THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1162, 24 June 1911, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

The World's n theatre; tho Earth a stage.—Ueywood. (Br Stlvius.) Realism in "Money," Stage realism appeared in a new form in the recent "ah-star" production o[ "Money" at Drury Lane. The principal feature of the scenery was the massive and solid character nt tho materials used. The scene representing the interior of Sir .lohn Vesey s drawing-room was a solid structure ot the Adam period. . There was real panelling on tho walls, instead of the usual painted canvas, and the double doors and tho frieze were supported bv soljd mahogany columns, the bases anil caps of which were correctly carved in the architectural designs ot Ike period and tipped with gold, inu pannelling was of white, with mahogany liftings. Many of the male performers wore corsets in order to give tho correct figure ot the age, and'tho trousers, which wero ot tho most careful cut, wore strapped under tho boots and devoid of the slightest suggestion of a crease. The men also affected side-whiskers of every known variety, with the exception of the "Piccadilly weeper." , ... Tho actress eschewed the crinoline, while displaving every other known fashion of the period. Tho.small poke bonnet of the early Victorian age was the headgear worn. As a last touch of realism Mr. Collins installed an old baize drop curtain, which was the custom during tho period of which "Money" treats.

New Management's Success. Those young New ' Zealanders-, Messrs. H. ITimiuer and Eeynolds Deiimston, havo scored a genuine, success in Melbourne with "Nobody's Daughter." Says the "Ago":— "A plav of real interest and charm, with Mrs. Kobart Brough back at the scene of so many of hci former triumphs, and tho house "filled in every part—this was the happy condition of affairs at the Princess's Theatre on Saturday. It seems tho inevitable fashion in these days that people should be led to expect more in tho way of entertainment from musical comedy or musical farco than from any other form of Uieatrical composition. Why it should bo so may be hard to explain, though there aro many theories on the subject. 'Nobody's Daughter' is not a musical comedy if it- had been, its appearance in Melbourne would probably have been heralded with a louder and more prolonged flourish of trumpets than was actually tho case. And the audience, might have expected more than it did. As it was it was agreeably supriscd. The new play is sane and. intelligent, and also,, to anyone whose interest in legitimate, drama has not. been violated by.a long courso of other productions, very entertaining. The author, Sir. George Paston, is reported to have made a great success with tho piece at AVyndliam's Theatre, London. The success is thoroughly merited. It will bo surprising if the verdict recorded in London is not emphasised here." Mrs. Brough Scores. It is sonic years since Mrs. Brough has played in Melbourne a part thac gives her as many opportunities as docs that of Sirs. Frampton in "Nobody's Daughter" (says the Mclbourno "Ago"). The feeling among the audience on Saturday was that this always popular actress had come back to her own again. Since she played leading l'inero parts, more than a year or two ago, she has altered little cither as regarils' look or manner. Tho gift of temperament, that kind of temperament which can express the deepest, and strongest, emotions,, dissociated as it were from the mere paint and limelight of the stage, has always been hers in a.singulnr degree. Tho qualities of. sweetness . and light, things hard to define and impossible to emulate, but without which all acting is mechanical, are hers.also. They were hers when she stormed across the stage as Paula Tanqupray or wept as Mrs. Dane, and in such a part as the one she is playing at the Princess's—that of a woman who has put lovo beforo any code or convention, and taken tho consequences—they are hers still.

Tho Art of Grasso. Signor Grasso appeared at the London Uippodromo on May. 1 in a condensed version. of "Malla," and threw himself into .tho business of tho revengeful lover with hi? customary ferocity and fire, The little . piece'. began merrily enough, and with' its chorus of dancing' villagers was liberal iiv. it's, promise ol comic-operatic development. ■ But tragedy .was all tho whilo crouching down in the background for its spring, and one knew, ' knowing Grasso, tti.-.t murder was at the heels of melody and mirth, and that the man who had been paying attention I'o lana, tho betrothed of Ninu (Grasso), was already as.good.as dead. The famous' Sicilian artist, however, gavo a grand display of a variety of moods before he snatched a razor from the apron of the village barber and leaped upon tho shoulders of his rival. Ho romped with the villagers, he performed a solo dance, he slapped lana's poor pleading face, and kissed the place to make it well, ho cried openly and with uncovered face, ho sat in solid misery, ho rose in quivering rage, ho simmered down into snuffling grief, ho stormed again, and wopt again—and then he killed, running helter-skelter away after he had (lone the deed, like a great schoolboy who had rung a bell or thrown a stone ut a window. And when all was over, he brought the now revived dead man down to tho footlights and kissed him passionately, just to show the audience thero was no ill-feeling beyond that which had been assumed. "The Balkan Princess." With "The Balkan Princess" the New Comic Opera Company have scored another success. The new piece gives excellent opportunities to individual members of.the company, and they are not. slow to avail themselves of same. Miss Florence Young, as (ho Princess, has plenty of scope for her histrionic as well as her vocal powers. Miss Lottie Sargent makes tho most of her chances as a saucy servant, and Miss Olive Godwin has also a good part. The comedy element is in the capable keeping of Mr. liert Gilbert as a die-away waiter, Mr. Langford Kirby as a gentleman burglar, and Mr. M. S. Percy as the burglar's man servant. Mr. Frank Greene plays the Duke Sergius, aud Mr. Edmund Sberras, and others, are included in what is a very interesting cast'. Piling on the Anony. "If this connu'v had a play censor," writes Matthew White, jtro., in "MtmscyV "I should recommend him to remove 'The Confession' from the boards at once. Not because of any obliquity in its morals.. In point of fact,, tho religious trend is most decided, and was evidently carefnllv plaved up in the nope of capturing a following among the Roman Catholics, as the hero is a priest of that Church. My chaise against tho piece is founded on the same grounds that, lead ono to call tne attention of the S.P.C.A. to a driver who was immercifullv beating his horse; only in this ■ case 'the offence is that of cruelty to audiences. You may tell me that women love to ween at a play, but I cannot believe that anyone enjoys seeing such harrowing scenes as are set forth in the court-room and orison episodes of 'The Confession.' In the one, the mother of the prisoner wallows on the floor in a fit of hysterics; in the other, there is shown in all its biting realism ' tho parting between a bride, and her husband five minutes before tho liooso.is to be placed around his neck. Small wonder that in Montreal a woman in n box is reported to have collapsed during the performance, and to have died boforc she could be removed from the theatre." The Two Trees. There is many, a man who is engaged in plaving secondary parts who dees so, not for" lack of talent, but. because he has never been.so fortunate as to he capitalised into a theatre of his own. Contrariwise, there are actor-managers who are als.> artists. Sir Herbert Tree, of His Majesty's Theatre, for example, is, at his best, a fine actor. He is not always at his best. Ho plays too greif. a range of parts. He is.either the most conceited of all actbrs\ or else ho is greatest of all experimentalists. In piece after piece he .appears either absurd or frctesque, Then

one night .von go" to I lie now play at His Majesty's, itiul y»ii liml Tic-.' suited nr.il superb. llis peculiar mannerisms and lib., per.-unalily quite iiniil: him . fur .Marie Antony, lor instance; yet he plays Murk Antony, an-.l with gusto. His Hamlet has been imnniri.'illy summed up a- "funny, wit limit, being vulgar." He is not a groat elocutionist. Iln has a curious ra-ping voice, lie is Ion:; anil very lean of liml), anil he has a unique M'leo of gesture, by virlue of whi'.h lie regards emotion assullieionlly expres.-cd in a bent arm and a flip of the hand in e.ir. lint his Malvolio is (he performance of a groat, actor; his Shylock is exuberant, hul inasterlv; his I-'akbli' is :i joy. Svi-iiguli. a vividly gruesome study. cstablMicd iiis fame; ho played Colonel Ncy.eome a few year.- 1:30, and later the philosopher-fiddler in "Tho Moved Vagabond," with quite wonderfully sonde charm; while his Wakey in "Henry VIII," recently, had in ifc a liable dignity. Further, he. is a very great urlist in "make-up," while for stago productions of gorgeous majjiiilicenci', Tree has European fame.

H. B. Irving, Criminologist, The London daily newspapers announce that.Mr. H. B. 1 mug's farewell to the Loudon stage would lorm an important feature in die. London Shakespeare Festival in His Majesty's Theatre, and was to take place during the run of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" on Tuesday afternoon, Mav 9. Jle was then to appear as "Hamlet," with Miss lluird as Ophelia, and his own company in support. The actor-manager crowds a great deal into his life, as he is a man of high literary talent. Ten years ago, his "Lite of Judge Jeffreys" drew a notice from the "Spectator" covering three and a half columns. He has since published "French Criminals of tho JMiiefeenlh Century," and, according to the "Westminster Review," he now has another book in hand. This is tho second volume of tho "Rotable English Trials" series, and will deal with the "Trial of Franz Mullor." "The author has just completed it, and hopes to see the work published before, his departure for Australia on or about. May VI." What is agitating tho mind of the local playgoer is: Are we to see "H. 8."? If not, why not? The Scarcity of Tenors. A voice trial at Her Majesty's Theatre (Sydney) the other day in the interests of the M'clba" Grand Opera Company disclosed the fact that tenors are not as plentiful as tits (lowers that bloom in the spring. There are doubtless plenty of aspirants who imagine they have pure tenor voices, but. something more than imaginary tenors arc; required for grand opera. After listening lo nearly a dozen of these so-called tenors nt the voice trial, Mr. MacCunn was heard to murmur: "It .is a curious thing that nine out of ten 'tenors' are bad." Then followed one or two applicants whose voices were almost inaudible. This suggested lo one of the listeners the following riddle: "Why are tluse voices like the villagers in Gray's Elegy?" Tho reply was: "Because they keep the noiseless tenor of their way." Notes. Nicola, U'.o magician and illusionist, conureucesa tour of New Zealand at Auckland on Monday next. Mr. 11. I'. Lyons, the doyen of advance, representatives, is in ebargo of the touring arrangements. Miss Florence Baines ("Miss Lancashire, Ltd.") sent a paper and postcard from Bradford. England. She intends visiting New Zealand again this year. Mr. John L. Griffiths, U.S. ConsulGeneral in London, said recently: "I should like to see a Britishnluy in which there was a really spiritual clergyman, an honest lawyer, a straightforward diplomatist, and an American gentleman.