THE THEATRES AT HOME.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 428, 10 February 1909, Page 4

THE THEATRES AT HOME.

(OBSERVATION AND OPINION. '.;'. : " : ",-",;(B.t F.i W;/Hatb}ttle.) ,-Actuateil probably by the knowledge that the Franco-uritis!) Exhibition would entice Tjsitars'■; in; :flYenvhe]ming numbers to Lon-. don,; tho' theatrical managers' last year put forth- special, endeavours to. place before, the p,u.b,liq p '-/array pftalpnt, pot hitherto ex T celled,.-and-fpr a considerable time the wholo pf the.Metropolitan tneatres kept open doors with' production's '.rhoro'or less/attractive. This-, circumstance is almost unique, for ; it. is qujte. cptnippp-tflnpte half-a-dozen, at any rate, of the niinor or unlucky, houses, closed during the currenpy pfjjhe.season. '-:\ Oertainly "the most siipcessfu} dramatist; and' ono 'to-, shoot meteor-like " into prorainenco, and; pppularity after years of rebuff and disappqjnlnieiit. fit tlie ■.liands of managers pYflq. after: ajl aro.not sq astute as the public irriagirje): was : . Mr. ; W:' Maugham." At' 'one.time ■four'bf' , his'plays were running- simultaneously to : crowded houses. Tjiree pf-.tbese;-lasted j;l)e and.promise to "run well into .the present year. The plays w-ere '. "ia.dy : Frederick," -at the Criterion, interpreted': by Ethel Irving and-C. Mi toVne; J'/lVlrs. Dot," : Comedy Theatre (Marie Tempest: and li'red -4ierr); "Jack- Straw," Vaudeville' ~ (Chas. Hawtrey and : Lottie Verne); and "The Explqrer" (Lewis Waller and Evelyn-Millard),.. at-the Lyrio.. ....... Frqru' t)(B. oE.".'g^cpe.ss-1 hiiye pja/ced the fbllqwihg" productions in their order of sequence:—Comedies ■ and:.-. dramas —"What Every (J3arrjp);,. "Lady Frederick'! (Maugljani);;"Thb Passing of tho Third.,' Flpor/Back , '' , (Jerome);. !! ! Mrs. Dot" Qla'ugliamV; '' ',! Jack.: "gtraw" ' (Jjijughjm);. ''Pete" (Hall-Caine); a' fine: revival of "Henry/.V."-by .Lewis -Waller; /'The /Flag Lieutenant,-!' - prpdijiced/, :by . Cyril. Maiide; ''Faust,' , .- a -gorgeous' spectacular revival by Beerboiim Tree;. "The Lyons Mail;" revived hyß-'Bi Irving; "Diana of.Dqbson's," produped by Lena , 'Asbwell; "Marriages in Mayfair,"' the usual Drury Lan.o autumn gielodraina j J'Beliamy-the Magnificent,'' Sir Ghas. Wyndhsni/i'.Sißwldei' Bridgw," George Alp.xandj! , .; '-'Dolly. Refprniipp Hprself, l,, H.' ;A: ,: 'Jpnes;'. aiicj , "Lady EpgijigVs. Lawsuit, , ' 'Miss 1 Mary '-.liiqpreV ■'.. T Ampng:''-the.:•:comedies: whioh "f , failed-' : may- ''^β , -.' , noted-, ■ f-The W\ii>~": P,iiis";''/. Os'cas /Ascha'■' and Lily Brayton; ..-"The- Swayboat," -. Lena-- 'Ashwell ;•" Early .Wqrm,": Wge.derj-.'Grqssipith';. Widow;'! "AmeriQan'G.q-r"-ErqTim,-" Cyril Maiide : ; "A fearful' J%,''/.'s{rs. -Mng- : try }•' ?The Thunderbolt,"' P,iflorq,• p'rpduced by, pep.. ;" "The. Marriage of William Asjie. , ' , /.i and ://t'Fan.ny: -aiid.' r the'.,: Servant Problem,',' .bothlauuched on their'fatal career hy fanny; bs<!l 'p.uil plt|!/''fri|nd Cyril ICeightley.', : ,. -/■ . ./■'■//;'■'. ■'_■'■':> ■■'.-.. ■ ■'fhq'/musical comedies were - &]\ \ imrflense. 'sncpes,ses, particularly/ "The Merry ; Widow,"' i^avanaj^'J^ng..:bf. :oacloniai» ' J'Belh of Brittany, , 'and ih'pnly a slighter degree, 1 /('My. Mimosa 'Maic];)''i'Thq -Waltz. Dreain,''', 'IButand ..''Eton'ble . : -'\i : r ":.:■■■■' ,'Ainpflg-'.those well-known nv/this hemisphere'- who',hqld'/responsiqle, ppsitions 'on the .London stage,- first' and forertlbst comes Miss, iMajie. Lphr, : 'thq'.petite'and/ ; oharming nihe-teen-yea'r-old. daughter of the erstwhile doyen ; |{slian' advance, .representsjiivos, i'.-'/3'/-.lK)li'r,V". : vMi'3s/-L'Qhp'is ! .nqw in, tho'lead, playing ::,?tjjirg\\erite :,to Beerbohin '/Tree's Mophis'tb i?i'. Faust, at.His Witli her "."mother,' Miss;, Kate .Bishop, she 'Uvea quietly in, a -cosy little flat -off. the ' (Strand.-;-,$ is mqther's, careful training, ,a'dded' to' her" owii ' natu'r'al. 'ab'ilijty,- ■■ that she, .finda":h,e : reelf/>' M / present, "high: posftion. Edmund; Gwenn, A. E. .Matthews,-' .Carter', .Pickford,' Wilfred Draycotti.: Edward Emery,:ancl Kate Bishop;are.;all,firmly estab-. : lislie(li.'a'nd;in' 'coriversa'ti6n,,/\vhile 'admitting tho: charm- of Londpni they all: look forward |ta'\^B-'fin^ES6?W^' , y , !i9V-' B f i ll-BHite-?pP? r " .tunity or again -visiting Australasian,.scores and renewing; old. friendships:,of ! which/they , retain tho:most.pleasant/reminispenpes.. ■•;/-.-. / ■■