This article first published in: The Daily Mail [London, UK] - 26th May, 1898.
STAGE SLIPS
Ludicrous Blunders Wrought by Well-known Actors
If it is not wonderful that actors and actresses should make frequent mistakes, in dialogue well known to them, either through carelessness, self-absorption, or nervousness it is at least surprising that an audience so seldom recognises them.
In the "Bride's Lament", the hero being wounded should have said to his faithful negro, "Then you must carry me," but the house was electrified to hear the revised text, "Then must you marry me." The spectators were equally ready to appreciate Mrs. Langtry's appeal to her lover, "Let us seek some nosey cook," instead of "cosy nook." Miss Blanche Maeklin used to tell with gusto how Master Waller, in the "Love Chase," who should have said to her, "Oh! speak not out," observed "Pray, don't mention it." This was almost as excessively polite as Icilius replying to Virginias (Macready). The latter playfully says, "Do you wait for me to lead Virginia in, or will you do it?" "Whichever you please, sir," was the unexpected and revised version of the reply.
Mr. Wilson Barrett was once convulsed with an imperfect Portia, who came on to the stage exclaiming, "Joy, joy, Antonio! Your ships are all sunk."
The late William Terriss declared that the drollest misreading he ever perpetrated on the stage was in the "Harbour Lights." The text ran, "And straight before us, like bright stars of hope, we see the harbour lights"; the distinguished actor rendered it, "Like two bars of soap, we see the harbour lights." This happened more than once.
In Miss Wade's revival of "As You Like It," Touchstone came on to say, "He's dead, my lord, he says he cannot speak." The audience caught that and the house yelled with laughter. Another story, told by Miss Millward, is more subtle and more comic. It occurred in Richard III. The officer in command of the guard of honour placed over the coffin of the deceased king, on being intercepted by the Duke of Gloucester, should say: "Stand back, my lord, and let the coffin past," instead of which he cried - "Stand back, my lord, and let the parson cough." The speaker was Leonard Boyne.
Self-absorption or mind-wandering as a cause of stage slips is well illustrated by a Story of Lionel Brough's. During the waits in a certain play at the Queen's Theatre he used to play cribbage with John Clayton. One day he rushed from the dressing-room on to the stage and thundered out, "Fifteen two!"
Nervousness alone can explain such a travesty as the actor who shouted in a furious voice "Dare to harm one head of his hair, and the last moment shall be your next." Similarly Mr. Henry Neville's story may be ascribed to nerves unstrung. Captain Thornton in "Rob Roy" should say in a bold exit speech: "I die without disgracing the king I serve, or the country that gave me birth"; instead he said "I die without disgracing the country I serve, or the king that gave me birth."
The Daily Mail [London, UK] - 27th May, 1898.
MORE STAGE SLIPS
A correspondent sends us this further batch of curious footlight inadvertences:-
Mr. George Alexander's great slip was playing in "School" as Lord Beaufoy, who in the last act should say, "Let me present to you Lady Beaufoy." He had been playing in "Caste" the night before, and seriously introduced his wife as "the Hon. Mrs. George D'Alroy!"
That genial burlesque actor Fred Leslie might have been supposed to hear something more droll than the example he gives: "I will step outside to get a fresh of breath air."
A mistake that evoked a hearty laugh was in "The Bookmaker," when an actress exclaimed: "Men can mope; but we women can only remain at home and smoke."
Mr. Abingdon heard the following in "Proof." The Countess D'Aubterre, addressing the Count de Laval in her most impressive style, says: "And here I tell you to your face that you have lied; you are not the Count de Laval, you are not her mother."
Mr. Fred. Terry has an equally good story concerning himself. Instead of saving, "I would rather die than let her become the wife of a blackleg, such as you," he cried, "I would rather die than let her become the blackleg of a wife such as you."
In "Joseph's Sweetheart," at the Vaudeville was heard the following by Miss Gladys Homfrey: "Have you any family?" "I am a bachelor; but once, long ago, I had a little lad like you." The convulsed house knew that he should have said 'widower.'