THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 888, 6 August 1910, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

rho World's a theatre: the Earth a stagß.—Ueywcod. (By Sylvius.) "Tha Fanoine Master." American in its setting, yot markedly in contrast to "The Girl from Rector's," the Hugh Ward company's now piece, "The Fencing Master," to bo staged hero on Thursday night, gives the actors an opportunity to prove their depth and versatility. "The Fencing Master" is comedy, dominated by pathos. No question of morality or suggestiveuess obtrudes. 'Tlio pathos throughout is wholesome and sincere, tho fun is never headlong, and the plot is a delightful story. "The Fenoing Master" is by Herbert Hall Winslow, and wherever produced the press have been highly eulogistic of tho all-round excellence of the production, tlio play, players, and scencry receiving unstinted praise. Of Mr. Ward's character much has been written, for here one sees this talented actor in an entirely .new environment.' His portrayal of the lovable Italian count is said to bo a fine piece of acting, and 0110 that draws upon Mr. .Ward to tlio fullest extent. Miss Grace Palotta appears as Lilian Montgomery, and has every opportunity of adding to her already long list of favourite characters. The cast draws upon the full strength of the company. "The. Brass Bottle." . Writing of tho, first performance of Austey's quaint farce, "The Brass Bottle," the "Sydney Telegraph" says: "Firstnighters, who had been cogitating throughout tho evening upon tho curious run of events, which seemed to curry an air of familiarity, then recognised that they had been at ail Arabian Nights entertainment, arranged on modfem lines, and that Anstey, of tho 'Punch'' staff, had been emulating Barrie, in his 'Peter Pan' humour, by exploiting tlio story books of youth lor the delectation of matured minds. Regarded from this standpoint, the contents of 'The Brass Bottle' are of an exhilarating quality—a liqueur which may be sipped with perfect content as a reliable aid to digestion." Describing tho plot the same paper says: —

"'The Brass. Bottle'.'was picked up at ail auction sale of antiques by a young architect, Horace Vestimorc, who had been commissioned to mako purchases by Professor Anthony Futvoyc, a learned antiquarian. Tho bottle \vas not in tho catalogue, but Vontimoro gavo a sovereign for it as a 'spec,' and as tho professor disdained wonderful what they can do in Birmingham,' he says—Vontimoro removed the capsule in tho privacy of his own, room. That was the origin of his troubles, and tho beginning of the farcc. . 'Bang!' tho lid is off, Vontimoro is thrown violently to the floor, and Fakra-sh ol Aamasli, a 'Jinnee of tho Green Jinn,' who lias been bottled up for' several thousands, of years, stands before him awaiting tho commands of his master. 'Some, men .aro born great, soino achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them,' wo are told. Ventimore is to bo' classed. within the last-named category. Heretofore cliontless, ho has but to express the wish for a client, and; 10, one Hies in at the window with an order for a £60,000 country residence, which springs up, mushroomlike,, in the night. ' A dinner ordered for ln'3 guca's, tho professor, his wife, and daughter, and the dingy rooms ill Vinceni Square, arc transformed , into a gorgeous Eastern palace, with black slaves in' waiting, 'and ■ liouris to danco before tho guests, while precious' stones are to bo had without seeking. Bui all tiiis is too'embarrassing to tho.ini-. pecunious architect. Diamonds' the size of ostrich eggs arc not marketable, and nobody would believe the tale of how lie'got them. Eastern menus aro likewise an acquired taste, and .scarcely expected by guests' who aro invited to 'a simple little dinner,' and a liouri danco is hardly the sort of .thing a mail cares to ask; his best girl, and her. pa and ma, to: watch • with equanimity. Sloreover, 1 because' arich client complains about; tho ,too Eastern •' stylo of thfe .country 'house, which has risen l ill tho night, it is; disconcerting to havo him transformed into a dog, and more so to find one's prospective father'-m----law changed into a one-eyed mulo because ho has had' the tomority to threaten to; have the 'Jinnee, of the Green Jinn' locked up 1 by a . policeman. Just when, matters havo becomo about as bad as they can be, through tho habit of the 'Jinnee' of muddling' up orders and misconceiving what is good for tho advancement of his master, the climax is reached by his discovery that there is a force greater than ho in tlio world, named 'Progress,' whereat he alters his tactics, and would mako things even' more unpleasant were ho not persuaded that his safest. retreat is his bottle, to which he is finally induced to return. How this is accomplished, and in what manner the 'Jinnee 1 and tho architect collaborate in restoring order out of tho chaos that has been created in the previous three acts, will be bettor appreciated by •personal viow."

"The Speckled Band." "The Speckled Band," wliich has 1 followed "The House of' Temperley" at the Adelphi Theatre in London, is very enthusiastically spoken of by Mr. Harold Ashton in, a letter from London. He says that it is a picco which holds you deeply interested to the finish. It is by Conan Doyle, and Sherlock Holmes plays a very important part. Dr. Rolyat, a retired AngloIndian, is the principal part, and villainy is only shown up within a few minutes of the final curtain by our old friend Sherlock Holmes, in his wellknown "marvellous" way. 'The last and most dramatic scene of all comes witli the attempt of Dr. Rolyat to get his surviving step-daughter to mako her fortune over to him. By a prearrangement Holmes is "on hand," and at a given signal, confronts. Rolyat just as lie is about to let the snake ("Tho Speckled Band") do its work. ,Thc girl escapes and the doctor perishes through the snake. It is a curiously rivetting production. "The Whin." ;Evcn now, though the actual date of its staging is still some weeks ahead, that big Drury Lauo drama, "Tho Whip," is beginning to pervade Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, for Mr. W.. 11. Coleman is finishing secne after sccno of tho lingo production, and the nompleted material has to be staged somewhere. It is doubtful whether, in all his experience, Mr. Coleman has had a heavier task —and those who remenibcr tho immense amount of work which lie ami his assistants put into any one of tho four great .T. C. Williamson pantomimes will realise what that means. The drama is full of sporting scones, from a beautiful Yorkshire landscape, with the kennels of Falconhurst in the foreground, to tho vivid representations of the race for the Two Thousand Guineas, while "the interiors" range from Madamo Tussaud's waxworks to the delicately-decorated draw-ing-room of a ducal mansion.' "Aladiiln." The claim of the J. C. Williamson management that "Aladdin" represents | the cream: of spectacular achievements skimmed from all quarters of the. globe, 'is 110 idle boast, seeing that Europe, America, and Australia have all suuplied their quota of elfects A

while A.sia and Africa are also represented in costumes and in scenery. The Balloon and tho .Flag are both New York inventions secured .by Mr. Williamson and Mr. Coventry respectively during their recent ' round-the-world tours. Berlin made the beautiful costumes of tlio Australian Bird Ballot, which for the most part aro of real foathers, each one of which is attached separately. From London come the • costumes of the Floral Procession, whilo Australia is responsible for the magnificent Fire Ballet, the wholo of which, scenery, costumes, and effects wero ivorltod out by the J. C. Williamson staff. Indeed, "Aladdin" may bo honestly regarded as a "revue" of tho world, moulded and completed in Australia. Tho Now Zealand tour, commences at Auckland on Monday evening. Bernard Shaw's Latest. Bernard Shaw, tlio solf-advertising dramatist, speaking on May 4 in St. James's Hall, London, at a lccturo by .Mr. Sidney Webb on the. efficient organisation of the labour market as an instrument for tho reduction of destitution, said tliat a great deal of what had been preached through religion for tho last 400. years had been nothing else than a conspiracy to try to persuade people that virtue was a cheap thing. "Virtue is not a cheap thing," said Shaw. "If we war.t a decent 'and virtuous population, which we have not got at present, we shall have to pay for it, but the expense will not be so groat as the expense of the present Poor Law system. The present system would work if only people died, but people do not die. If an unemployed man could be thrown into the street with the knowledge that ho would i*;o very shortly and could then. be swept" up, it would be all right. But ho does not die. Ho becomes a factor for drink and other infectious diseases which most of us have. This country is in a deplorable condition, and I publicly ai>ologiso' to tho universe for living in it." Notes. Mr. Julius Knight is definitely to leave for England in September. The recent production of / "Henry of Navarre" did not prove the succfcss anticipated, though i Mr. Knight is said to have been at Ills' best in tho play. An interesting revival of "Trilby'* took placo in Sydney last week, when Du Maurier's play was produced with Miss Nollie Stewart as Trilby O'Farrell, Mr. Gaston Mervalo as Svengali, Mr. George Thorne as Gecko, Mr. Harcourt Bcatty as The Laird, Mr. Eardley Turner as "Taffy," Mr. A. L. I'earco as "Little Billee," and Mr. J. B. Atholwood as the' Rev. Bagot.