THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1259, 14 October 1911, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

r Tho World's a theatre; the Earth a 0 stage— Heywood. '. (Bi Stlvius.) D 0 Many people are inclined to treat musit cal comedy as a class ol thealrieal i-ntor-a tainment 'hardlv worthy of their notice, , hut some little time ago it will bo renicmT berod, Mr. Bernard S!.;tw, who is in a ' position to judge of matters thealrieal, spoko in favour of "Our Miss Gibbs," instancing certain points which were decidedly in its favour. And now Miss Ethel "Irving, who has proved her histrionic talent in no mean measure, comes along with the opinion that musical comedy is tho best training ground for the 13 young theatrical aspirant. Miss Irving c points out that the musical comedy artist 3 has to be constantly on tho qui vivo, as ' it were—evos, ears, and legs must be nl- * ways on tlio alert, anil one's chance may 3 come nt any time. Then, too, there is 3 such variety in the work of the musical 3 comedy artist—even amongst, the chorus " girls—now they have to come on as fine 1 'ladies moving "in the highest society, and 3 «non they are pert waitresses, village ■ maidens, or stylish shop girls. This • variety of role naturally engenders in - them a distinguishing sens?, and helps to 3 develop their characters. : After a popular season in Brisbane, Mr. i George WiUoughbv's Company opened in > Auckland on Monday last. Their reperi toire for the Dominion will include "The Woman in the Case" and "A Tool There l Was." 1 Tho new Governor-General, Lord Denmau, remarked, at the clcse of the pcr- ' formance of "La Boheme," in which 1 Madnmo Melba appeared, that he had -eon the opera in England (at Covent Garden) before ho lefl for Australia, and tho Sydney presentation did not suiter by comparison. Tho ballet music for the new J. C. Wi'l ; liaiuson pantomime, "Sinbad the- Sailor," has been written by Mr. Andrew M:\cCunn, who has contributed his quMa in this particular respect to the Christmas attractions for Ihrce years in sucec-sion. This year he has also written the chorus music to the words. lie has taken a house in Rose Bay, and with tho aid of a grand piano, he works away between the hours of midnight and two a.m., during which period he finds tils ideas ccme most readily. Mr. H. B. Irving, during his comparatively short season in Melbourne, is putting in some very strenuous work. Not only do all the "characters which he is -impersonating require an iiiiimnsc expenditure of energy, and entail a vast amount of intellectual strain, but in two of tho plays he doubles his role. In "Tho Lyon's Mail" he is two di<-fi;.ict types of character, and the satnu thing applies to "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." Someone has suggested that Robert Louis Stevenson was inspired in the cn-ntion of many of his characters bv the- "heroes" who figure in Charles lif-ade's stories, only that the former intermingled tho good and bad characteristics in the one man which had been possessed by separate individuals in the case of the writings of the lattci nulhoi. There is a general state of change pervading the J. C. Williamson otgar.i.-atioiis .it the present time. "The Whip" finishes its successful Australian career in tho West at the end of tho week. "Tho Arcadians" also comes to an end nt about the same time, as also will tho •'Jack and the Beanstalk" Company, tho members of which for the most part will come to Melbourne to I>egin work on tho now .the Sailor." "The Gay Gordons" is also "hearing the end of its carrer. Miss Ethel Irving leaves Sydney shortly, and goes to Adelaide, to" bo followed there later on by Mr. 11. B. Irving. The Royal Comics are in Wellington. The Now Comics, after a trip to Brisbane, go into Sydney. "The Chocolate Soldier" deserts Melbourne for Sydney, and the Grand Opera : Company, on the other hand, crosses over from Sydney to Melbourne, where it opens on October 28 al Her Majesty's Theatre. "Tho Woman in the Case" .was written by tho famous American dramatist, Clyde Fitch, and was his biggest success. Up to the time of his death he drew in royaltics over =£70,000 iron, it It has ,i re .maikablo motif, ingeniously carried out, involving the intrigue of an unscrupulous woman,'who seeks revenge by embroiling tho victim of her hatred in a charge of the murder of his best friend. There is a' thrilling third act, in which the wifo of the accused extorts from the adventuress the confession that Julian Ro'fe has not been murdered, but-had shot himself; This is .one of the most sensational scenes over reproduced on the stage. On. the first night of the production in Melbourno the audience rose lo their feet, 'and cheered and cheered until the curtain had besn raised a dozen times. Mabol Trevor appears as the devoted wife. •This actress has had a most interesting stage career. Sho began in a good schocl, for sho was trained by Sir George Alexander. His method, she says, is to give . the youthful aspirant mere walking parts, personally watch their progress, aud, if they are satisfactory, promote them to i more important roles in provincial tours i and in London. • There were seven others of theso candidates when Miss Trevor started, and only she and another of tho 1 group kept on. "The other girl," sho I says modestly, "is doing very well.' But i Miss Trevor "herself has no cause for complaint, for she very soon advanced to ' loading roles in such Gorge Alexander productions as "The AVilderness," "Tho I Awakening," "The Impcrtancs of Being Earnest," "Paola and Franccsca," and . "The Idler." ' Messrs. John Fuller and Sons havo re- c cently imported direct from America, at c great expense, a star comedy duo, Charles j Emerald and Maud Duprce, two artists who have drawn big houses nightly at tho j Opera H.<Ju;o in Auckland, and arc now j billed to commence a short season of seven nights at the Theatre Royal hero next Monday, October IC. They call ■ their act a "Hot Scotch," for the reason that the angular Emerald appears as a decidedly topical "Heelander." Ho docs ~ an impersonation of Harry Lauder that . has all the elements of a riot in it. Miss : Duprce is a bewitching little comcilioino. Vaudeville patrons can well look forward to something well worth seeing next ° week. ; ' r c "The Chocolate Soldier," which has: r achieved success in Melbourne, is de-=crib- n ed on the bills as being produced "with a apologies to George Bernard Shaw for an unauthorised parody on one of his comedies." Tile music is by 0.-xar Sirans ai:d the famous wait;! song, "My Hero," sung by Winifred O'Connor at Nadinn, is reported to "have taken Melbourne playgoers by storm." Elinor Foster, who will lie seen here as- : Claire Forsfor in "Tho Woman in tho I Case," appeared as Delcthi in "False Gods" with Sir Herbert Tree. Miss Foster made such a success in the big Egyp- j tian-production J hat she was re-engaged -j for two years. "Subsequently she joined j the Oscar Asche-Lily Brayton company, j and appeared in a long Shakespearean repcrtoiro. j "Struck Oil" has had a remarkably successful run at the King's Theatre, .Melbourne, and, had it been possible for the run to be extended, tho piece might „ easily have attracted crowded houses for , two or three weeks longer without the , charming Dutch drama diminishing in ' y popularity or prosperity. During their ( season in Bendigo Miss Maggie. Moure y and Mr. 11. H. Roberts will appear in ( two other popular and successful dramas, "The Colleen liawn" and "Tho Gambler's J Sweetheart." Al the conclusion of his Australian and J New Zealand (our Mr. Joseph Blascheck sails for South Africa, where he will tour . under tho direction nf Mr. Arthur de Jong \ for three months, lie will, of course, bo | accompanied bv his charming co-worker, Miss Mildred U'rightou, and .Mrs. Idas, cluck, who is taking this trip round the j world with her husband. Mrs. Dlascheck ! is a native of Melbourne, and is revisit. ' ing Australia after an absence of II years ' in the old country. Mr. lihseheck is '! booked to open in London at. the Queen's ' Hall in September of next year. c

iii-list. it tin. audience sit down and enjoy themselves, flic artist will li-v to give vlicm all tho onjoynienl'ho. possihlv can. Jndocd, their appreciation is a stimulus li> him m his work. On I lie other hand. .-» chilly, critical audience niu-f have a" depressing iiiliucncc upon thn artisl, with lie result that he is prevented from pulling his heart inl„ ],js v.-oi-k. .Mr. Dinscheck is | reluming to Melbourne lor n season <n tour weeks commencing on Oeobor lit and, -hoitlv altorwards, will rm-hai-k on a comprehensive tour nf Now /.onland with his unii|Uo entertainment, ' Sociely Snap Shots." in which he is supported liy Miss Mildred W lighten. , I . l .n lril J ß . a lnn " ™!jngriiieiit. wilh E. S. \Villard in America and Canada. Mabel ti-cvor, who will appear liero in "Tlic Woman in Ihe Case/' plaved loading parts in .-Wool's Revenge," "The ProiWor's Love "The Ladv of Rosodnlc," and oilier pieces. In Jx.ii.loii she was prominent in (he case of •'Toddles,' one of tho Cyril Maude successes. She came more prominently into nolic-o when, wilh Mr. Anhur lioiirchicr at Iho Oarrick she took Miss Violet Vaiibrugh's parts, as well as ucling as her understudv. There, also, she played Margaret liol'fe in "The 'lonian in the Case" for nine months, and afterwards starred in Ihis piece in tho provinces. Returning to London, Miss Irevor was engaged to appear with Marie Jenipest in "Penelope" under the Charles l-rohman management and, after the London season, went over In New York with the English companv, where the piece ran to great' business. Mr. Joseph Blaschock, tho English Humorist, who. is lot.irhg Aii-tT.ila.sia under the direction of Mr. William Anderson, lias just written a eatehv now chorus song, entitled "Whv do vou" do the 1 lungs you Do Do?" which will be sung in all t ln' principal pantomimes in tho I nned Kingdom this your. It will be seen, hat. tor topical • allusion tho song will lend itself admirably to a free treatment »>' lll f comedian at Christmas time: .Mr. 1 I i;check, supported by Miss Mildred W righton. is at: present appearing in Newcastle with their usual success.