HINTS TO MANAGERS.
A new and very popular addition to the comic opera, Tina, at the Adelphi, is a stage representation of "Eve," the writer of "The Letters of Eve" in The Tatler, together with her retinue and her dog.
Here we see Journalism and the Drama more than ever mutually dependent, and the developments of the idea might be numberless. Lord Times, in A Kiss for Cinderella, already illustrates one of them; but why not a complete play, with favourite newspaper contributors as the dramatis personæ? or a revue, to be called, say, The Tenth Muse, or Hullo, Inky!
Or, if not a whole play or revue, a scene could be arranged in which the great scribes processed past. One group might consist of Carmelite Friars, with "Quex" and "The Rambler," each with a luncheon host on one arm and a musical-comedy actress on the other; "An Englishman," with his scourge of knotted cords, on his eternal but honourable quest for a malefactor; and "Robin Goodfellow," still, in spite of war and official requests for economy, pointing to the glories of the race-course and pathetically endeavouring to find winners. These would make an impressive company—with a good song and dance to finish up with.
The Referee's contribution would obviously be too easy; it would simply be like a revival of King Arthur. The audience, however, would be in luck when "Dagonet" got really warmed up to tell yet once more the thrilling story of how he met Henry Pettitt in the brave days of old.
A whiff of The Three Musketeers would exhilarate the house at the entry of "Chicot," the Jester of The Sketch; while finally we might look for an excellent effect from "Claudius Clear" and "A Man of Kent," of The British Weekly, masquerading as the Heavenly Twins.
These notes merely, of course, touch the fringe of a vast subject. Many other holders of famous noms de guerre remain, such as "Mr. Gossip" and "Mrs. Gossip," and "Captain Coe" and "A Playful Stallite," and "Historicus" and "Atlas" and "Scrutator" and "Alpha of the Plough"; but only "Eve" has had the wit to include pictures of herself in every article; therefore only "Eve" can be instantly recognised. These others, if they wish to be equally successful on the stage (and it is certain they would like to be), must have always a portrait too. The Heavenly Twins might like to use one, by Mr. Wells, which already exists.