THETHEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 550, 3 July 1909, Page 12

THETHEATRE.

"The world'« * theatre; the earth* fltago."— Hoywood. '• " " ■."■'.•. •. ■ .*.•■.■■ .'.,.:':':\, " (Bi SxLvioi.) ; . ' "Cinderella." Tho MeyneJJ and Gunn English Mu&ical ConiejJy' Company; who havo established themselves in Wellington's favour, will bepoine, theatricajly-speakin{£, disaipatod on Wednesday next, wnen the pleasant sighte andsflUU(lß'Qf of Holjand" will mergo into the tinsel delights o£ gorgeous panioinime, tho. hpst (wo aro assured) that nas ovor been witnessed in ton. Tho subject is "CindereU»"-7-th,o: dear littlo girl who is treated so badly by her ugly eistors, hearts are as thoir feet aro largp. part'jcql^ny' startling in moiinting and scenery is promised young and old, shy pr bo)d, ftfljl all may anticipate' a kaleidoscopic ''entertainment" of much brilliance, i Besides :thp clever pooplo wo met in "Miss Hook of Hplliiqd, , ;' iho; public will gain tlie acquainWncp of Mies Meredith Uleredro, said "to bo one of tho smartest "principal boye," ampng girls who bavo'"dashe(l-',inpre'or I 9?? in auoh roles. Oivipg to newarra'ngpniqnts the company is to curtail its soaa'on'in' Wellington, and coiipludo its tour of Now Zealand hero next Thiirsday '.week! Arrangements havo been made ( for the company, to leave for Sydney on Fnday, July 16, ■ in order to emniro that the pa'ntoraimb (which broke all existing records in Melbourno) will bo"played in Syanoy at #• V$ a4vent of p.scaf. Ascho Lily Braj^ton. has necessitated the alteration' in the touring arrangomep^sy

ftptor. mosj..popu^; of 'the 1 prpsent day. (says, an, Ausiraliaß lottier j ; is Abr? Harry Wunjnef, 'who''was'.horn ii r Wellington, New Siealand;v.and began his stago qareer at the!old Opera ;Houßo,Alel'. bourne, wife Miss. Adi Vwd, in a, , piefip oaUed Upright Hppea,", flpxt ment w*a>ith 4. ,0/; Sytoy, and AMce Norton; in "Tho Mystery of a Hanspm Qafc.yThis" engagement was fqllpwed up by six months with Bhwid 'Hplt. at the Alexandra Theatre (now Her Jheatre), MelbpHrne, and, then/hp joined Migs Myr» Keinb'fo "yhe. Profligate' and other pieces of a similar type. • He nex} joined QiJorgp Righpld's ;,{prces at; Her SJaje'sty'a Theatre. "Sydney, and stayed with him thj-ep yoars.' Then' he was*, engaged by the Brpngh to take the' plaop of Mh'G! during a-tpur-to India,; and the' On; his 'return from the :'!East, Mr. Pliminer's/ services; were secured''by, J.' C, WilliamspnV 'for ;' ah 18 months/'' tour at the head of V the,,; Julius Kiiight' Opmpany, "while Knight ■'■'him-. spif'''VM , ':away'"ohr» / -hpliday^.-tnp'.- ; : ft'-ESig:' "At i the conclusion of -this :.*engß'eor' n\OTt ) : -'''lfr;' ; PHmiheT\^y8 i - : Jfanco, :^'Neiil , Cpinpany',;:, and',"" tliereaffer,' Went; to.'Amp'ri.oa/ whefe. he engaged',the very'dfy he lancted/ifpr the part.of.:.Cayaradossi,'in' "La .Tpsci^."'";He':Was";.the:-first ,px.■^iitrali?i''.flng9gft; : afldi\/du''rjngj.liis!.--^epent;' ? J.-C..Wjjliamson,.;he.has added to. his!.already fine ,rep,iitaitipi\ a. long list 0} su'eoessjesi, "Jii'En'gr; lishm^'^^Hpnip. , . , ■ ','•'/■■'.''- '^'■'^■' ,: ---' s ' v 'j, ;; ' "Sister :J?atrjpp'.". :^^; : %;'"; I ■ ;J' : .;-'::'■■: '■ i: produced.; by" th,e: Slay, ,'A'ctprs''.;; pn '■!■ Sunday, ■ i4ar<s 28j, .is a littlerplay the.'autliqr says was original|y ;yriiten as.'a : librettp'|qr H '■ musical ., sottlng.' : It; deals w, ith what jye believe to'bp an old.legend 'Bfhich■ has been" handled bj-'gng, or,' tyjo; ptheif "pqopl^v, Mj , John. ifft 'twere, at,prfjspnt, so muyi' *con-cprf-rriised. :pjr"e'cisely.-.:'the" \n 'n^ : a,' : ';Niwi". '.The" is. ttat' a. ypujig: hun,;Sistor Beatrice, falls in;lp.yo with ;a;!handsome repreeent^Sve:',pf '■ the'' oii(siaq wpfld, Princp' i It. is the\ pi :Bpatrioe'.to -.giiard- the./imagp\pf- this ,Yirgjn ; in, > th,es convent, ; and, , ; the. Prince" .'entreats■; her fly : hjip,' slip ■ jmrJorea; t^.\yjrgin'''-<» l ';'m.%kp-Bpmel;pigri^orrt , .intim i ftte,' ii'spme'pther'way a mortal, sin, hciweypr, '• remains .pHssiv^.'; girt 'gjjps, -'with ,)xer ilo'verj ; and -jn the dawn; the other • sisters findthe image, gone, and- Sieter Beatrice,' as •they imagine, clothed in its golden robe :and crown. It is instead,- the Virgin; taking 'the :erririe •■sister's.' place.. . They: attempt to , punish : and. Eco-urge their impipfle sistory but discover that she is holy, and-for:,twenty-five yearaj while the re. ,, ,! sister is leading.-;a life of siri in theoutsi(lDwp;ldi the Madonna maintains herrepu'taion-for unparalleled saintlmess in, the , -coiiveiit."-'• Thehi;orio'_ m6rning i-Beatrico, 1 worn with 'SJn and suffering, returns, to' die,■; and i sim,ultahppuslyy:tbjthp Vtlip.nuns,' the :■ returns '■' t0..". its -'place." ■■ Beatrice's. wild : "ravings about ;hpr; sifls,-are .unheeded. One and all. know ;thai she'..has; been., in 'the. convent all-tho': time! It js. a'curious, and "at' , ' times very effective, - Jittle. djamaj; and Miss .Margaret/Damer playppl.the .difficult d-ual roles of the Madonna and Sjst6r.Beatrice with yery-'"oonßiderabl^:.:jftfpr v-'ari9;;;feeling;i'.''Her-appearance,-, top, which 1 a Rosetti picture, was (ill in; her, "favoiir.-r-London "Daily Graphjc"-,r\.,-'; -''■,■.[ ■ ',- ' [::■;'- '. /,: ■:

The of the E^st.■ /'■ .;!:. ,'\ : /*/T-'V' On Jjjs tour in thV East, Mr. Hugh, Ward saw many. strange things. "In tho : Malay theatres" at .Singapore,*' a': -Shaker .spearean stciry, present". it in Malay, l and ■■ in- v troduce the! latest' Eugjish niusio-halj songs. \Vhen Hamlet is dying, :Ophelia will como in My: Happy Home'for You.' '■■ They play in .'inQcjern';: cwl'iime, 'and they.'alfcorrthe. e^ding;bf: the piepe ]to ,suit the taste : .of rtlj© raudi«jripe. ~ .l^»e ; , audiences . tnrow, : not bouquets,' but 'cigarettes.' tp the performers,, and 'you. l may see : a cb6nis,-man, "standing the wings, grab, one of. these cigarettes with his; bare.feet and tb,ss it into the middle 6/ the stage; vrhorej ha', can pick it up ajter^ards.- ■; That I saw one Malay," who'■.,: T»as '. King Lear, -or some other tragic actor,': was supposed to'be dead. A 'came and settjed on his , leg. and'' thoij'ttie' dead man's eye slowly' mbv.ea, and then thief 9 ,'iyaa a sudden smack, and the,:mosquiijp;.w*s as dead as,' King Lear. If suph things were to happen m an Australian theatre, , the gallery would probably offer a few : but tho audience on occasipn'took'absolu'tefly'no notice."■■;' , ;':;;:■ ,;':,;;■ ;:-".j:, .: ■■■"{'-.

"Call M? Nellje, , ' 'i. ;';. V i' / . Huntky Wright is notorious' , lid a. teller of runny stories,' and like niany :oth<er ,storyteUera, ..Jw specialise?. $xperiehces.:.-. with landladies are Tiis particular lino. Hβ claims the; merjt/of truth fs-hiflast one,' wliidi . concern!?.' an elderly landlady, ''whose name was lira. Watson, fright h.ad requested her to leave hisj.oold joint 'and some beer in his BJtting-room, 60 that hp could haVo sup-per-wheii ho returned frari the theatre. ' On his return he found that ae joint hacj been thoroughly sampled, and that/ two /bottles of beef had bean emptied. Asleep on" the sofa was-Mrs.'Wateon, with Her leap. tijted raljishly over one. eye. Wright palled' 'to her, but still she slumbered. ■Hβ ' shook hejv but her dreams" iseemed ' still undiaturbed.''., .Then heV"shook 'her" ipbpf. fiercely,' and at length sjbe opened: hor 'eyee arid sat up. ■ "Mrs. Watson, , '.' said;. ,her. .lodger, seyerely,' !'WhaV : is meaning" of this? Yoji' hay© been drinking iny beerj: Mr?, son;" . old> lidy v shoolc her head' , cojnettishly and her. features fcame vyreathed ina, fatupus smile..' "Doij't'.call me Ife. Watson, , ,' slip pleaded demurely, "call mb Nellie.''-H.v' . • . v .-'''■ '-- :- ■?'■■'■<■"'■'■*■..:

: Notos.:;;, ' : y ;._ ■ :■- '■'','.'/ . .. ;"" ~ Whcn r '"The Sjcarlet Pimpernel": was being prepared; for the stage, the Baroness Orozy one day; paid a visit to the theatre. It was one of tho lasV , rohearsals, but th,e new ,eall r boy had- not yot "quite". mastered !thp geography of the piec)3',-and was only just bpcomitig 'familiar with the ' pksonncl. ' Ah-" p'roachirig' the lady, he inquired:; "Exc'iifo me, miss, but are you 0110 of the company?" "No," : sno replied, ''not exactly: in fact, I'm pnJy tho nuthores^ , ''•'•"'■lOK, if that'all? l ' replied the s : mall offieia.l,' ; "V'ory well, 411011. you sit d.owii there but. of, tho wa.} , , ,, and ho walked away with ; fin air at authority "and a smidj sniff of contempt. ' ' ' .' ; "^^MA tjme, , , , .''."^ .'Jlr.-.pimrlM ritael a niaq desire tovprpdiicp p|iaiy's play pr , ¥p r u' , ''>«y<|Ver'. , ''P9n,Tp||; , '- , I ! :ivro,i<3 : t(i Shaw ana asked his.po'rmjssjgn,.' lip that he would oomo and re]id. jt n)b.,..U0

did, and began li.y *u,Vi.|j |lml spmoUmee be tliought that it i.ui) u,i; l)i.-«t play that over woe written, mid ul u\\iuit lid considered it" tho g'roatoet trash. Anyhow, Jio was of opinion tliat it was a prottv'poor play', (Old th#t if I' prpducod it—woll, I must tfllto tho cppsoquqncoii, Somo timp eftqfWftrdß 1 Shftw wlwlhor I cpiilfj oomprpse thn last act.". fi« declined to nllow'ofip line tp, bo altered or cut out. In vipw of portauv contingencies I bad at loet to toll ham that I couldn't produce tho play. Hie answer was, "i'liank you bo much I You havo takon a great load off my mind,' Now. what ij/fo jqu to do with a man liltp Uinfi? ir

Thoatro call-boys are aomotimce emnsing yoiingetore, and many good "stories havo boon told abput thorp. Mjite ConYpfcqn, who hao niado suph a"triumph'in.the jjow play "Mr Preed,y .and, this'Cpiinfcs," >in tho' Ijpndou pritoriqn,. tolls pf a .certajn chpeky urchin a theatre wlioro she formerly' appeared. Arriving one night very curly bcipro tljo performance, Miss, Coiinptoh found that no one was thoro oxcopt tho call-boy. Shb thought jt ncocesaryto give some explanation of.her early arrival: Bp ehp said:_ ''It takes) 'mo an hour to mako myeclf pretty, you know.' . The boy looked at hor in silence; for a moment, and then, in-tonce qf-oomniJGoration, ho said: "Ycq, I daresay '. i\>' i/o 1"