THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 15, 12 October 1907, Page 13

THE THEATRE.

"The Play's the Thing."—Shakcspearo By "Sylvius." Mr. J. C. Williamson's Arrannements,' Mr. J. C. Williapison was last month drinking tho. waters at Carlsbad, but Was to return to London for a few days in October beforo leaving _to witness somo of tho " fall " productions in Now York. His principal business has been tho (states tho "Sydney Morning Her. aid"} engagement of_ Miss Margaret Anglin to tour Australia next year. Ho had boon negotiating with this artist' for somo timo, and as sho was spending hor vacation in Paris ho was ablo to adjust all details with her thero. Miss Anglin holds a big star position in tho' United States as an emotional actress, and will probably bring. out' licr own 1 company and a fino repertoire of ,modorn pieces. One of tho most interesting ovonts in Miss Anglin's career of 12 yoars occurred at tho Lyrip Theatre, Now York, last November, when, sho and tho English actress Lena Ashwoll alternated tho characters of Lady Eastnoy and Mrs. Dane in "Mrs. Dane's Defonco." Tho' oxporimont crowded tho houso. Mr. Williamson has, just purchased from Mr. James Chute, tho famous Bristol managor, all tho costumes anil accessories,of tho."Humpty Dunipty " pantomimo, foriwhich ho has ongngod. Mr. Bert Gilbert (formorly hero with Miss Ada Reovo) as principal oomodiali. Ho lias also purchased, elaborate animal and bird costumes for Walter - Slaughter's^musical, scene, " Who Killed Cock' Robin?" theprincipal featuro in tho Christmas juvenile production hero, of' Blue 801 lin Fairyland." In : connection with tho: comedy season .pponiiig hero, October. 2(3, with "Brewster's Millions," a pro-i diiction of tho first importance will bo Sutro's, now play, John Glaydo's Humour," which enjoyed recently a long run at l-lio St. James's' Theatre with Mr. Go'orgo Alexander. Miss Amy. Castles was to lpave at once for Continental ' engagements. _ Miss Dolly Castled Was to go Out 'With the No. 1 " Lady' Dandies " company on tour,: headod by Miss Evio Greene. Miss liileen Oastlos is studying singing in London. Mr. Goorge Castles has a part in Soymour Hicks's '.company, aiul Mr. Williamson, states that ho. possesses a good robust tenor voice and a bright stago appearanoe.

,J\ Daring Actor; Manager. Among tho authors. ofi tho various short pieces which Mr. Arnold Daly promises to -produco in tho Berkeley ,Theatre are (says tho.. Now .York "Evening Post")- Mark Twain, Charles F. Nirdlingor, W. W. Jacobs, : Gladys Iliiger, Cosmo- Gordon Lennox, and Geo'rgo Bernard Shaw. Mr. Daly, it is announced, will'issue no free tickets, cither to. the Press or his persoiirtl friends, will employino orchestra, and will not raiso his curtain until ( J p.m. Apparently lie means to make his appeal to a limited class. Of playgoors, realising that his thoatro lias small accommodation for the 'general publio. As theatrical orchestras are seldom good onough to add to tho attraction of a capable performance or to afford much compensation for a bad one, ho is probably_ prudent in. avoiding nn outlay which'might detract from his profits.', It is agreeable to bo assured that his performances aro to be modelled upon those of tho Thcatro Antoino. This can only moan that there will bo somo_first-class acting, though nothing is said about the players who are to provide it. case, of course, a ' band wbuld entirely superfluous. In any special ornorgency, • Mr. Daly himself might blow ft trumpet. '

ASout IV. s. Gilbert. .Whoii -.Gilbert;,and Sullivan- parted company all lovers had a causo to regret it deoply.,, Tho roasoil why tlioy separated has not ; heretofore boon known officially. On July 2 Mr. W. £>. Gilbert wrote to tho Dublin "Evflning Herald!' to correct various errors re v garding himself .contained in an articlo which, appoarcd in that journal.- Ho denied that , lie had prosecuted an argaii-grindcr for annoyance, aiid then applied for permission to appear as his counsel. Ho • doniod: that no had ever spoken rudely to 'a momber of'his company.. As for his Collaborator, ." the 1 separation' was, not between {Gilbert and Sullivan,' but betweon myself and Mr. D'Oyly, Carte. It arOso from, a question whothoV a sum of £1500 for refurnishing.' tho, front. of tho Savoj Thoatro was properly included in tho preliminal-y exponses'of .tlio production of ' The Gondoliers.' I had no quarrel with Sir A. Sullivan, though a coolness existed between us for a time, in consequoncp of his declining to interfere in tho diffcrenco ■_ botweeii Mr. Carto and InysOlf. This .coolness lasted a very, short timo, aiid Was quickly, dono away with . by .mutual expressions," English. journals' have, a funny story liiient W. Si Gilbert's incapacity to remember his flow titlo when'ho Wont to London tho other day .to attend a dinner, By constant repetition of tho words. " Sir William, Sir William," tho titlo beciimo fixed m his mind until Ins attention was distracted by . some event m the street; .On arriving at tho'house at ; which, lie was to dino, the author of, "The Mikado" gavo hia jmnle to tho footman as " Mr. Gilbert." ~r William, Ibelieve," promptly replied that functionary. Australian Drama. •' ' .Flushed .;by tho success, of "A oquattor s Daughter,'t Messrs. Edmund .lJuggan and Bert. Bailey liavo written a second melodrama entitled, " Tlia southern Cross,'? which .is 'boiuß Tiro* duced by Mr. William Anderson's com* ptiiiy m jSewcnsfclo. ■ Tlio dralna takea m such exerting scenes as tho wreck ol the DUnbar and the Eureka stockade. An Oltl Time Performance. ■

In his Reminiscences of Twolvc Months Servico . in NeW Zoaland" (Polished 111 1849), Lieut. . H. F. ~U Killop, 11. N., who came to Now Zpnlaiid as, an olficor of H.MIS. Cnlliopo in 1845, givos an!account of a theatrical performaneo ho witnessed in Wellington early, in tho. year 18J6. Ho s »ys:—"Soon aftor our arrival (from Auckland) wo received a playbill which rather Surprised tis, having hecu given to understand, at, Auckland tlinfc this plq'co Was so inferior a settlement to Clio capital, that-, theatricals seemed quite out- of place. Curiosity, however, induced many of us to"i o pi t! see whfjt tho play was like. Wo wont accordingly, and. found'.tho house so lull that it was with considerable;dilH r oult.y wc could got. up to our, benches *—which'.wc wero told were the boxes.! However, by dint of pulling, from above and pushing from below, wo managed to got, Tho ladder which had been,placed for tho accommodation of the audience' mounting to tbosp scats had been broken before our arrival by somo of the, audienco during a slight disturbance. As soon as our oyes had bccomo accustomed to tile cloudy atmosphere, which was strongly impregnated .by tobacco smoko, We discovered tho stage and its rcCesScs, The piece Was just about, to commence, the pit having ,eomo to an; ainicablo understanding with each other, after considerable demonstrations of pulling tho boxes down and annihilating the occupant-Si . Tho first actor , who made his iippearailco was. greeted with such a shout, and uuderwont such an impertinent • cross-examination "i.s to wliero ho had procured his rcd-stl-'p'd pantaloons, how tho moustache was stuck 1 oil,-etc., that lie. could not procoed. .This being highly irregular,' the manager caii'm On to request that order lie kept; unfortunately _ for himself he was known to the colonists as a Vocalist, arid was accordingly called upon for :i song in such air energetic manner, that, to savo the stago from be-

ing upsot, ho saiig' " Tho Admiral," and being in tile costurilo of Macbeth, it had on the whole' a plc^siug i effect. Ho was loudly applauded for his good nature, which, however, was further put'to the teat by tho' wilful hearers calling on their first friend of tho l'ec}striped'trousers to favour them in'a similar way. lie, howovor,' not being prepared to porform in this wayr was hissed oil tho stage, and order . was not restored until one of' the nctressos camo on and saiig at least half-a-' dozen songs in succession, which wero received 'with raptures of appiauso. Tho piece was then coninioncea, anil went smootVly on for ' half an hour, when poor Macbeth, happening to be left on the stage t;o got through/some long soliloquy, tho wayward audience,' knowing him to bo-a dancing master, and excelling in the sailor's hornpipe, domnnded it in fi manner which would not hear a refusal. fiddlers wero accordingly ord'erod in a very,peremptory manner to strike up'; ,and poor Macbeth was obliged to start off. His long sword rather interfering,with his stops, ho laid it aside and Wont to work in . capital style, which. brought forth such shouts of delight, and uproarious peals of laughter, accompanied by such stamping .and 'screams,'- and other symptoms 'of excessive approbation, .that in a few minutes down camo tho boxes, the supports having been knocked away from beneath, -This brought tho hornpipe to' a finale, and with it tho whole performance.' W<si who had shared, tho downfall ,' of the boxes, wore glad -to got out i'lito tho fresh air, .havirig' luckily, escaped, with, a "few bruises,'.' .■ ' ' '

A Play by f/lr. Perdioarls. i : .- It is an ill wind that blows good to nobody. Tho kidnapping of Kaid Maclean by ; tliat irrevoront rascal' Baisuli in Morocco has 'redirected public attention to 1 Mr. lon Perdicaris, a former victim of ■ tho : ' enterprising brigand. MrrPbrdicaris,' iicpfirding to tho London, paper?, is tljo author of/a • roniaiitio drama, whicll tho manager of tho King's Tliqatre','.' at 'Hammersmith,- has scoured for immediate producton. Thero aro ,yot. surviving,' doubtless, .in Now York, playgoers who still havo a lively recollection of a certain romantic drama' which Mr. 'Perdienris caused to. bo performed.' in* tho Fifth Avenue Thpatro'.neirly & genera'tion..ago. , It was .calledTho":'Pic' 1 , turo," -and achioVed' olio' 6f tlifi'. most-' complete failures, in theatrical arihals.' Mr. Perdioaris, it is; said,' always/ re-, garded this as a signal proof of tho 1 stupidity of tho pliblic in gonoral, arid of.the- critics.,in particular. 'That the piece itself cpriid .bo .at,.fault'-.never occurred to him. There may be no oo'nneption betwebri the present play arid " Tho -Picture,'' but if. by any chanco' they should be ono aud i tho same, it will be _ interesting ~to- ,noto„,whether British intelligence will rise to the test prepared for it. . , :• . ' Frank Thorntonls Coming. "Laugh and mako merry, for tomorrow wo die," is an okl-timo adage, but from accounts to hand of tho recent great London'- success, entitled,' ■ ' When Knights wero Bold," not ono of the audience Who witnessed this surprisingly clover play would 'think of dying, but Woiild ,bo more desirous of laughing' on for/over,' • Mf.: Thornton, so well. known -in past years - for his delightful productions of such;plays as-

"Charley's Ailnt,"' "The''Private'Sec*' rekryj" " Sweet' Lavender,", a'n^' many others, ' has J secured ; tho .Australian rights of this 'latest • laughing -' success, and will star it' throughout his forthcoming tour of Australia, '"!•:' Tho play is-./ono ■ of 1 exceptional merit .and, originality. An-'adiiiixturo of modornism ' and\ medioVolism 'maliO' for- the. elements .of' tho. pic 66,' and a story of a modem Do Verp of particu? larly blue blood and ancestry., wlio, in(luoncod by tho will of tHo .woman li 6 loves,-: sleeps, and', dr'ea'his biit''to.''Wako (in his .dreams) ohco more, back in :tho .Twolftli Century] -iyhoro in .modern dinner; oloth'es lio . mingles, lives, loves, and fights-his battles, amid, the, personages of this old-time world, aro the'leading foathrcs Of, this oxtremely elever crehtion.,' . MR. ,Jl C. WILLIAMSON'S .'PLANS ; Nows is cabled- by Mr. 0.: Wil liamson to tho members of his firm in Australia that! ho. has completed ar-. rangoments for' a tour .of tho Com lnonw'ealth by Miss Margraet Aiiglin, •. • tho well-knowri'.AinOricari actress, who ■ will appear in ;,this part-of tho world noxt year with the principal; mpmbors of her; own company,/ Miss A'nglin, though only SSljyears of age,is in tho first-rank of AmOricau actrosSes.., Sho played Madoloino West in "Shenandoah"' under engagement to Mr. Chor j les Frohman, wheii Sho was only 18; thon sho appeared. with, Mr. B. H., Sothern ,and later on with Mr. Richard MansfipldVivs ROxalio in "Cyrano do BprgeracV,'. Her'roles as loading lady in nil parts of tho nitod States' • includo tho Bnronoss Roydoh in "Brother OfficorSi" Mrs. Dane _ in ■ "Mrs. Dane's Defence," Dora ; in" "Diplomacy." Camille, Mrs. Tanquoray, ,and many othors. Tho contract with Mr. ' Williamson was signed when Miss Ahglill Was bn her;.way through Londtin .to tho Ooiitincnt. for-hor. anuuiil vaoiition. •,■ ■' ~ ; THEATRICAL "LIMERICKS." .. . Tho poor misguidod individual",who judgod last wool, s "Duiryitiaids" LimOrick eompotition ' flit*' Ho'r Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, had a wordo .timo than joe Nivens ;woiild liavo had pveii if lib had slilfei-ed all tho pumnshmonts alloted to 'him in -tho two thousand olforts to . finish., thd v following verso".. Joe Nivehs, a bold sailor lad, "

Had a Way With the girls that was ~ . sail,. , . . ' Ho, proposed to tlie lot, • Ali at oiico—and " .■: - Tho ladies wero nonrly rill "highly indignant with Joseph for his most reprehensible conduct and their Suggestions ran mostly to condign punishments in which "The Boots of.'.tho' Dad" figured prominently. )'Cad" ~Was "an opithet frequently applied ~ and "I'm glad", finished up all the,most severe sugges-: tions sout in. Replies .came from all, over Victoria arid olio' man was'so aiix-. ions to be in. at tho; death that' hoi wired bis line, from Beaufort. It Was not, .however,'.'ho that subinittcd tho lino; —"Away only partinjly. Clad,.'. 1 who, Was awarded the first prizp_. -, . THE SCARLET HMi'ETtNEL/. ■ " Tho'' Scarlet 1 . ■ .Pimpernel "'; ; iibout' which so many, oagef iiKjiliries'VhaVo boon'inndo, has beon put lnto .propar" ation and will be produced, , for .tho first time in ' Australia, ■■ -when Sir. Julius Knight pays his roturn visit to Sydney in Dccombcr next., Playgoers, and-par-ticularly the fcminiWv section,, havo been -Very keenly anticipating, the advent of this play which certainly prbmisos to bo one of..the strongest.dra'wv inging attractions, coming as it: (loos with a record of more than $0.-, nights in London, and. having'tho additional advantage of Mr. Julius Knight in tlio character of tho Baroness Orczy's romantic hero. THE NEXT PANTOMIME. "Hunipty-Dnmpty" : is tho titlo of the 1 next pantomine .to be ! staged by Mr, J. C. Williamson at .Cliristqm in Melbourne; Tho majority of. the "Mother l Goose" peoplo .will bo coiloornod in the production, but tho star comedian will bo Mr. Bert.- 'Gilbert., tho husband of Miss Ada Roevo. ..