THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1425, 27 April 1912, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

(Br Sylvius.) The World's a theatre; tho Earth a stage.—lleywood. Bringing the Asches to New Zealand. Preparations are being made by J. C. Williamson, Ltd., for the tour of Australia and Now Zealand of llio AsclieBrayton Company, This will involve expense and labour, as the scenery, properties, and effects will have to be so adapted as to make them lit the stages of tho various theatres without in any way altering the productions from the Melbourne and Sydney standard. Each, dotail of tho productions will be on tho same scale as in those centres, and tho whole of the company will be toured. Mr. Ascho and Mtiss Brayton have never yet been to Xew Zealand, and are looking forward to their visit. On tho completion of their season there, they intend to do a good deal of motoring in tile -North and toulh Islands, see all the sights, and Mr. Asche will indulgo in his favourito pastime of trout fishing. Before leaving London, Mr. Asclio and .Miss Brayton itere asked by many of their friends to bring them 011 their return some Maori weapons and curios, and these Mr. Asche will endeavour to collect.' The English Pierrots. The English Pierrots, who are making an extended tour of the Dominion, commence their opening season at the Town Hall early in .May. This combination of artists have secured success during the last seven seasons in Melbourne, where the attendances at their pavilion have exceeded "50,000 persons during that time, 'their repertoire is replete with London novelties and many of their own creation. Last season 475 different items were performed, and the entertainment is al-. ways kept up to date as regards artists and productions. Humorous songs, duels, trios, and ensembles, sentimental ,songs, coon songs and choruses, musical monologues, raev stories, dramatic Teeitals, concerted items, instrumental selections are included. The company consists of eight artists, including several who were here last year—Mr. Maynard Dakin (com-

"■liaiO. Jiis* JOlsa T.niigley /copietli'Milic), Mr. AV. P. Turner (humorist). Mr. Leslie -Austin (baritone), Mr. Kingslcy Chapman (tenor), Mr. Rob Thomas (monoloKUist, entertainer, and accompanist), and two noiv member?, Miss Nellie Holdcn, who v.-a5 the first pierrette ever appearing ill the Australasian colonies, and vclio appeared with the English Pierrots on the occasion of their first commencing in Sydney; Mr. Roy Cooke (bass), who will add materially to the combination, in the quartet and Concerted items. An Indian Garrick. 11l Elizabethan times the player was actor, actor-manager, playwright, adapter, and minstrel. The same kind of allround dramatic talent is still to be found in some parts of the world, as wo may see from the career of a remarkable Bengali dramatist who died in Calcutta the other day. His name was Girish Chunder Ghose, and they called him (very inadequately) the Indian Garrick. He lias left nearly a hundred dramas, melodramas satires, skits, and sketches. He had a great regulation as a tragic and comic actor; he produced his own plays, ami countless others, in his own theatre in tho northern quarter of Calcutta, and his songs are known and sung in the villages throughout Bengal. Besides all this, Girish Chunder was known as a man of wide_ literary culture, and as an apostle ol' Nto-A'edantisni, the ideas of which lie sought, to popularise in his later plays, which would seem to show that an official censor, concerned, like Mr. Brcoklield, for the religious susceptibilities of tho orthodox public, would have found himself many times in conflict with tho Indian Garrick. The London Theatres, .News from London up to March 13 shows that tho weaker theatres were just beginning to feel' the effect of the coal war, chiefly in the cheaper places, whilst a falling-oif in the stalls is attributed to i'ear oil the part of ladies lest tho Suffragist movement should turn its attention to their niotur-cars. . At Drury Lane.. Theatre Mr. Arthur Collins, as the result of a visit to New York, hesitated between a production of "Everywoman" and a revival of "Ben Hur." 'l'he latter was decided upon, and after an interval of exactly ten years was staged again last Saturday (April 15). By a coincidence, tho same "drama is now in preparation at the Sydney Theatre Koyal, a fact commented upon in the London "Evening Standard." In America General Lew AVallacc's historical ronianco has held the stage continuously (on tour) for thirteen years. At Daly's Theatrn there is talk of a' successor to "The Count of Luxembourg." Mr. George Edwards at present proposes "Gipsy Love," an adaptation of.'l'ranz Lehar's "Zicgeuner Liebe," which that composer pronounces his best .work. ' The only new play of the week which has attracted attention is "Proud Maisie," at tho Aldwych Theatre. It is by Edward Ifemmerde, K.C.. and forms an example of scholarly but quite uninspired five-act blank verse tragedy. The play lasted out until 11. iS, and included some gloriously long speeches in the style of a century ago. One of these begins; "Courage, my fricads, her dauntless spirit lives, Let her sweet sacrifice of love avail to heal this embittered lend, plight wo our troths Over her sleeping loveliness." This poetic nVanner' was unaccompanied by movement, and there wero three bouts of fencing in the first act. Proud Maisie, the heroine, is the daughter of a Highland nobleman, whose whole houso is Jacobite. Maisic's lover is a Hanoverian, and challenges her twin brother to fight by night at AVitches J . Well. Maisie thereupon disguises herself, takes her brother's place, and is mortally wounded. Her lover immediately commits suicide; and her father "elocules" the 50-linc speech above referred to. Mr. Henry Ainley is said to have, acted superbly as the lover, and Miss Alexandra Carlisle captured the house by her charm as tho kilted swordswoman. A very strong cast, in fact, had been formed.

Maetcrlinck's Fanlasy. Thero are some strange metaphysical questions raised in the Kingdom of the Future (says the "Daily Telegraph" in a glowing notice of "The" Blue liird"). No child, according to this author, must go empty-handed into the world, sinco he is obliged to take with him either a gift or a crime; and Father Time, who says, with sinister significance, to the children demanding to be born,. "There are many more of you than are wanted." turns ono little one back with the words "Prepare something—a great crime, if you like, or a fine sickness, I don't care, but you must iutvo something. Thero are gigantic figures lining the walls; they are silent, no one knows who they are, and Light can only speculate thai, they are to visit the earth after man. When Time's galleon appears, there is much cxcitenient, as well as tho sadness of farewells, of the children to be born that day. Some struggle agiinst leaving, but Tunc pajs no heed to their entreaties. Two of tho children are lovers, and one. who must be born before the other, pleads hard against this late, saying, "I shall be gone before she comes." Resistance is useless. One despairing child therefore gives the-other, as a sign by which he will be known, that he will bo the saddest being oil earth. tho sails of the galleon disappear tho voices of tho voyagers are heard, "There's the earth! 1 can see it!" "How beautiful if. is!" "How bright it is!" Suddenly thero arises in the distance another song—the chorus of the mothers coming out to meet (he child veil. 'Die voices grow in exultant volume, rivalling the burst of jubilant harmonv with which I'uccini, in "Madame liutteril'y." has typified the triumphant glory ol motherhood, and so this proves one of the tines! things in the score. At the end where the children are discovered asleep, the author brings home the full emphasis oi his lesson ingejnonsly wheu lie makes Tvllyl present the Neighbour Berlingot with bis own caged bird as a gift for her little daughter, who is ill. Tho Mystic Mirror, Tho mystifying mirror in "Everywonian" has aroused a great deal of curiosity amongst playgoers. To see a human figure gradually lake shape in the glass, which is quite real, and in which tho reflections of the people on the stage and the audience can lx> seen ,anil, alter delivering his speech, fade away again, iiai aroused a great deal of wonderment, and many patrons have appealed to tile management to sati-fy their curio-itv on point. Some have, offered explanations as (n how it. in done, and a.?kcd the piwjagomcjit to Lut them kaow wliethor

these aro correct. It is said, however, Principle upon which tho mirror cllect is worked had never been put iulo operation in Australia Ixd'ore, and thai the discovery how it could be brought about was accidentally made in the course of somo experiments. "Kismet." In Melbourne the principal Easter attraction was "Kismet," tho Oriental melodrama ill Which Mr. Oscar Asche first discovered a new playwright (Edward .Knoblauch), and then backed his opinion ut his merits in a lavish production. lkoro the curtain ruse at tlie Theatre Koyal thero was incense in the air. strangely Eastern music, and the distant cries of the muezzin, and after that a vista of temples, courtyards, aud Bagdad itself, jvith tho figure of llajj, the beggar, sitting 011 tho steps of the Mosijue of the Carpenters. llajj, robust, wild-eyed, tierce, is Mr. Asciie, and as such was promptly welcomed back to Australia. J he action shows that mendicant as at 0110 tune rich, aud a former enemy of high station .seeing his evil plight throws mm a bag of gold. The great, spectacular scene of the play then shows the bazaar Street of Kismet, a blaze of colour, where lie spends his money before re< turning home to his lovely daughter JJaismall (l,i)y J3raylon), wooed by tho CalipJi of Bngdod, disguised as a poor gardener's w»n (played with dignity and power by a new artist, Mr. Frank Worlock). Invent* so fall that llajj is pledged either to slay the Caliph or lose his own life. However, the villain of the piece, the "Wazir Maiisur (Mr. Herbert Orimwoodj is stabbed, and finally drowned, by llajj, ami in the end the lattpr, before going into exile, is allowed to be present at tho marriage ot his daughter with tho ruler of Bagdad. Such is the story of "Kismet," which ( is made iascinatiiig with the aid of many changes of beautiful scenes. In a speech at the colse of the evening, Mr. A sell said that he would produce "Antony and Cleopatra" and "Tho Virgin Goddess 1 ' during tho season. A Gifted Caterer. Sir Joseph Lyons, the great English caterer, has added to his achievements by writing a play. The title of Sir Joseph's little play, wlii'eh has what may be called a Bret Ilarte atmosphere, is "Out A\est: A Story of Californian Life." The principal members of the east are Mr. Nornuui Trevor, who plays the miner; Mr. Jamos ilearn, who will appear as a "childlike and bland" Chinaman; and Miss Kdith Latimer, who has a strong dramatic part in the heroine. Sir Joseph Lyons is gifted with dramatic instinct", and has .supplied tho plots and situations for many plays written by others. He has extraordinary fertility in theatrical "ideas," combined with a knowledge of London life which, like Sam Waller's, is "extensive and peculiar." He has also composed the libretto and songs for a comic opera. Mr. Frank Talbot, of tho theatrical Ann of Portiis'r.nd Talbot, has received ndvieo that the Countess Dleanora do Cisnoros, the opera tic artist, will letlve Vancouver lor Auckland and Sydney by the Marama 011 May 19. The firm also has a negro minstrel show leaving Vancouver by the same steamer. The minstrels will tour New Zealand before visiting Australia.