(State Library of Victoria)
Clarence Holt was an tragedian, born Joseph Frederick Holt in London, the son of a Military tailor of some stability of wealth. Making his debut in 1842, he became a seasoned professional, used to all kinds of audiences, every kind of play, and, as was required of the period through which he lived, was impassioned in his performance, a quality for which all lesser defects of person were overlooked: Victorian audiences abhorred the declamation of a dead fish.
My interest in him starts when he arrives in Australia in September of 1854, having been prompted by George Coppin, and no doubt delighted with the notion that the gold-rush was still flooding the colony with ready money to be soaked up on tours where gold was plentiful but entertainment — upon which to spend it — was not. He was a pioneer actor (in the sense that he was one of many who brought it to the colonies; not as a breaker of new dramatic ground), and is remembered as such, but in many later recollections, committed to print in nostalgic columns of national newspaper and magazines, the strange character of the man — not without amusement—comes to light.
Here are some favourites:—
On audience restlessness:— “Any sign of inattention while he was reciting irritated him exceedingly, and while he was appearing as the Danish Prince the sight of a couple of pittites engaged in an animated conversation caused him to stop and glare at them in a vengeful manner.”
Of personal additions to Shakespeare:— “One of Clarence's peculiarities was the giving of selections composed of one line of Shakespeare's and one of his own alternately, something after this fashion:
’Ah, the world's a stage
That saying has held good in every age
And all the men and women merely players
Perchance as kings or queens, anon as maids or mayors
and so on right through the piece. The effect of this hotch-potch was rather curious, but it won applause from the groundlings."
Of breaking character:— “One evening while playing Cardinal Richelieu, he espied a man in the gallery smoking a pipe; he immediately drew himself up to his full height and, pointing at the man, exclaimed, ‘Put out the pipe, Sir; I don't allow smoking in my theatre!’ then he resumed the bent form and voice of the old Frenchman.”
On the colour of language:— “Holt was the foulest-mouthed man, and in his first production, Black Eyed Susan, would exhort, the Susan in his arms to more pathos, in sotto voce oaths and horrible epithets…”
On assisting child actors:— “He once undertook to appeal to the imagination of a child actress who did not pick up her words. Kneeling beside here, he gave her the sentences with proper emphasis, alternating with mumbled obscenities and blasphemy. The child’s memory was quickened by terror— and what she said on the stage that night shall not be set down, even with discreets stars.” [nb. stars=*****]
On what history may bequeath: “That wierd creature, Clarence Holt” (H.G.Hibbert)
And while I do not wish to belittle his great contribution to the theatrical needs of the day, I do wish it had been recorded, he sounds like a riot.
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