THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1330, 6 January 1912, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

(Br Sylvius.)

Th© World's a theatre; the Earth a stage.—Hw wood. A Bright Soul Gone. Manv will sincerely regret lo learn of the sudden death of that clever comedian Mr. .Frank Lincoln, who recently plavod the Jcads here in "The U;\y tiunUm* and ".Sergfanl JJriH*." Ho was of Ino order bri.-k and magnetic, whenever be was on the stage "mere was pomething doing/"' "The Uay CSordons" was not_a brilliant show by any means, but the> deceased actor was and MioitldiT* t above anyone die in the east, l'layjjoera will remember how very elieerive he wa» in the love scene outside the cottage m the first act. • ... Mr. Lincoln informed the writer in Ins buoyant way that lie was delighted with the colonies—it was all so new and iresn, and on one occasion he said: ever once have I a musty old castle crumbling to decay—people don't seem to buihl cm in this* country;" He was very pleaded when he informed mc that he hail signed on with J. C. Williamson, Ltd., tor another year, and lie thought he would ne,\t como this way with "The Quaker Girl," but lie wa.s drafted into the pantomime- in Melbourne, in which lie pla\ed Sinbad iu "Siiibad the* Sailor." It Runs in the Family. "When Mr. n. B. Irving organised a company to tour the Englishprounces six years ago, and appeared in Manchester in one of the famous plays of hi? lather, "Tho Lvons Mail," following his example of doubling the roles of the fjiiictlv-ilißm-iicil Lesuniues, and the villainous JJlibosc, the occasion was described as memorable in theatrical annals, because it representee his first essay in a picce which several (fenerations of tho "dramas patrons associated with one of his father s conspicuous triumphs. He gained a striking success, however, on his own merits. ilia £ was a great night in Manchester. -'>Pp rt from the. well-merited recognition oi a line achievement, there was a clear note oi sentiment in,the tributes which so lieai tilv welcomed the young actor when alt was over. Mr. Irving went afterwards to London, anil repeated his success m "The Lynns Mail," so definitely anil unmistakably that lie was hailed, not as an imitator, but as an individual, and very accomplished artist. Mr. H. B. J rung will shortly visit Wellington.

George Titheradge Redivivus. Th" most important piece of dramatic news this week (says last Saturday * Sydney "Dailv Telegraph") ).s that Mr U. S." Titheradge is about to cmergo irom liU retirement, and once more give Australian audiences tho benefit of lus art as an actor. He has been engaged lor a long contract by the Hamilfmi-Plimnier-Denniston Company, and will thus parlicipaie in th-a tour of Australia vnicli this eompanv is to undertake shortly. Mr. Tithcraiige's first appearance under the new management will bo made at uio Palace Theatre on Saturday, January 13, when he will resume the role of Lord 11lingworth in Oscar Wilde's play, "A Woman of No Importance." "Tho Miracle." Max Reinhardt's. great Olympian play, "The Miracle," the production of which in London on December 23 has been announced in the cable messages, mttsl liavo been extremely _ impressive. Tho chief sceno takes place in the uaye of a Gothic cathedral, and to secure thin setting it was necessary to completely transform part of the theatre.. The main staiued-glass window of Cologne Cathedral was copied for part of. the ellects; but even this window, enormous in size though it is, was not large enough for the purpose, and the copy, therefore, was an enlargement of the original. Eor the representation of tho miracle, tho climax of the play, n trap-<!oor 50ft. in breadth, and extending across the whole width of the Olympia arena, had to be provided—a task involving the digging up of thousands of feet of the solid concrete flooring. The lighting, it was intended, should bo carried out upon entirely novel liucs ; all the lights being thrown upon up into tho roof, and from thence reflected upon the performers. This meant that every electric light in Olympia' had to be removed, and in many places pits had to be dug for tho powerful hidden lamps. There were, as tho cable message stated. 2000 supernumeraries, and for these 10,000 dresses wero made, as the many changes of scene involved corresponding changes of costume, some of the performers appearing in 10 different guises.

Tho scenes arc laid in a Rhenish province in the 13th century. Tho leading character is a nun who has a yearning for the life of the outer world. She may, it is said, be laken as typical of the good woman who loves tho highest, and yet. longs to taste of the joys that an ascetic lifo forbids. The 111111 has a dream, in which Eato comes to her in the guise of the S'piolmatm, a mysterious wandering minstrel with superhuman powers, who leads her out into the world and through a series of adventures in which she tastes all tho joys and sorrows of humanity. These adventures are shown in the inter-mezzo, which consists of seven scenes, 1 and lasts 40 minutes. In one of the chief scenes the nun is accused of witchcraft and tried for her life. She is gifted with such feminine charms that her judges are fascinated, and acquit her, whereupon tho furious populace, howling that the judges themselves have been bewitched, attack both the judges and tho woman they believe to lie a servant of the Evil One.

Throughout these scenes the Spielmann is ever attendant upon the nun. Each new emotion she feels is inspired liy his playing magic airs upon different instruments, anil to each air she dances measures significant of her joy or sorrow. 110 is symbolic of Fate the Fiddler, she of Life, tha Dance. The Spielmann strives to move her to higher 'things, but the perversity of life is against him, and, instead of raising the nun, he is always giving the world a yet firmer hold over her. So her worldly adventures continue until the second act, where, in the cathedral, there comes' the miracle which closes the play. Humpordinok, composer of "Hansel anil Grclal," lias scored the music; and it was promised some time ago that it would bo found to interpret the magic and the voices that lie hidden in the depth of the fir forests from which Hans Christian Andersen derived the sources of many of his delightful stories. The drama, it must lie remembered, is wordless, and thus the (wo leading characters must portray the most poignant . emotion by pantomime.

Mr. Frank Wilson, ivho plays MassakrolY so well in "The Chocolato Soldier," will bo kindly remembered as the capable English actor and singer who did some remarkably good work with the Repertoire Opera Company a few year? back. He is probably tho finest "Pirate King" in "The Pirates of Penzance" that wo liaTO seen in Wellington. llr. 11. H. Wallace, who will be remembered as ono of the comedians with the Repertoire (Gilbert and Sullivan) Opera Company of fiye or six years ago, and more recently a member of the Hugh Ward Comedy Company, is a member of the "Chocolato Soldier" Company in tho capacity of an under-study. Under Mr. Wybort Stamford's stage direction, "The Quaker Girl" should lie ready for production in Sydney next week. The cast will include, in addition to the principals of the Boyal Comic Opera Company now playing in "Our Miss Gibbs," alis*s Jessie Lciinen, who' arrived from London early in Ihe week. The dale of "The l<lue Dird's" departure from London for Australia is February !'. In consequence of the success of "llunty Pulls the Strings," the Haymarket Thealre is not available fer this year's revival of Maeterlinck's play. Mr. I'iedorick Harrison, however, arranged for its production at .the Queen's Theatre with the entire Ih\vmarkct company from December 21), for six weeks, two performances daiiv.

One of tho keenest mourners ot the .T.C. Williamson staff is Mis* "Cissio",,laniiosnn. sister of Dr. Sydney .lamieson, (he well-known medico. .Miss ,lamieson, who acts as confidential secretary to the Sydney direction, has been in the firm's employ for a number ol' years, and in dealing' with refractory actresses it is said that she is a perfect lalward of tact and diplomacy. Everybody is said lo confide their troubles to .Miss .Tnmicson, but she possesses the uafemiuine (juiility of being u slase » thfl jroisrbiaj, ojstcrj

The annual dinner which the late Harry l.'i'kards gave In I lie Sydney pour was ■■<<(: allowed lu lapse oil account of the death of the vaudeville manager. The dinner came u(i' at the Town llall on Christmas .Day. .Airs, Ifiekards spent a busy lioiir attending to the wants of many of tho ticket-holders. Mr. .lolin C. Lcltc, ihe gencr,:] manager of (lie Tivnli, Mr. and -Mrs. Maas, Mr. ami Airs. Herbert l.arkin, Mr. Eugcno Mans, Mr. George Wonlll', jlr. Clark (the secretary), and Miss Dennis co-operated with .Mrs. ItickariU iu Iho movement. And so that the name of (he origini.tnr of the annual feast should still lie associated in some way with the evj-iil, -Master Hurry Kickards .\l;uis, the grandson of "The Guvcrnor." as In? was called by his friends, was brought down tu take part in the function. Times are goad, the man in tho street will insiisl, but, this fact notwithstanding, upwards of 1200 persons dined at the Town llall.

"A Girl's Temptation" Dramatic Company, under the George Marlow management, nil) visit. Chi'istcharch from January if (o February I!, JJnnedin February S io It, Wellington February 17 to Mareli 1, and Auckland March t to lU.

Says (ho Sydney "Heferee": "The II a in-ilton-I'liinmer-Denuiston Company seem to have got hold of something good in the farce-comedy '.Inconstant George,' which was played l'or Ihe Jirst lime in Sydney oil Saturday night i December 21)). The brilliant farce, with its piquant French touch, has caught on, and is making all Sydney laugh." The "pyjama scone" is described as the quaintest bit of up-to-date comedy seen for a. long; time ill the New South Wales capital.

Mr. Henry Vibavt, a prominent member of the H. B. Irving Company, hails from Edinburgh. For ten years he was in the provinces—lfob Koy to Touchstone, Joseph Surface to Napoleon, ho explains, about 150 parts in all—before he made any bow to a London audience with Irene Yanbrugh. Then lie went to America as leading man to Mansfield. Ho also has supported such New York stars as John Drew, E. H. Sothern, and Julia Marlowe. He was llm original -Alex. Wvlio in "What Every Woman Knows."