During the revival of H.M.S. Pinafore at the Savoy, I received a dreadful snub from one of the "Marines." The Marines were what is theatrically known as "extra-gentlemen." They are not engaged to sing, and therefore do not hold such a good position as the chorus. If they have voices and can sing, they look forward naturally to promotion. One of them asked me if I would hear him sing the "Ruler of the Queen's Navee." I made an appointment with him to sing at my house. After he finished the song, I said:
"I presume you desire me to recommend you to Mr. Carte for the chorus?"
"Oh no, sir," he replied. "Mr. Carte has heard me, and says I'm not good enough for the chorus; so I thought you could recommend me to him to play your parts on tour."
Singers, prima donnas especially, are, I believe, renowned for little airs and graces; but these have little weight with Gilbert and Sullivan. Conventionality is not recognised by them. One of the many Josephines, during the first run of Pinafore, objected to standing anywhere but in the centre of the stage, assuring Mr. Gilbert that she had played in Italian opera, and was accustomed to occupy that position and no other.
Gilbert said, most persuasively:
"Oh! but this is not Italian opera; this is only a low burlesque of the worst possible kind."
Gilbert says this sort of thing in such a quiet and serious way that one scarcely knows whether he is joking or not.
During the revival of The Mikado, he was directing the dress-rehearsal from the middle the stalls, as is his wont, and suddenly called out:
"There is a gentleman in the left group not holding his fan correctly."
The stage manager, with his prompt-book and tall hat, immediately appeared on the stage at the left side, and, calling to Mr. Gilbert, said: