THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 490, 24 April 1909, Page 9

THE TH EATRE.

"The.world's a, theatre/ tho.earth.a stago'."rr Heywood. ". ■■■ .■■ ■■■ ";} : 'J;■■;'.'■ \--i]^:':y ! i.--M"';;---- 't. '::■• '.: . ■. ■..:; iliy sStlvius.)'; [■'■i.'fhi'iii'-:?':,' .'■■.■' The " Royal Comics. , . , :-v v V-?;'^ : -''::: ; -'%''-Z'l'C'.'' . So successful has.' , "Tho, Merry .Widow", proved that .now, oy ; er. n : fortnight.after, the ltoyal Comic Opera.. Company arrived.' in. Wc'ilLingten, plavngors have.only seen the.oiio. opera. That will...nbt be , the case, however, after this evening," as Paul Reuben's bright musical comedy, "T1& Dairymaids,", is to bo, produced, far tlw first .time in New Zealand/ This musical comedy is delightfully, a'tmo-/ Epht-Ttc. The first act is placed in an idyllic farm-j'ard and orchard combined, with ■ tho chorus engaged in all kinds of fami w:ork. They are society girls, whom Lady Brude.nell has placed on her farm, in order .that they may be entirely independent of mom.'■': Of. course, a nice lot of young gentlemen arrive during Lady BrudeiisU's absence,!and havo a high time —until her ladyship returns/suddenly. Tho girls are sent to Miss Pyechase's school, and there ia further fun. In tho end Lady Brudenell herself submits to the .blandishments of a jolly naval surgeon, which makes the path. sweet for the younger folk. Catchy songs, good ballets, and brisk action mark the ne v musical comedy as a favourite. Mise Fanny Dango will.be seen in the leading girl part, and ..Mr. W.'S. Percy 'will' a-f-sumc the chief comedy part, that a of Joe Mivens, a bold Jack Tar. '.'.'.' : - Before tho weelc is out,. "Tho Girk of Gotteuburg," a bright musical comedy by Ivan Caryll, on the Kopenick incident, will be produced by the "Eoyal Comics." It will be remembered that a few years ago an adventurer rigged himself in a uniform, and, a-Tsuming a vast authority, visited the .town of Kopenick (in Germany), took temporary charge of its affairs, annexed a largo sum of money—and disappeared. It was a comic opera" incident, so one was made out of. it, and'very successful it has been wherever played. ' ''} ~ . ; ; . ; .

"An Englishman's Homo.' r ' ■. Of the performance of "An Englishman's Homo" in Sydney (apart from the impression the play created;, the "Daily Telegraph" said: "The play, seen so promptly in Australia through the enterprise of the J. C. Williamson firm, was admirably performed by the nowly-organised company, and so far as 'stage management was concerned, it had everything in its favour. The whistling .of the shells, the noise and smoke of battle, and the havee wrought in tho villa, made the final scene thoroughly realistic. Mr. Eardloy Turner again manifested his artistic conscientiousness in the rolo of Mr. Brown, who plays diabolo in his home circle, and rages .with fury when ho discovers tho invaders 'trespassing' op, his promises. Mr. Turner imparted tho right spirit of resolution to , the last scene. Mr. Henry Kolker, except forthc ovor-strenuous note in his declamation, was very telling in Paul Robinson's story of his discovery of 'he invaders, his sobbing possessing genuine- touches. Miss Ola Humphrey played with graceful spirit as Maggio Brown; but tho part is only a small one. The three frirls aro really passive .spectators, who, when tho stress of war comes, are unable even to bandage a wound. Miss Florence Gleeson was a consist?nt Ada Jones, tho lisping friend of the Brown girls, while Miss Florence Kelly exhibited amasing pertness as Amy Brown, who follows the football records and talks slang. As has already been. indicated, Mr. Cyril Mackay achieved one of his most artistic successes as Geoffrey Smith, a self-asser-tive 'bounder, , who is absorbed in football, reads tho reports of all the'matches, and thinks the-man a genius who, in his description of gamej calls tho ball 'the sphere.' Smith, who Las jumped upon a tablo to see tho fun when the firing, begins, is killed by a 'bullet: Mr. fell cleverly in a heap on ;ie table, but'the curtain descended a moment too early, before ho reached the floor. Mr. Harry Plimmer has seldom bcon better suited than as tho imposing Prince Yo■lnud, to whom Mr. A. E. Greenaway was an able- lieutenant. Mr. Cambourno's performances as tho fussy, incompetent Captain Finch was another feature of the production. ;It was refreshing to see his naively artistic display of colossal ignorance, as ho blandly invited tho doctor and anyone else who was handy'.to enlighten to the progress of the campaign. Tho audience found much humour in Captain Finch, as well as in the assertive swagger 'of Smith/ especially in his encounter with tho Prince, who has kept him prisoner in the cellar. One of,the gems of real satire in tho. piece was the announcement of one of the girls, after the hostile forces had been discovered trespassing, that Mr. Br&\vn had gone to look for a police•nian. There was a wealth of delicious meaning in this serene confidence in tho power of tho constable's baton. . Mr. 'Dion Titheradge was clever as the lieutenant of tho volunteers, who pesters poor Finch with trivial questions as to how he will dispose the twos and threes of his detachment of the defending force, until tho captain, in despair, advises him to put three men in the big rooms nnd two.men in the little-ones. Mr. Koppel Stephenson sketched on firm lines the rolo_ of the adjutant, who takes a free-and-easy view of the fighting, and is quito ready to retreat when ordered to do so. - , "Tho .orchestra played the National Anthem before tho curtain rose, and again after the,performance, when the audience joined in the song." '■ : ' . ■ ■ '.''■:■ It is unfortunate that New Zealand will not see the new play before September. Tho gilt should be off the edg;o of things by that time, as itseoms thnt the drama is one of tho ephemeral kind—a day's life and then dead .forever. ' ■ ■ . ■■ Vicissitudes of Stage Life. ■'..-. Comyns Carr, in. his jusWssued recollections, mentions that he supped with Irving, Ellen Terry, Sarah Bernhardt, and a distinguished company in the beefsteak room at the Lyceum after a performance. Irving had somo thought of-reviving "Hamlet." " Ah,"' said Miss Terry, "I am too old for Ophelia." "My darling," said Bernhardt, "thcro are two peoples who ago never—you and me.' , "True for you," sighed Fjllcd. Coquelin, in a gloomy mood, was .predicting one, at rehearsal, how tho actors and actresses would end their careers. "What will I come to?" asked Bernhardt, sweetly. Said Coquelin: "You will be a box-opener. Yet, the gentlemen will give you a franc apiece, and you'll be glad to get it." Mdlle. Georgeo, tho resplendent original of Hugo's Lucretia Borgia, was t'ho Bernhardt of her time. She, took charge of the umbrellas at the Paris Exhibition of 1867.. Denvil, the first Manfred in •Byron's play, at Drury Lane, took checks at the pit door when Phelps acted Manfred there, long afterwards. Worthy Charley Burford will be remembered as a stago doorkeeper in Sydney. He acted Cassio, at the Melbourne Queen's, when Brooke first appeared there, as Othello. Burford likewise acted Joseph Surface in "The School for Scandal," on tho opening night of Melbourne Royal. In tho Bancrofts' production of "Masks and Faces," in London, there was a lady super of aristocratic appearance, beautifully made up, rouged and costumed. A lady of the nobility called on Mrs. Bancroft next day and asked, "Who was that quite distinguished personage?" "There she is," replied Mrs. 8., pointing to a charwoman who was scrubbing tho floor. Beauchamp, once a stage door-keeper at tho Melbourno Theatre Royal, returned.to that city as a Mormon elder.—"Busk," in the "Bulletin."

Miss Marjorio Chard, who played Lady Hermiono Wynne in "The Flag Lieutenant' , in * London, was. recently married to , Mr. Langhorno -Burton-Burton, , who toured the Knglish provinces in tlio name part of the same play. The couple arc now in Melbourne —members of tlio "Sweet Kitty Bellairs'' Company.- ' . ■*, Mr. William Anderson has arranged with Air. Randolph Bedford, the well-known Australian writer, for the production of his military drama of Australian life, entitled "Australia, or Tho White Man's Land. 1, The piece will probably be the next nt tlio King's Theatre it deals with a possible invasion of Australia by tho Japanese*a few years hence. : Air. Koy Belgrave, William Anderson's new loading man for the King's Theatre, will arrive in Melbourne lato in April. His last appearance in England was at Cardiff. Ho waa recently appearing as Captain StwJight Lα "Eobbory Under Arms" ia London.

■Nollla^teviiart^Rctiivlva/^^v-:-:; , ■-■'■'-.;■■■ : f';" ' ; : ;;Tlnis>tlio\ "Age" on'Nellie..Stewart's re' appearance/in Melbourne on April 10:—"Tho placo Miss Ni'llio Stewart holds in tho hearts testified in an extraordinary ;degrco. at tho Princess's' Theatre on Saturday oveniujx.' It is/no' exaggeration to say "that no Australian: performer'has over had a warmer welcome. .At her first appearance.' tho. -of the play, waa stopped for several minutes ' by repeated cheers, coo-ees • and other demonstrations of goodwill., After each act sho was recalled timo arid again, and at the .close, ,, even with the clock'pointing.ominously to. tho approach of midnight, an enthusiastic "audionco kept up a,constant salvo of applause, long after tho curtain fell on a stage literally embowered in floral, tributes." ... ■•• ■; • .

.. -It would be ''hyperbolic •enthusiasm", to contend that Miss Stewart achieves greatness in every line. Her moving appeal for mercy to the officers of tho, regiment (caught apparently in a compromising position with her lover) was distinctly weak, as were ono or'.two other passages of similar mood which missed -firo chiefly owing to tho unpleasant mannerism of catching her breath. The constant thrusting forward of tho part is again roprohensible. This may be duo largely to the author's own conception, yet it seems not impossible that more might bo made of Lady Standisli (a good part in embryo) and Lord Verncy. For tho rest, however, Miss Stewart was excellent'. In the comedy scones sho.mado her points with the skill and certainty of a thorough artist. Her warning to Lady. Standisli, an individual perpetually dissolved in tears,, to.leayo oil tho Bath waters, "for-the more you drink the more you cry, ,, evoked roars of laughter, as did her advico on how to keep' a husband, a homily based on Dean Swift's "Women mako nets to catch men instead of cages to hold them." In tie second act, como disguised to Lord Verney's rooms in the w-ee sma' hours to prevent a du'el,_ Miss Stewart's talents shone, with genuine distinction, the affected disguising of her brogue (a good one at that) being particularly effective. Best of all was her handling of tho subsequent scene, Wholly unoriginal as it is, the author makes a fine point by having, in the midst of a drunken carousal, two ladies (Kitty and Lady Standish) hidden in a wardrobe. -Enter Lord Standish seeking his wife. Vemey denies hor presence.' Captain Spicer finds her shoe. Result, a fight in tho room and a thrilling climax, with Lord Vemey saved on tho very point of Standish's sword, by Kitty. Miss Stewart attained here real power, and intensified admira'tion. of her gifts in the subsequent abrupt change from dramatic force to light comedy. For her apparent intrigue with Verney, Kitty is "cut ,, by'the ladies at tho ball, and hero Kitty displays her rare .power of repartee,. with a stjng in it. Miss Stewart's /portrayal was - admirable botluin force and self-restraint. It is no fault of hers that tho play 'tails off' in tho last act. The threads of the plot aro r gathered up so clumsily as to leave tho impression of either an eleventh hour 'cut,' or of an author's tiredness of his theme, with a consequent lack of inspiration. 'Whatever the reason, the end falls flat, despite a'capital tableau, in which Kitty, through a real : live shower of rain, is seen waving farewell from the doorway to her Verney." ,- ...•';'