is?” I replied.
Then he begged me, with all the earnestness at his command, to play it at a concert the following week.
I did so.
I arranged with the orchestra to play a high-class Nocturne in which I should take the solo part with my “Selluraphone.” Meantime I fitted the instrument with a strap so that I could hand round my neck in front of my chest and I attached a paper- covered comb opposite my mouth, and at the performance I “sang” through this comb in a high falsetto, tuning the instrument by means of its flags, playing the notes on the knobs up and down the front, and giving the loud and soft effect by tinkering with the larger knobs on the side.
Not a soul guessed that it was not a real musical instrument.
Showing posts with label acting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label acting. Show all posts
Friday, March 23, 2018
Monday, March 19, 2018
Gagging
In the words of Baden-Powell, from "Lessons on the 'Varsity of Life."
I was once called upon by a professional touring company to take the part of the sentry in Iolanthe, in the place of a member of the caste who had been taken ill.
Time did not admit of a rehearsal, but the part of Private Willis, the sentry, is a particularly easy one since he merely has to sing his one song and to do sentry-go without entering into conversation with the other characters.
I had finished my song and have given my cue for the entrance of the leading lady when, as I neared the prompt side in the course of my march, the prompter whispered: “She is not ready. Gag for a few minutes.”
And I gagged. After looking cautiously round to make sure that no officer was in the neighbourhood I put down my rifle and taking things easy I gave in a soliloquy my opinion of “sentry-go” from the private soldier’s point of view, generally alluding to various methods by which a cunning soldier could evade his sentry-go duties in comparative comfort without detection.
With an audience of soldiers (which indeed included H.R.H. The Duke of Connaught) my remarks went down all right; indeed so satisfactory were they considered that the Manager insisted on my taking part again the following night and repeating in full the lecture on “sentry-go.”
In an ordinary way it would have been difficult for me on the spur of the moment to give an oration without some preliminary thought on the subject, but I have over and over again found that when one’s whole attention is concentrated on the matter in hand, as it is when one is on the Stage, apt ideas spring to mind in a surprising way.
I was once called upon by a professional touring company to take the part of the sentry in Iolanthe, in the place of a member of the caste who had been taken ill.
Time did not admit of a rehearsal, but the part of Private Willis, the sentry, is a particularly easy one since he merely has to sing his one song and to do sentry-go without entering into conversation with the other characters.
I had finished my song and have given my cue for the entrance of the leading lady when, as I neared the prompt side in the course of my march, the prompter whispered: “She is not ready. Gag for a few minutes.”
And I gagged. After looking cautiously round to make sure that no officer was in the neighbourhood I put down my rifle and taking things easy I gave in a soliloquy my opinion of “sentry-go” from the private soldier’s point of view, generally alluding to various methods by which a cunning soldier could evade his sentry-go duties in comparative comfort without detection.
With an audience of soldiers (which indeed included H.R.H. The Duke of Connaught) my remarks went down all right; indeed so satisfactory were they considered that the Manager insisted on my taking part again the following night and repeating in full the lecture on “sentry-go.”
In an ordinary way it would have been difficult for me on the spur of the moment to give an oration without some preliminary thought on the subject, but I have over and over again found that when one’s whole attention is concentrated on the matter in hand, as it is when one is on the Stage, apt ideas spring to mind in a surprising way.
Friday, March 16, 2018
Play-Acting
In the words of Baden-Powell, from "Lessons on the 'Varsity of Life."
I AM convinced that the play-acting which was encouraged among us boys [at Charterhouse] by that broad-minded and far-seeing Headmaster, Dr. Haig-Brown, was of great value to us in after-life. It was not necessarily with a view to our going on the stage, however, that the Headmaster encouraged us to act but rather as a useful bit of general education.
For instance, it brought us boys to appreciate for the first time something of the values and beauties of poetic expression. It taught us to memorise speeches, to express ourselves without self-conscious awkwardness before an audience, to articulate clearly, to use apt phrases, so to modulate voice and gesture as to grip and hold our hearers; moreover it taught us that valuable asset of being able to gauge their responsiveness; all in fact that was helpful later on in public speaking.
Whether it was for the pleasure of showing off I cannot now say but I certainly enjoyed acting for its own sake, and its pursuit led me to many new and interesting experiences.
I AM convinced that the play-acting which was encouraged among us boys [at Charterhouse] by that broad-minded and far-seeing Headmaster, Dr. Haig-Brown, was of great value to us in after-life. It was not necessarily with a view to our going on the stage, however, that the Headmaster encouraged us to act but rather as a useful bit of general education.
For instance, it brought us boys to appreciate for the first time something of the values and beauties of poetic expression. It taught us to memorise speeches, to express ourselves without self-conscious awkwardness before an audience, to articulate clearly, to use apt phrases, so to modulate voice and gesture as to grip and hold our hearers; moreover it taught us that valuable asset of being able to gauge their responsiveness; all in fact that was helpful later on in public speaking.
Whether it was for the pleasure of showing off I cannot now say but I certainly enjoyed acting for its own sake, and its pursuit led me to many new and interesting experiences.
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