THE DRAMA.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14889, 31 January 1914, Page 8

THE DRAMA.

(Br "Ctraso.") So Miss. Ellen Terry is coming. If we cannot see the great actress as an actress (and her acting days, save in a few parts, must bo over), tho next best thing is to hear her lecture. Her intimacy for so many yeans with Shakespearean characters, and her unrivalled experience, combined with a charming personality and elocutionary powers that have not been surpassed by those of any English actress of her time —should make the tour memorable. Tho ruthless "Who's Who" tells us that Miss Terry is nearly sixty-six in years, but in spirit, in enthusiasm, sho is still young. "Tho Great Adventure," by Mr Arnold Bennett, bids fair to repeat .tho success of "Milestones." lt reached its 300 th performai.ee in London tho other day. The influence of "Milestones,'' by tiie way, is still making it_elf felt. Oue of ihe latest "revues" in London is :i series of scenes depicting London life at various periods ot the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, in whic-li celebrities of tho time are introduced. Those who enjoyed "Within the Law" will be interested to know that it recently celebrated its 250 th performance in London, and that there was then no sign of its popularity waning. On December 23rd Mr Charles Frohman was to present "Peter Pan" lor the tenth successive year at the Duke of York's Theatre, London. The performances were to be all in the afternoon, the revival of "Quality Street" by the same author filling tho evening bin.;; ; Talking of revivals, I notice with interest that that delightful comedy of Ha'ddon Chambers's, -"-The Tyranny of Tears.*" is to be revived in--London. When people wail about the poverty of the modern drama, "The Tyranny of Tears'.' comes .into my. mind as one of the plays of a lighter kind that might be cited in reply. Many people will remember the performance "of it in New Zealand by the Broughs— Mr Brough --is the piil-upon husband who turns. Mi s.s Temple as the selfish, tearful wife. Mrs Brough as the lady secretary, and Mr Cecil Ward as the friend whoso -returns • precipitates the crisis and enables the-husband-to escape from the tyranny. I cannot remombcr who played the wife's father, hut I can remember his acting clearly enough. It - was a rare slice of life; would we could see it again! Mr Granville Barker and Miss Lillah McCarthy- have been producing a highly interesting series of plays in a repertory season at the St. James's. Ibsen, Molioro, and Maeterlinck wore three of the authors represented. "Tho Death of Tintagilos," an early play of. Maeterlinck's, which *'E;F.S." describes as "typically sombre, vague, and tragic, creating an atmosphere of mystery, deepening into horror," was very successfully produced. It was followed by Galsworthy's "The Silver Box." To 6ome people Maeterlinck and Galsworthy in one evening woui_ bo a somewhat oppressive ccr-biiiation. A site has been acquired in Gower street, London, for the ; - proposed national theatre. The site in question is on the Bedford estate, adjoining 'Keppel street and Male, street, and is an acre in extent. It is stated officially that the orice is somewhere in the neighbourhood of £60,000. Mr Hyer, secretary of .the. Shakespeare National Memorial Theatre, says the .acquisition of the site is the first definite step with th© view of securing that by 1916 (when the tercentenary of Shakespeare will be celebrated) there will be established "in London a_ theatre worthy of Shakespeare's name. Though occupying a fitting, site, ip a spacious square, "the* theatre will' not be quite within the .theatre zone, of the .West End. It is not the site (says Mr Hyer) which would have been selected had there been no considerations of finance. A more eligible site which was in view was Hyde" Park Corner, where* the about-to-be .removed St. George's Hospital at present stands; but for_ that site and to complete the'scheme oh a fitting scale, half a million would have been required. As it is £150,000 will be needed, and for that the committee make an appeal to.the generosity and enthusiasm of the lovers of Shakespeare.

A remarkable tribute to the genius of .Sir,Johnston Forbes-Robertson has been given by the actors and actresses of Now York, He has received a letter signet Thy the heads of. the American theatrical profession, asking him to give a special matinee of "Hamlet" for his fellow-professionals who have been for the most part unable to witness the usual performances of the Forbes-Robertson Company.' They describe.him as "the greatest Hamlet of his times" and look forward to cherishing "lasting and delightful memories" of his unrivalled acting. J. M. Synge's famous drama "The Playboy of the Western, World," was recently produced in Paris. It was the first performance in France of one of the Irish plays, and the experiment aroused much interest. Tho charm and beauty of. Synge's. work was not lost on the Parisian audience, though no translation however skilful and sympathetic could quite convey tho strange atmosphere and poeticallanguage of the original. M. Lugne Poe, who was responsible for the play's appearance in Paris, intends to introduce other Irish plays to French audiences.