THEATRICAL ENTERPRISE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1174, 8 July 1911, Page 10

THEATRICAL ENTERPRISE.

CLARKE AND METNELL'S INTEN- . .'. TIONS. Mr. Bertie A. Meyer, general manager of Clarke and Meynell's English Opera Company, is better known on the Strand; or Piccadilly than he is on Lambton Quay; but he bas a consuming desire to know ■ more of.' New Zealand, and intends io. "He is visiting the Doinihicn to get "the reat.'sl:rength" l 'of' the country, whichso far-has only''been.scratched as far as his firm is concerned. For the future things aTc'to bo otherwise. "I think," said Mr. Meyer, "that there are great possibilities in New Zealand for first-class companies, and as we now have-the goods we' aro going to deliver them ,to you in the same order and condition MS- '-iV-Melbourne nnd Sydncyv-■•-For. instance; .'The Arcadians' is being played' by exactly the sanie company as appeared iu Sydney and Melbourne, and that is a thing'wo intend.making a point of doing in the future. • There will be no extracting tho best and highest-priced artists from the castfortho New Zealand tour.

"Wo have quite a lot of excellent attractions coming along. The next show, will be 'The Gay Gordons' Company, which will also 1)0 seen in 'The Gny Grisette,' and 'Sergeant'Brue,' commencing in Wellington on September 11. Then you will get the new .English Dramatic Company, headed by Miss Mabel Trevor in The Woman in the Case,' and 'A Fool There-Was,' and, later,"The Choco. late Soldier,'-with the production of which successful opera Mr. Charles Wenniah, the firm's producer, is now preparing against the time 'The Arcadians' return to Australia. The new opera will bo produced in Melbourne in September. This year we are goiug to stage a pantomime on a stage of somo magnificence.' It will ho 'Dick Whittingtpn.' You will get it next year, with the same cast as in Melbourne. Last, but not least, Oscar Ascko and. Lily Brayton are coming out again next year, and they aro coming to New Zealand for sure. I can promise this, as the tour has been booked, and all arrangements made. Mr. Asche will bo seen in 'The- Taming of the Shrew.'- 'Othello,' 'As You Like It,' 'The Merchant of Venice,' and possibly 'Count Hannibal' and 'Kismet.' I can promise you a rare.treat when-these clever people "do. come, for' Mr.. Ascho never slums. He insists on having everything done in a one-night town with the same attention to df-.tail as if he were playing in Lon"I- am not able to say whether Ethel Irving will come to New Zealand. . She opens to-morrow (Saturday) night in 'The Case for the Defence,' and is sure to bo a success.,; She is one of our best Eng' lisli actresses." . - Mr. Meyer has in hi? time been connected with several London theatres and metropolitan managements. Ho was as-sistant.-ma.nager at Wyndham's Theatre when Charles Frohman produced "Little, Maryi" and at Terry's during the Eejano season. He was- also.manager at the Avenue during the last season of French plavs, and of tho German Theatre in Loudon. He has also mauaged for Miss. Tita Brand, was business director for Conuclin's season at the Shaftsbnry Theatre,' London, and has since been manager for Charles Frolimaim and Mr. J. h"! Vcdrenne, at the Shaflsbury Avenue. In 1910 he came lo Australia as manager for Mr. Oscar Ascho, and has remained with Clarke and Meynell ever since. Mrs. Meyer is tho youngest daughter of Mrs. Kendall, tho famous English ac-

tress,'. . . '