THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 407, 16 January 1909, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

; "The world's a theatre, the earth a stago."— iHeywood. (liv Sylvius.)

"The Cirl of the Colden West."

There is all tlio material for wild romance in the very title of the play in which Miss ■L'ittcir Bruno and Company are _to renew a well-set acquaintance with , AVollington playgoers at the Opera House this evening. It has become the fashion —a. rather bad fashion—to say all the nica things about a play before it is produced, and in many cases to' make use of very extravagant language not in tho least degree justified as managers at times havo learned. This remark is general, and is not meant to apply to t'bis : evening's drama, which I havo been given 'to understand is a bright, breezy, Bret Hartiantype of drama, with a healthy-love story, and plenty of strong situations. Almost, any play can be made presentable with good acting, and with Miss Brune, Mrs; Broughy Miss Temple, Mr. Thos. Kingstone', and Mr'.' Loring' JTernie in -tho cast there should he little: fault-finding. During the season the,company will be seen in'.'"Diana, of . Dobson's," ' "Sundayj" and "Romeo and Juliet." , Death of George Lauri. Poor George Lauri (writes our Sydney, correspondent on January 6), shattered in health, despondent, and.Guffering from softening of, the brain, committed suicide yesterday morning by cutting his throat. For a ,long .time lio had been in failing health, and lately had /lived at Renaud's Tea Gardens, Bay Viowj a few miles from Manly, with his wife, who is well known by her stage name of Miss Mariotta Nash, the'clever, actress and dancer who lias appeared.in public.in Australia and. New Zealand many times. It was well known that George Lauri's nerves had gone to •pieces,/and within the last few days his .health, instead of improving, had b'ebome worse. Shortly before noon yesterday he went into his bedroom without any warning, secured a razor' from, a dressing-case, went out on to the verandah, and before ho 'could be prevented, cut his throat. The doctor .was summoned at once from Manly, but. when he arrived oil the scene the unfortunate, man, though, still alive, was beyond human aid, and died a few minutes after- ' v .

The news, as may bo imagined, caused the greatest-regret in Sydney—indeed, there was a not-e of personal sorrow-in the expressions, of shocked surprise with which the news was received when the newsboys were heard calling "Suicide .of George Lauri!" Mr. J.'-C. Williamson himself was deeply affected informed of.the occurrence; Poor Laurij it was recognised for. a long time, had played his last part,,but : it was hoped that tho genial comedian, v who' had made so.many thousands laugh- merrily iii his time, would be restored to "at'least'-a measuro'-of health. . The. last timo ho appeared in public was at the big matinee that was given as a benefit to him in April last in Sydney. On that occasion he played, one of his favourite parts, Lurcher in "Dorothy."' Even'on this day thero'was a subdued note in tho.poor fellow's, performance which indicated that all was not well with Mm.' -After that he spent a holiday in th...;-Blue Mountains, then travelled as far as Ceylon, but'his condition, was very bad, and tho oceanrvoyago did not have the effect ex.pected; Boor Lauri I He made thousands day, boisterous and breezy jn '-his humour, and theatregoers in 'Australia' and. New Zealand will read of his. 'deatli a they .would that of a personal friend. Just before- the,t'ragic occurrence which ended his life'ho seemed .in bettor spirits than'yhe had .long' time • past,• and!,was sitting on th.e verandah, _ smoking , arid Chatting.. Sooii. afterwards his wife, Svho was' inside the house, heard him call to her, and when she camo she ivas horrified to discover that, ho, had cut his throat. He was able to speak, but it-nvas-recognised that .his case was hopeless, and-he'; died not long,afterward. His remains will be interred to-day at South' Head Cemetery. The-comedian's .real namo was .George John Lowe. His son is a,f!jiiii.irtg engineer o&upying-a high/ positioxi"'inWest Australia. Harry Laudar and, tho Alderfnen. Tho London "Standard" of'• December .. 2 contained tho' following. cable message from New York:—"Tho New York Board of Aldei,men had a visit from Harry Laudor, the famous Scottish comedian, who, in full 'Highland'; dress, and escorted by fivo' kilted bagpipers, was. received with due honours. •As; tlio party marched in to tho music of ..tho •pipes, the busin'ess-'of tho board was stopped, and President M'G'owan invited Harry Lauder to;a chair beside • him. Tho comedian was: introduced to the aldermen,- who. vociferously .demanded a song:-. Harry Lauder said: 'It's no Scottish song ye understand hero; y'ou'ro all Irish; f I'll ! give ye an Irish ; .tuno.'' Ho then sang aboutan: expatriated, home-sick Irishman longing for jiome, and made.a.big bit. Hairy Lauder was also privately received by Mr. M'Clellan, -the Mayor of New York."

"The Antelope."

i "The Antelope" is tho,iiame of. the latest musical comedy to be. staged'in, London.; In the course of an ungushirig . tlio London "Standard(' says:—"ln . 'The Ante-, lope'-the scliome of things is an,office that finds men wives, and then ' insures them against infidelity. The threatened elopement of one of these wives a month ■ beforo her policy lapses provides the pivot upon which the story .turns. So the services of all the feminines in the piece, married or single," are, invoked to fascinate tho young artist with whom tho . lady means ; to run away, and to .save tho insurance office from penalty. And the_ intrigues aro insistent to the point of tedium. Let it' be .conceded- that 'Tho Antelope' is not unattractive. If. it readies 110 high level it does not -sink below -the average. Besides, pretty faces, pretty music, and pretty gowns, with here and thero a spice of fun —there is all of these enough to make an evening pass quickly." .

" The. Duchess of Dantzic.','

Novel experiences were tho. order of the evening at Her Majesty's Theatre on Boxing Night. Tho, audience expected. to' hear a Musical* comedy,- and were treated to a strong drama by Sardou; they anticipated the delight of somo fino singing by a favourite prima donna with a noble voice, and tlioy came away more than . half convinced that they have been freshly, introduced to one of tho leading emotional actresses of the day. It was due to the histrionic talent of Miss Florence Young that this kind of miracle was achieved,: and it was owing to her vivid impersonation of tho warm-hearted laundress that the -pathos and romance of "Tlio Duchess of Dantzic" so firmly held tho crowded house. Amongst musical pieces the new work stands alone in tho strength of its plot, whilst it becomes almost,-impossiblo to speak of a "libretto" whero so much of Sardou's effective dialogue' remains untouched. Magnificently staged, with music by Ivan Caryll that is frequently dramatic, and always animated and refined, the new piece owed much to welljudged casting. Hereby Sir. James Hughes as the honest sergeant (Lcfebvre), Mr. Wybert Stamford as Napoleon, 'Mr.. D. B. O'Connor as the gallant Adhemar, and Miss Betty Olils as that youthful officer's sweet aiid dainty Valentino, especially fitted into the general scheme of tho dazzling love-story. But, after all, it is hard to escape from the impression that the beginning, tho middle, and tlio end of the new play consisted in tlio burlesque, and breezy, and emotional art of Florence Young. Throughout her long career '.with • Mr. J. G. company this brilliant and accomplished singer, from a stiff and almost unpromising debut, has continuously woii her way towards a fuller dramatic expression, and now, with a "Sardou" part ready to her hand, and within reach of her natural scopo for .pathos and broad comedy,, sho seems to have astonished tho public a great deal moro than the expert advisors who wisely choso her for tlio part. '' The Duchess of Dantzic " is JJiss Young's triumph.— 1 " Sydney- Morning Herald." T

- Miss Eileen Castles, the youngest 9f the three sisters,. has . been retained by. Mr. George Edwardes' for stage experience, and is in the touring company for " The Dream Waltz."- i-.-Mr. Edwardes, in hia estimate of rising talent, makes' few mistalsos. "•