THE “WIDOW O’BRIEN.”

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2389, 2 January 1909, Page 11 (Supplement)

THE “WIDOW O’BRIEN.”

DEATH OF JOHN SHERIDAN

SOME INTERESTING RECOLLEC-

TIONS

A Press Association cable message on Saturday last stated that Mr. John F. Sheridan, the well-known comedian, died suddenly at Newcastle on Boxing Bay. The death of this actor removes another of the links of the theatrical past, for though not so old *,if on© may judge by lus appearance and agility on the stage, Mr. Sheridan has been before the- Australian public for nearly twenty-five years, off and on. His acquaintance with colonial audiences dates from April 12, 1884, on which date he opened in-Melbourne in “Fun on the Bristol,” under the management of Williamson, Gardener, and Aiusgrove. After a two years’ tour, he toured the-East, then returned to England for three years,. A flying trop to America followed, during which he appeared in “Bridget O’Brien, Esq,” really a sequal to “Fun on the Bristol.” A story is told of an actor engaged by Mr. Sheridan who became so used to .playing the “Count Menaggio” that, after dining well one evening, he reached his dressing room, “made up” for the Count, and went on the stage under the impression that it was ‘/Fun on the Bristol” being played. He had actually spoken two or three lines when Sheridan, in the character of. thej widow O’Brien, said, “Get away, vo fool, you’re not the man I’m wantin’ and in a stage whisper added, “This is not the ‘Bristol’ yc fool; it’s, ‘Bridget O’Brien!’ ” After the American tour he returned to England, and .produced “A trip to Chic-a«-o,” and afterwards appeared m “Little Christopher Columbus” with Mr. E. J. Lonner and 1 ' Miss May Yohe. After that Mr. Geo. R.Sims wrote for him, “Bandy Bick Whittington,” and later /‘When the Lamps are Lighted,” with which latter pl ; ay he toured the colony under the direction of Mr. W. Anderson and the late Mr. Charles Holloway. All those who have not heard of John F. Sheridan have heard of his “Widow O’Brien,” one of the finest old female characters ever created. So perfect was the impersonation that at one time many believed that there was mo such person as John F. Sheiidan, 'and that the name _ was used only as a .clever bluff to disguise the funny old who played the part. The many thousands who have laughed at the' witticisms and antics of the Widow will be interested to learn how the character was created.. This information was tendered to a “Dominion” reporter by the late Mi. Sheridan when he was m Avellintgton in April last with the pantomime “Cinderella” (and revivals of the “Earl and the Girl” and “Fun on the Bristol”): “I was in vaudeville in Amenea when she grew on me. Like vaudeville shows in this country it was the custom to. finish up with a farce or sketch, and in one of these ! was appearing ias a comical old Irish woman iianied Mrs. Muldoon. It was at the time that ‘H.M.S. Pmafore was all the rage, and the plot was that one of my two daughters had aone mad on ‘Pmaiore’ (many did), aifd I had' to take her away Horn Boston to an asylum nl iSew York to be cured of Pinafore—the new disease We journeyed by boat, which gare rise to and s«a-sick business in ‘T un on the Bristol.’ The farce was a great success, and was the foundation of he Ph ‘J saw possibilities in ; it, and tookit to Fawcett Rowe, who helped me to put it into shape. In due time it was produced (in 1879) and; made » hit everywhere. You can’t, of course imagine that ‘the Widow could ev have heen written by anyone—<as a matter of fact it was not. It was built up gradually,. a little touch here and there, a word altered, a sentence run in here and there, ana even playing it to-day the part 1 mever the same to a letter. Oh, no, ‘the Widow’ is a woman of imp/ 11 /®': and she must say what she wantp tp, in the face oh John F. Sheridan and. other classical dramatists. < “After I had. been playing the pieco; for about three years in America,. Mr. Henry Pettitt, the well-known; English dramatist, happened to see the performance, and he told someone in front that if I went to Eng-: land I would create a furore. “This came to my ears, and I resolved to see Mr. Pettitt.. I. went to his hotel/ but he: had just gone; to join the steamer for England, h went down to the quay, and saw Mr.; j Pettitt, andT made bold to introduce j myself. ‘So you’re the Widow,’ said he ; and after saying some very comj plimentai-y things, said if I went to England he would do all he could to help me. Monal suoini* -**■■