THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 627, 2 October 1909, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

"..■.'..,''.',■'■«. ~' — '-■■ '...- .:"V "The world's a theatre,, tho earth a.sta'ee.''— Hoywood. . ~ .-:'; '■...■ ..■■",■■;• '.-.- -.. ■ (Bv SrwirJe.). ■■. '.:' Hugh Ward Td-Night.'■•''. " ' : ■ Mr. Hugh Ward, a clover character comedian of tho brightest order, will smile_ over tho footlights of tho Opera House oricomore this ovening/and a bumper audience will no doubt laugh back at i this merry mummerl ■ ■ Hugh Ward is exactly like none else .who has appeared in Wellington lor a decade or more. Duririg.that time we have enjoyed the art-of many good actors, but the capable comedianusing the word in its Greek sense—who is an actor in every sense of tho word, is a rarity. Hero is an actor that cau play almost anything well but "Hamlet," and, liko Julius Knight, he intends to .have a brash, with tho Prince of Denmark as 'soon as he effects a big accident, insurance stunt he is trying to bulldose a.company for. Playgoers . with short memories will remember Mr< Ward's inimitable clowning in "The New Clown," his sound performances in "Mr. Hopkinsdn" and "Tho Man from Mexico," hut the inan who is "great" on theatricals arid who can recite, whole casts of characters dating back twenty years or moro may. perhaps assert that comedy is not Mr. Ward's line. '• This is owing to his success in other years in musical comedy, to say: nothing of As a dancer he is something between a. Dervish' and a Parisian. Apache, to which:ho adds a pedi-humour entirely his. own. Above all he is a comedian of action, with an expressive face and a natural humour that babbles forth spontaneously "all over alike.' , lately Mr. Ward has attempted to play a seribns'paft in' The Fencing MasterV""-' ; While it; wou^d-be-.interesting to see. Mr. Ward in ■any part, I- would like to venture the hope that he will not cultivate serious characters. There are too few comedians. already in the world. ■. ■ , • . , . ~ Mr. Ward's, company, of. comedians are unique. In the first, place there is the chic and charming. Grace Palotta, who is a delightful personality'ra" 101, than-an'actress. I r'emember- ■ her ■' with ■,' Geo. Edward's Gaiety Company, headed by Mr. Louis. Bfadfield, in "The Shop Girl" and i"Gentlcman Joe." In a> sweetrjittlo .voice of 'no , calibre at all; she wßnld trill some inconsequential' ditty, walking to and'fro in'time to'tho rhytnm with .s^ch 1 an,\allurini; ai: and"incomparable grace ithat. , one , was fired to .■;applaud without just Knowing why. , - I can still- see her singing "Mary" in "The New: Clown"—to hear' her again- would be joy in Arcady! Clever Eoso Hnsgrove is gifted •in much tho\ same wa? as Hugh Ward. Rose can do anything,, and do it well. Musical' comedy, opera, drama, farcical or refined comedy—all look alike to her. Let me 6ecr-I\.think Miss • Musgrqve (who '■ is n daughter'- M'-George Musg'rove) played the ; lead Honeymoon" tour of fNew ZQalijhd.'.'seveh,'jfears' ago.' ■ Then. ;sh'o :"scored fieavjly .as.Mimi,' the pathetic'little seamstress who" Roe's to the giiillotine' with Sidney Carton 'in''"The Only.'Way." .She, nest flashed onus as a brilliant comedy actress in "Tho Marriage of Kitty," and, best of all, in TThe Duke of Killiecmnkiei'.' .-Last but not least, is Miss Celia-.Ghiloni, probably,.tho finest Kntisha Wellington has scon.. True her singing V 0196 is not the: Katisha quality—it ■ is' a pure mezzo—bnt her acting in the role was a revelation even-t6 those who had seen a : dozen others in the part'. She ,is-best knpyrn.'to Wellington in ■ comic opera .and musical cbmVdyV She was a good Lady.Jane in "Patic'nco,"'with the Eccortoire Opera Company, nnd wive most acceptable performances- in "Tho Pirates" and . "Princess Ida." My last impression of her is her fitniliher face under'the poke ' bonnet, of MAma Michu in "The Little Michns." Other .members of the .company are , . Miss.-Kuby Baxter. Miss Flprenco Epdfern (here witK' "The 'Prince Chap"), Messrs. H: H. Walloco (in Wellinirton with'the Eepertniro,Onera Company), Arthur Eldred (of. John ' Haro's Company), and Robert Greig (who' was in .Now-Zealand with the;"Sqiiaw<Man"';Company). T,ho,.pjay this honourable ■company.'. •in' to 'adorn- 'is .'.'fTJ»i "a'i cheerfiiil;' niisi'c'al f4rcAvr|ut;bf';fh'is.see'Monday's issue.". r n ;:,:';■;'

Uneasy Lies the Head/'.otc."

•.Decidedly.'a record 'has bcon; put up in neotion: with the current production of. "The ,-King'..of'Cadonia''-,at ,H«r- Majesty's Theatre, Sydney.where no fewer -than four comedians aFpeared in .the sahie part during the brief period .of'five nights.. Ffet of all, Mr. Bert. Gilbert, who Has never really, been in robust'health since his attack of pleurisy, in Melbourne duringlthe rnn.of "Havana,",was.ordered away for a.fowfvrceks'.iest to. tho Blue fountains. : His

iP'lacei , in the cast ,wns taken 'by Mr.' Edward Nable, who was getting on famously when his voice failed.hun on .the tliird'night| and'he/ini ■his trim had to .rcsignMn faTqtir'of, 'Mr';''. Frank Stirling, the assistant stage" manager.;:. Mean-'.' Itinie arrangements were made to .send-,; Mr- ; Percy over-to Sydney from Melbourne.": His 'part was given to him, and ho'studied it , going over in the, train.'. On'arrival in Sydney tho. whole company was in readiness to rehearse ■ with him, and after,"o,'whole.day's hard work ■he went ,on the same night and .played tho part, with great credit to himself, while on the following: Saturday he, was quite at home as : the Duko of Alasia..- ,v ' ■■.:..•'.'.'.)■ ■•-• .

Titheradge Reminiscent- ;;i '»>« i ; .Tlie recen? revival : of :"The SilveriKing T 'i;at thb'.iPrincess'e.-.lheatre. recalls, to Mr:'yTith'eradge'si'mind'.eome experiences which: ,whenj. ;, hevfirst,'appeared in • tho ■' trell-known dramas Mr. Arthur Garner played the' Spider at thattiroei/and he- was evidently a gentleman with- the propensity for practical joking, largely developed.'For instance,' in the scene on the 'wharf, at Eotherhithe on- one: occasion ■ tho Spider, turned the key in the door, and would not let old Deaf Dicky enter, although at a certain point of- tho plot, it is necessary for-him to rush through" , the shanty, and: out at the window shouting "his'innocence. For-a; few minutes Mr. Tithoradso' was; nonplussed, ',. but he met tho-situation by going tound ■' to tho back of the stage and appearing at'the window, -moving up and down as thongh he were treading waterfall tho'time. : On;another occasion, following his usual custom of helping, himself to a particularly fuse cigar belonging ,to tho Spider, arid placing it between his lips, 'ho founa , to his dismay that it-, was - thickly coated with cayenne pepper, and from that night onwards he , .carefully" eschewed-> the [ Spider's,cigars. ■■ .'"."-'"■■ - ■•..' : '.' ; '.-.''.■;■;!.■' j Dramatist land, Cowboy.. - ..:>; '•'.. ■',[ \''.' ■ The'.late Clyde 'Fitch,; '■'the " ; Araerican dramatist, once- had a somewhat exciting ex. :porience with edivboy in,the Far.AVest. En'teriiig .a "saloon" one day, Fitch" found it crowded with cowboys, of; a most aggressive typo.: One particularly ,brutal ; lookuig man approached him and' said: "Say,, strangof, you're gojngto drink with me." The dramatist knew it. wohld be. very, unwise to', refuse; so. he accepted "a drink, and then asked \the' cowboy to have another; 'Te've got to sing first, and then I'll' drink, with ye," was the reply.. "I'd sing with pleasure," ; retunied. Fitch, "only I really, haven't any voices—" ."Sing,"{ordered the bully,' "orr—r" and -the; playwright found himself looking'.into..the i'-barrel-;of - a .revolver. Fitch has sincoi declared; that .the only sopg he could think: of was ; "Kathleen Marourneen"; bo ,he..sang,.ft at pneo;.-. the .effect on the' cowboy v The burly rufnan-iii'stantly' became' maudlin,, and as he leant back on bis'seat he dropped his revolver on to the. floor. In an instant Fitch had snatched up the weapon,., and Lthe...positions were reversed. "Now-it's yourturn to sing," ihe ordered, and•; the cowboy obeyed, like, a ,lamb."NoWj ..I want to seo you dance,"''said '.FitcK/'and 'tho' frightened bully did' as : he '..was liid. "j\hd now", said the playwright,-"you've got to ' drink a bottle of whisky."-i At .'the

pistol's point the cowboy started .to drink, but I ■before he had got halfrway. through, he pitched ;forward'on.the,,floor, a"helpless log,' attd Fitch ■made .his,;;escambefore the rest .of the'companyoHad:irecovered from, their astonishment. Miisipal Coniedy,; • • . , ;i Tho : :Loridon theatre managers, who ■ feared I some , , time ago , that musical- comedy was de-clinirig-.in'favour,-and. would soon havoto ba dispensed with altogether, .are being agreeably disappointed.: It was only towards tne com-monplace-machine-made variety of .such entertainments that'tho public was growing cold; tho genuine- article, combining good' melody

with an 'intelligible story and plenty of humour, remaina: to-day as great an attraction : as it has ever, been on the London stage: ■ Tho best proof of this is. tho success'of "Tho Merry i Widow," which ran .'without interruption' from Juno 8/ 190?, to July 31, of.this year; was witnessed by 1,167,000 of tho public, and. earned , for George Edwardes.(one of the managers who hns'becn surprised out of his pessimism) no less than; JE217,000.' At -tho •■ closing ance, the 778 th of the'run, it was almost ns popular and;thoro ar6 sotno protests against its removal from tho boards. ,Apparentlv : thc managbr's only reason for withdrawing itMs an impression that tho principal performors;, for whom no adequate substitutes can :bo..founil,- lyer&ibeing. ,Qverworkcd;- ~_;fla< has Biycnthem'.aliolidav;of.two,months, and'.when they--rcttirn he t wiH.''cnßago theni .in-, another venture' Of ..the profitable -musical -comedy type. "The' .Merry Widow"' might' .have.,outdistanced every other play .of -its v con-i tinued. The-, record ■tor. a-coht'inuoHs- nm'in' .London'is.clainjed.' tor "A Chinese Iloneymoon,-" which was-performed for 1075 night's, liittr that .was ,-"IlBiotJ»y," jrltt. SBU i%y

Poiipeo" with 778, "San Toy" with 7GB, "The Geisha'- with 760, "A Country Girl" with<7Bo,' "The Bellnof- New York" with 637, and "The Mikado" with-672..' It is a bravo array, and ■any one of these comedies can , bo revived with ; success for'shorter periods whenever there is a failure in the supply of now pieces. ■ Notes," ." ■' '; . ;' ■■ ■■:':. .' ■ It is interesting, in view, of the recent revival of ''The Silver King "at. the Melbourne Princess Theatre; to ■ note tho various, actors; who have' appeared in the role of Wilfred Denver since the piece was first produced in Slclbourne with Mr. C. S. Titheradge in tho titlb role, in 1883. In the eighties Mr. Alfred Bucklaw and Mr.'Charles Warner followed in the 1 wake of Mr. Tith'eradgo's fine creation arid,later on, Messrs.. Walter licntley, Scott Inglis, King Iledtey, Julius Knight nnd Henry Kolkor appeared at different times, while Mr. Harry Plimnicr has also given, a very successful rendering of tho part. The Sydney Stage Society were to have played two or Bernard Shaw's plays on Saturday afternoon , last—"Candida, and tho one act play, "How He Lied to Her Husband."

"An announcement comes from '■; the Me-' morial Theatre at Stratford-oh-Avon which should interest those who think'that tho dramatic revival follows too closely, the lines of social development," . says .the Manchester "Guardian." "One of the directors of tho theatre has offered a prize of ,£3OO for; tho best play.in English by.a dramatist of any nation on any subject of a period not later than-the year 1800. "Ifisia gallant effort, to stenuthe'tide, , and the "conditions do.,riot.:ira-' pose"paralysing limitations. It:is not "noces.sary that the play should be in blank verse, ana .though.Mr. Stephen Phillips is not. barred are'bur most modern ■.dramatists." ,-. Supporting. Mr. G. ,S. Titheradge. in \tho very latest production of "The Silver: King," wererMr. H. Plimmer as the Spider, Mr.'Greg'an M'Mahan as Jaikes, Mr. D. Tithoradgd as Henry Corkett, .Miss-Grimstono ias Olive Skinner, and Miss Ethel; Warwick as Nellie Denver. .As usual this.great old melodrama drew crowded houses for.a. week.. ;