i 9 02] A 'SCREAMING COMEDY' 279 



them as by far the most important part of the proceedings, and 

 hold the view that it is rather a waste of time to learn a part 

 when one has a good loud-voiced prompter. As the play pro- 

 gresses one supposes there is a plot, but it is a little difficult to 

 unravel. Presently, however, we are obviously working up to 

 a situation ; the hero, or perhaps I should say one of the 

 heroes (for each actor at least attacks his part with heroism), 

 unexpectedly sees through the window the lady on whom he 

 has fixed his affections, and whom, I gather, he has not seen 

 for a long and weary time. He is evidently a little uncertain 

 as to her identity, and at this stirring moment he sits very care- 

 fully on a chair — he almost dusts the seat before he does so. 

 Seated and barely glancing at the window, he says with great 

 deliberation and in the most matter-of-fact tones, " It is — no, 

 it isn't — yes, it is — it is my long-lost Mary Jane." The senti- 

 ment — or the rendering of it — is greeted with shouts of 

 applause. Later on we work up to a climax, when it is 

 evident that the services of the police force will be required. 

 This part is much more to the taste of the players ; somebody 

 has to be chucked out ; both he and the " chuckers-out " 

 determine to make their parts quite realistic, and for several 

 minutes there is practically a free fight with imminent risk to 

 the furniture. And so at last the curtain falls amidst vociferous 

 cheering, and I for one have to acknowledge that I have rarely 

 been so gorgeously entertained. With renewed cheers we 

 break up and wander back to the ship, after having witnessed 

 what the " S. P. T." may veraciously describe as " one of the 

 most successful entertainments ever given within the Polar 

 Circle" — and indeed they might with some truth add " or any- 

 where else." ' 



From the above it will be seen that our first essay at acting 

 met with very hearty approval, if it did not show us to be 

 possessed of great histrionic talent. We had always intended 

 to call again on our dramatic company, but owing to the work 

 of several of its members and other circumstances our plans 

 slipped through; later on, however, Royds undertook to or- 

 ganise a nigger minstrel troupe, and towards the end of the 



