THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 876, 23 July 1910, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

rho World's a theatre; the Earth a stage. --Heywood. (By SxLviua.) "A Knight for a Day." The folloivir.g gives a general outline of tho scheme or the new comedy "A Knight for n Day,' , staged ' last week by the, now Comic Opera Company. Tho first act of "A Knight For a Day" is set in an American college town, whore- there arc undergraduates of b&th sexes. They are well-dressed, fun-loving students, and they sing and dance as -though tho shadow of an examination were a tiling unknown. One of the college songs is "learning," witn a catchy retrain,, in which the boys and girls' liiakb "roaming" rhyme with "gloaming." Then on the scene of scholastic enjoyment arrive Mr. Bert Gilbert as .Tcrrcm.v Jriv and Miss Toby Claude as Tillio Day. The male intruder is a -waiter who passes himself off as a man of Quality, and the young woman is ;•. low comedy servant who is in lovo with the impostor. The queer pair keep the fun going merrily. One of the incidents js the accidental dropping of a case of champagne down the well. When the servant drinks of tho water she cannot help remarking, "1 don't know wh.v people want wine when' they can get water like this." The subsequent behaviour of Tillie is comical in its restraint, its mock dignity, and excessive politeness. Witli tho change of ■ sccno to the Island of Corsica we find Jerremy Joy and Tillie Day claiming a big estate. This audacious procedure lands the bogus knight among brigands. .Equal to every occasion, ho improves tho shilling hour with cheerful song. In tho end the bogus knight and the servant girl find their happiness in matrimony. Wireless and the Actor. The successful experiments recently made in Sydney iii tho sending of longdistance messages by wireless tele- ! graphj has awakened Jlr. Jiatlieson Lang's-remembrance of a- capital story. It was'when he was approaching New York, wlioro lie was to star at tho New (Millionaires') Theatre, that the management of the theatre commenced to send him wireless messages. Tho first 'four wore all right,, "but tho fifth," says ; Mr. Lang, "made me gasp, for it inquired whether I were ready to play ■Charles Surface in 'The School for' Scandal' on tho Monday, and Uncle Tom in 'Uncle Tom's Cabin , on the Tuesday, I was about to reply that I doubted my ability to undertake the latter part, when another message came, asking if ro, Uncle Tom I could add Little- Willie in''East Lymie,' Charley's Aunt, in the play of that name, and Hamlet. This' rriade me think, and eventually I discovered that my wife had persuaded the Marconi operator to lot her have- some forms and envelopes; but for a moment or two I was badly ' rattled,' as tho Americans, say." Insurance Against Marriage. Tho, "New York: Dramatic Mirror" says Ihat Messrs. Colian and Harris aro applying to Lloyd's for a £10,000 insurance against tbo possibility of Mr. .lohn Barryinore, a favourite American actor, getting married. . Believing that a "star" married is a "star" marred, they have entrusted'an emissary with tho necessary authority to try to insure Mr. Barrymore, who is appearing in "The Fortune Hunter" in America, and is said to be the "ideal matinee idoP." - ' . For the purpose of.obtaining tho insuiv.su.'o the "Dramatic Mirror" says Mr.-Barrymore has'made affidavits declaring he is not at. present .engaged, arid that he is not'contemplating matrimony; but ho has .said also' that a mere insurance policy won't prevent hilri from marr.viu'f; if meets the right girl and she says "Yes.". • •• . ' ■."If-I" meet herj and. she' will havo mo," he said, in ah interview, "not. fifty thousand dollars, nor fifty million, will deter me from leading her to tho altar. I come from a marrying family, and I think that if Lloyd's write this policy they •will take a bad risk. Personally, I think that an artist is injured in his work by marriage, but I consider a homo and children the greatest things in tho world and superior to tho finest art whatever. Marriage is a duty, but a'rt to tho artist is,a more or less selfish pleasure." Tho reason for the bold stop of insuring Mr. Barrymore in this way is given by Mr. Sam H. Harris, who, in discussing the matter with Mi , . Barrymore, is reported to have said:—"lf you marry and settle down, Jack, it will discount your drawing power with women 50 per cent. I figure that you clear us a ■ hundred thousand dollars a year, so I ask for a premium based on the. loss wo would suffer in tho event .of yntir getting spliced. If you married you would centre all your fascinations nn one woman, whereas now you wish to please all.. Why, you have, had five desperate affairs of tho heart this season, and tho 2'esult is that you aro a romantic idol! While single every eligible girl feels that she has a chance, as, indeed, she has. Married, you are ticketed ' sold.'" Ambrose Manning. Ono of tho best character actors who has over appeared in Australia will be returning .there in the person of Mr. Ambrose Manning, who has been engaged by J. C." Williamson for "Tho Whip," that big IJrury Lane spectacle due for production in September. Mr. Manning was last in tho colonies with tho late Wilson Barrett, and a tower of strength lie proved to the organisation, his Oregeen in "The Manxman," and Glabrio in "The Sign of tho Cross" being especially well remembered, while his Jaikes in "The Silver King" is still spoken of as one of the very best Australia has ever seen. It is rather a curious coincidence, that Mr. Manning comes out- here to play tho part of Lambert, a trainer, taken in London by Sir. Geo. Barrett, who was a fellow-member of Wilson Barrett's Company with Mr. Manning. Dramatists at Work. A London theatrical writer, speaking of the prospects of new plays, says: "Sir Arthur Pinero has gone away to work —but ho generally takes a year over a new play, alas! Mr. Carton is misy developing a now farce. Mr. Hubert Henry Davies is, writing Jlr. Charles Frolnnan. Mr. Maughan is on hoH'J-iy, iiud has earned his rest, but wiil probably he heard of again, before the year is out. Sir. Bcsier is hard at work. Mr. Louis N. Parker is , to givo us "Drake," a pageant play, at His Majesty's. Of Messrs. Jones, Esmond, and Marshall tharc is Jio news." MOtDS. The new. English company for " Tho Brass Bottle;" to beproduced in Sydney fihortly, includes Mr. Leslie ,, Holland, a •.K'll-lcnown Gaiety comedian; Mr. Kenyon Musgravc, who has played a great ileal in Shakespeare; M,r. Kvclyn Verlion and Mr. Herbert Greville, character nctors from the principal London comedy houses: Mr. Arthur Soanica, an actor of established talent; Miss Dora Hignoltl, whose work Australians are already familiar with; Miss Augusta Hnviland, who plays Marie Illingtoii parts; and Miss Siiina St. Clnir, who has had a great deal of experience in both drama iind pantomime at Drury Lam , . 31r. Frank Spraight, who will shortly rnmiijeiirc a series cif Dickcns's recitals in Australia, is said to bo a ,\oung man of uncommon gifts. Possessing lininmous mobile features, he has been able to attain an unrivalled eminence as a Dickens exponent, not only by his excep-

tional elocutional , }; talent, but by his extraordinary powers of mimicry. He mimics all the famous character:) from Sergeant Bnzfuz to Mr. Jlicawucr with a vitality ami vivacity that have made his impersonations renowned throughout England and America. Moreover, ho lias an astonishing memory, and recites the whole of his repertoire without recourse to books, notes, stage costumes, or scenic accessories. Mr. Oscar Asolie and Miss Lily Brayton and their company are to leave Melbourne for Western Australia to-day. After a short season in Perth they will leave for London.