THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 936, 1 October 1910, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

The World's a theatre;; tlio.Earth , a ■ stage.—Heyvood. (13v Sylvius.).; '• , Nollie Stewart Once More. ~'. • A'sound company headed by'the everpopular, '■ ever-youthful Miss .' Nellie Stewart Commenced a season'/in, Auckland on Monday last in J. ,M; Barrie's clever play, "What Every WomanKnows." In noting: the ■ performance the:, "Herald", says:—"Mis*s v . Nellie(Stewart and Mr. both. surprise, one—which, the more so. it is hard to say. Both arc •totally;.unlike their,.usual selves,.and botli. have sunk themselves .in,the: identity.of the peculiar - pari®.. they' play.'; Miss Stewart is ."Sweet Nell" no.longer;;-her demure, sober-gowned . Scottish .lassie; ':' "without. a charnij" yet'.full' of 'it,, is a , living : creation! The moral < and .demeanour' of tho/wife. overthe, soar-' ing mentality-of, her; : husband 'is insinuated !with subtlety; : '.and ~ there is nci; point in the delicate 'light and shade, of ; the character. th'at. : is overlooked.' Not, • less - impersp'nat .of John' Shand- by'Mr.Harcourfc.Beatty. Ho.-. presents-: the, aggressive .Scot, the brain - which thinks so hard tbat it canriot feci, in bold though sombre'colours,' his performance, ;is, good: ;aUy- through,;, and 'reaches 'as.-'high.; a; leveT'iu; the'first' act as • anywhere. • Miss Gwen' .'"Braroughs' made-. a' hahdsonio Lady Sybil', Shand's.'irregularlover,'. and' Miss Made- , laine Meredith is benevolent 'countess, who. shows . much;-true :-womarih'ood- not unmixed with .acidity.,' The three, Wylies, ( father. and sons;; E*re : ;a' picture gallory. by themselves ; ' obsessed <by.. . the; veneration ■of that ;poteht .demqnY education, . they - are, ■ morfe' spectators^-. .than . actors .in ibe tragedy,': but''.''c9htribute ! agreeably: to pathos j and .'.comedy .; -In, these roles,; Messrs.' Eardley. Turner, J. B. Atholwoodj 'and Grega'n :M'Mahon give.good : charactep,sketches.",;. j,/;;:.

"Mr. Precdy and the Countess." • ,-: iSe«^e-'-WiUoiig^b^v : /Farcical Comedy .'Coriipariy;-' 'have,;'just returned ,to Sydney from /Western; 'Australia; and-are due to open at the, .terion Theatre . ; to-niglit/;,(Saturday, October; 1), in "The Night.!of! : the' Party," This piece,, it will bfea'ehionibered, made; a hit,in New.Zealand somombnths ago.. ItUiasmot;with similar 1 . tralia, and/is expetcecl/to /appeal strong-/ ly.to Sydney, audiences.', ons,December : ,:4 ; .the, .WilloughbJ combin'atiorij'opens !■ .another, ;Ncw Zealand tour., at", Auckland. .The principal attraction-will be "Mr. Preedy and tho Countess,".^by.,-R; >.G;: Carton, who wrote, amongst other fine pieces, "Mr. Hopkinsori," "Lord and. ■lady. Algy," 'and i^lady. : ;Hiinj!sst»;p^ J Si Experiirienti''','' Mr.,:-AVillough'ty'v !this .clever-farce-comedy its Initial : pro-. ,'ductiohin: Melbourne in' July! last, ; and; it -was ! instantaneously. acclaimed!, by^all; the,critics of •'capital'.'as, 'tlio ; smartest arid, -wittiest satile author .'.has , ever written; ~,Prom what Tain; able to/gather,_:"Mp ; and - the Countess'.' is going to create 'somethirig/of 'a furore' In/Australia -the .public demand ■ something better than moro rubbish. If. they laugh --'/Thoy" Cbject)t6 being :made; to feel itlat .their, •mirth is, foolish. ."Preedy" written; ':by!a past, master! in wit, .-a-'/m'an'iwlibso'. constructive ability,issound,-;..and!!.one : ' former;?works;stand{:guarantee for anything lie turns out. ■ DavidJamcs and Mab Paulj. Hugh C. Buck-vl.cr-j :Vfclet! : Page%and- Geb.Willoughby himself will, be in the cast. ' , '

Frod. Graham's Company. On Saturday night last Mr.' Fred., .Graham's. Comedy, : .in : punediiv.yn! i; 'BiiTglaryi'.';!^'. Ijy-Fred which is said tb liave beeri : a;,success ; jn : England.., Says; tho. "Otago Daily; ! Brixton'Burglary " ': may, ribt;.bo-. vfiry,jSubstaiitial ;, .in;;its!:iM (tiori;;but!,there' is fnogairis'ayirig'; th'e!: fa'ct! that it !;ish : briniful;:of' : liumqur,.\'\yhich''.w (irresistiblej; arid' must carry,,'aiv audience; along. with : it. - ..The -play depends • for 'its,; success iriari, th'e 1 sorrows' -is; away.,. falls,'a>,yic{im"\tb\-,the; 'temptation's' of a -!male'-^friendVto: -have ."a! night,out'."., To giye.Jan idca.'bf the develbpmerit.'of/the; farce from!: this.cir-; It is; sufficient- !to say. that .as :'a,iiesult :bf., the^'.m'aiterj and': a': servant, being : 'outfall'! .riiglit an extriiprdinary" set !arid-' multiply^'./'in;-''a'n ; ! alarming ijm'anneri,:Of:;cb,urs!e- : :the;trbuble'"is' evidry--1 thing secrot'froni :the MadiesjVand;-riot • ; disturb' -their! .trustingx ;f ? ; - ,easyj matter, jat .their ;heaHyi : s.th'e;.ma'ster,'s-, : : discernirigvmptheriiri-law, : :.' ; ; fan'd.! the .disposition;;of:.the;male; sex; ; lx) -!.wander. frorii; the; /~dillofls •gards;'jrimle, lapses ;more ienibrijily;;,than', y : ; do;;;^^-Therij 1 aKMrglary ;v;hayirigV;lieeri; 'ton^:-Biirglary, ' ceedirigly-i good

The Late: : Arthur Edwards.v -i' -v •'.{''The iato'Arthiir cadians'^Compari^ Sydney 'on September .17, had only been ,upoiv'theistagb :sixf 'vvas; only' 1 •23 : agi!, t.He' was born/ invLon- , tlou,-; at St.. John's. Wood,-, made' . his istage \debiit;:aii;.Brightoii (ihv,','Blue* ;Belle Un 'Fairyland,'^'six'years ;ag6jsah'd;':after:.| '■pi;dyincial. ::: exp.eriehce,' joiried'.'Miss*" lionat *Ashweirs"drafnatic: company";;'in': "Tlie ..Bond'.of.. Ninon'!' 5 , for-; a ■seawiifv at' thfl • Savoy; Theatre,. .'London.' .' He .tiien joinr; eel \!Ma''Reeve'.": iri:.''Butterflies",at the' , Apollo;,Theatrb 'fori'sevenVmohths,' ;he.arranged tlie ballets and.'played .a : .."part,V andtoured: with her for a ,';y«AV, after\that, ; when lie; 'joined;' tlie., Rupert: Clarke and : .; management' for' Australia. ;' In "Tlio Arcadians':'lie :played\cleverly: the eccentric character of the dude, ■ Percy Marsh,;']aiid. made, quite. a sehsatipir,by his dancing. _ Moro; ; especially ; wais'r this .tlie base ia ; ,pas! do deux: with Miss ' 'Elsie I'errin in which that, actress dived into' l the air,: and was caught'" by her cpmpaiiipn''''mthdut; altering . her- ; extended pose. :.;V ' .!, ; ' ! :!:';:'; ; ;.':!!f i ;.'- : ;. "Lover's Lane." - ■ :. , "Ijovcr's Lane" is (says-the Sydney; :"Daily. Telegraph':'.)'; .a. picture: of'-'quite ;anbther world from that represented by: the.' same author, .'the late Mr:' Clyde! 'Pitch; in his 'comedy,. •''The Truth,", and in. "Lover's Lane" he becomes hot merely . conventional,, but sometimes theatrical. . Tlie; end" of .the talkative third' act, for, example, where the clergyman is .confronted 'by the narrow-minded 'deacon'and garrulous aiid vindictive.old women of\; the sewing circle)' who bring, against''.Jiim.- a . series ofuncommoiilyj 5i11y..., clirirgos, suggests ;;mock-heroic melodrama. On the other hand, the cheerful.;sentiment. <if' the; play 1 " will, .doubtless ;,ma'ke, it exceedingly popular. Mr. Singleton;, incurs the displeasure of his!:,church' :, committee, by .protecting 'Mrs. Woodbridge,;')vlio *'. has . been, divorced from; her husband because of liis prinking;; and ■gambling by sheltering Simplicity, a .child, whose untamed disposition induced an iorphanage board to shirk ■ the task of; endeavouring. to control hoi'.; and.by securing tho assistance of a billiard-table 'and : playingcards to, keep the boys of his village off the streets: Truly ajformidable .rata-' logne of enormity! No, sooner has Mrs. Woodliridgo come to -hU home, no' other. door boiiis' open, to lier,. than Wood-

bridge appears ,at the threshold, with Mary''Larkm as his'. bride-elect. Of course there is'.\a dramatic meeting, The minister, discovering who the man really is, decides .that ho cannot marry them. "Because-I,am divorced?" demands; Woodbridge. "No,: but because L don't think you would make Miss Larkin happy," is-the reply. However, tho clergyman is willing to look with favour' on : the marriage if he has proof of Woodbridge's reform; but.events arrange, themselves in tho -right,'-way, inasmuclr a's Woodbridgo ,and tli&.'Wife who has. divorced him. become re-united, and /Miss -Larkm- who'.realises that, after all, she does not love Woodbridge, is .free to marry .the minister. Tho comedy interest-is strengthened by the love-making of an elderly couple, Uncle Bill and Martha,; two of the; pensioners on tho clergyman's' bounty';, and the strongly; human side of the play is enhanced by the scenes for the children, who romp outsido the schoolhouse.,;■ ;-4—: • ..v----"The Whip." ,' On the verge; of it several 'times' of late Mr. J. C; Williamson has plunged into melodrama' at last, .with ".Cecil ;Raleigh's 'drama, "The; ,Whip," ;and a, -new English, company as 'the attraction'.. . , /j'The: AVTiip'' (says the '.'Melbourne. '".Krgus'.'). is on' conventional, lines, but the; embroideries -havo been elaborated to such a "degree;, that: it is' almost impossible :to imagine . stagecraft ■ going much further in the matter, of point-; ■blank realism, 'the. chief; incident being the. sniashing of a - horse-box that ! a. few:, moments before contained: the,' "certainty" for'the Two Thousand by an express locomCtive; which .deals it; such, a good hard knock that "smithereens-!, is-the result.But the real human' interest is centred; in the now company,; nine - players making their; first ;appe'arances;and two. more', reappearances in the general meleo'of leading antagonistsaild.;. .pro.-. tagoriists.. The' plot , is; '}plaih;; .and, straightforward—simple, virtuous -per-sons-pitted against , eyenymore simple, 1 ;nllainous' rines.;■ The; former,' in-y order ;.te become, possessed' of 'wealth and renown, strain '; every nerve to'- win the Two Thousand Guinea Stakes, with:their;, mare; tho latter, to save, themselves from the - rosult ;of their; misdeeds,: trying all they, know to ' "stop" her. -This'! is :the;'main - thread,' the.surrbunding ends ..being the,; love, of fan>; impecunious peer .for. a sweet- young -girl; a motor; accideiit: in;:which :the peer :is hiost artistically jerked' out of the car and over .a hedge to unknown 'depth '-below;-' the Olympia ; horse, show,' chamber' of ; hor-i; rors at Madame Tussaud's, tho figures ; a 'lkost; 'collection.of.,'men. 1 that would do credit to any corporate ,body;;, an impressive huntihgi.breakfast,• , and; many others;-in; combination making 'a; stimulating. harvest of . animated scenes / '.depicting ; life, ; ih';, ; the' .English 'couiit-ies.,; Above all treachery ;is baffled, .confounded, and. humiliated, goodness' is- triumphant,'and. ' ..the noblest aspirations of . the' -playgoer satisfied. • /:-v

Tlie..chief work' ,isvdone,.liy Miss Marie.lllingworth• (whose methods', arcs likened; to >those;, of Nellisi' JTarren), ' Miss: Winif red > Scott,. Miss;; Fyfe, : Alexander,' /Mr. 1 ChaMes'/'Blackall;';. Mr. '. Ambrose.' -Man-: : riing,-;Mr: Lionel Atwill,'-:Mr.' ley.ijsori! of.'\V.;;S.:Penley),;.andi^ /Mr; Bucklam.'i'Mechan the pr<K duction was a-triumph

' /"The .Sign ~of !the.;Crbss'.' ; : >bas; ; been revived: once ,iii/Melbourne^'/with 'Julius-!'Knight: ; as ; ; Marcus/;!arid\ :Miss Ethel Warwick !aS Mcrcia.!' "Tho. Cross" is now about due for a long rest. 'V- ;; S