SHAKESPEAREAN BALL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1085, 25 March 1911, Page 11

SHAKESPEAREAN BALL.

BRILLIANT FESTIVAL IN THE ALBERT HALL. A very picturesque function of CtilOnation month bids fair to bo the Shakespearean Costume Ball, which has been fixed provisionally for Monday, Juno 26, at tho Albert Hall, says a, writer in an English paper. It was originally intended to hold tho ball last but was postponed on account ol t-no death of King Edward. # King George and Queen Mary have given their patronage,' and it is expected that practically tho whole of tho • distinguished Coronation guests will be present. Tho ball owes its inception to Mrs. George Cornwallis West, who suggested that bv this means public interest might bo aroused in tho Shakespeare National Memorial Theatre, to which object all tho profits aro to be devoted. All the guests attending the'ball, it is proposed, shall wear tho costumes o Shakespearean characters. The whole of tho work of organisation is entrusted to.Mr.. G. Sherwood Foster, secretary of the Chelsea Arts Club, who made such notable successes of tno club's costume balls at tho Albert Ilall and Co vent Garden. Tho tickets, which will be 30s. each, can bo obtained only | from members of the committee, consisting of 200 ladies of title, with MrsGeorge Cornwallis AVest as president. It is-anticipated that tho full complement of guests the Albert Hall is capable of holding, namely, .4000, will bo easily made up by the disposal of the tickets in this way. The Countess of Wemyss, Muriel Countess of Delaware, Lady Jekyll, tno Hon. Mrs. Alfred Lyttclton and many other distinguished guests arc selecting certain of Shakespeare's plays, and so arranging that the members of each party represent a complete set of actors. During the ball tliero will be an imposing procession of tho plays through the hall. "There will be no difficulty in anyono finding a costume to suit him," observed Mr. Sherwood Foster, "for 1 believe there are over 2000 characters in Shakesnoaro.'s plays. There is very little left out of them, from Adam down to the time he wrote, so that practically only tho Stuart, Georgian, Directoire and Victorian eras aro barred. A feature of the occasion will be tho decoration of the vast hall itself. Special boxes will'bo built for the night over tho orchestra stalls and in front of tho great orcan. The fronts of all tho boxes will be draped with white satin, the whole scheme of decoration being as light and dainty as possible, with pink roses and other delicate blooms lavishly disposed throughout the hall.