THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1599, 16 November 1912, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

(Br Stlvius.) The : World's a theatre; tho Earth 9 '.. stage.—Heywood. Different ('Henry. V."_. * "There will be -solid entertainment for Shakespeare lovers during the next few weeks. On Monday evening (says tho "New York.Post" of September 28) they will be attracted chiefly, no doubt, by the promised revival of • Henry V," to bo made in Daly's.Theatre.*by Lewis Waller. A generation has passed away sinco George Rignold captured New York theatre-goers —and. especially those of the softer sex— by his virilo and attractive presentation of the warrior king; Ho was a splendid blonde hero in his glittering armour, and was the cause of wild agitation at matinees. For months pictures of him were displayed in all tho shop windows. His interpretation of the part had some Sterling merits. It had youth, ardour, and picturesqueness, but not much eloquence or- depth of feeling. Its virtues lay on the surface, and were of a kind commonly associated with the popular ideal of a hero. Richard Mansfield's Henry had somo of these graces also, but in a less eminent degree. His comprehension of character was probably trueT and deeper than Rignold's, but his acting was far inferior in power of public appeal. Report, attributes to Mr. Waller's Henry no small measure of romantic eharm, and it is not difficult to credit'it with gallantryof aspect and spirited, utterance. It has been highly. praised by respected critics, and may be assured of cordial appreciation. Mr. Waller has given the . play a luxurious mounting, and will have the assistanqo of Miss Titheradge and other tried associates. Mr. .Waller is almost sure to "open- in Henry. V when he visits Australia next year. Straining After Effect. Speaking' of Gordon. Craig's designs for Hamlet, now on exhibition in London, "The Times" says: "The catalogue (enlivened as'iisual with flashes of audacious insight) tells us that Mr/'Craig is anxious to-dispel'the idea" that he invariably plunges his'sceues in. gloom."' The models will help him. Some, of them ate flooded with light, either suffused or deliberately aimed—not raw light that .-falls equally over-tho whole scene, abolishes shadows, ;and makes tho head ache with glare and detail, but light that, seepis-to-be-playing a part in 1 the'-play. These screens, indeed, being plain surfaces, depend for half tlieir effect on their placing, for t-lio other haif on their liglit'ingi-.and to.study the'drawings in the gallery is to see howeager is-.Mr. .Craig's .search, after lighting at once beautiful and' just. There is a large and (to our- thinking) a very ugly, drawing (No. 46). tor'the Court- Scene in 'Hamlet,' where the -King, Queen, and Court are .in full light against. a gold background. Stretched, in front of them, and almost in darkness,- lies the limp Hamlet. ' When "the 1 Court "has'EOne, 'tho gold will dwindle : to ' gloom, and Hamlet will be in the light;' Sosdoes'.ths eye receive the message, and the many channels of drama flow;-to .one -effect. This, of. course, is 'an elementary but throughout this exhibition; ■'w'hich"is for the eye alone, it is clear !-now Mr. Craig consistently -'thinks it'terms of a:, composite' art.". ; ' " ;' '; 7 t "Little mW Llewellyn." ■. : ;f, " Mr. Edmund Gwenn, ;.th.e;c.leyer character actor 'who, was' the original Sid Prmco •ill' "Sherlock.' HolnVet,".'aiidv the -Earl of. .Loam /itfj ; in New 2eilahd,; With"' : .tl>o -.'Cujjlcr "Hastings. in Londpiifcwitlv i'Mils .?£ d of Little. MissiLlewoilyn" j at- the Iheatre ' iiave -' scored.' a '•prono.uiiced success. This, 1 comedy is founded oh. "Le Manago do Mdlle. BeulemanSi"'by- Frantz Fonson aid'Fernand Wicheler. - .In- the original (says the London "Observer."') Brussels •'imaKCß.-tfnn.-v of Paris j.-.ih- tho. adaptation, •Carmarthen 1 . makes • fun of London. /Harry , Lauder and. Sunday Work. feilust-vbiforeiihe . returned to the Tivoli, aE'tHa'iend' oMeptember, ;Harry Lauder, wrote - tho'.following letter from "Lauderdale,"' Duncoh, Scotland, about •the' Sunday "closing of music halls;—_ , "It is "years since I became'- acquainted iwith: music-halls. I am, and : will for ever ■'be," interested in their welfare, and I 'could, not imagine a more dismal futuro for iny profession than having to work on Sundays. I may say ' the first time I went to America my contract called for me to perforin on Sunday. I had four of these Sundays, and a more miserable engagement I never fulfilled. My good six days' work was all undone by my Sunday's weak, half-hearted performance. You will see it was against my religion. I was doing something I was taught to bB -wrong. It was ungodly; it was unnatural for me, and I felt the -shame. I never..worked' Sundays again; I would ' rather" go back toftho mines, where Sunday ,is looked upon-'as -a God's, gift with 'which niau'Tefreshes himself for his next week's have seen a Continental Sunday. -Let those people who lova it go to the .'Continent and enjoy it. Don't bring, it here. I feel sure, if we •fail to uphold our religion and our Sunday, men will scorn us, women will weep, and chiidren;.will be taught to hate the namo of the-theatre, and the curse of the generations-'to follow us will be for ever at the stage door. The music halls a few years ago were the last place a man would take his wife to, or a youth his sweetheart, or a mother her children. Now they aro the best and first places of entertainment, and an institution in Great Britain. We have worked hard to i provide- a healthy; innocent entertainment, and I will tell you if work on Sun-days..-prevails the music hall profession will, become as a ship in a dark and rocky channel; it will be dashed to pieces by the waves of discontent, disgust, and dishonour. Men who disregard God's Word ;'and God's work can never hope to be respected.' A man cannot buy respect; lie .must live the life to win .it. We have be»n labouring all these years to remove any reproach attaching to our profession. Aro we now to be the first to take the backward and deplorable step to destroy our national day of rest—§unday? No!, Let us carry on the good work we are doing, and let us thank God for tho power of resistance. Our country, I am sure, w;ill stand at our back, and we, the entertainers. must refuse to perform on Sunday. I am a Scot, and I will die rather than disregard God's 'Word ami God's work and become a member of a dishonoured profession." Harry Lauder comcs to Australia under the Tait management in 1914. Martin Harvey Coming, Martin Harvey comes to Australia shortly with his own company. In stating this a few weeks ago, h« mentioned that one strong card would be "The Playboy of the West"; but since then he has expressed a doubt whether he will play the piece any more. Rival comedians named Fay and O'Doharty have done good business, with it in America, but it has roused a fearful hubbub amid the Irish, It seems to bo in the Handy ndy vein, depicting Pat as - a bungler with two left hands.- Yet the London "Observer" and "Pail Mali Gazette" (edited by Irishman Garvin) declaro it is- a first'-rate play, worthy to lie placed beside the current London sucixisses of ''Buuty" and "The Milestones." Harvey will. probably experiment with it in Sydney and Melbourne, remembering lion- Pat told tho Piper, "Play me tho , Byne Wathor jintly, and see-how I can shiond it." "La Flambeo." Long notices are published-in tho London pupers of "The Turning Point," tho play in- which Miss Ethel Irving returned to the English stage last month alter her tour of Australasia. The story, au English version of Henry Kistoniaecker's drama "La Flambee," which has keen running at the. Porte St. Martin, Paris, has a big theme: Is a great soldier in whoso keeping lie the most vital secrets of his country's defence justified in killing in a fit of passion the spy who would suborn him? The motive of the slaying by Colonel FeU of the French army, of Julius Glogau is complicated by the fact that he owes GlogaU a great sum of money, and Glogau tries to pat the screw on in order to force the officer to sell tho plans of tho fortress of which ho is in command. Colonel Felt and his wife have quarrelled, and there is a third man in the case; Marcel Beaucourt, a barrister and deputy. The estrangement is very deep and very dangerous, but it Ims arisen through a misunderstanding, j Husband and wife are rwonQilcd through the.

tragedy, and Beaucourt, who has set out to hound Felt to his death, knowing that it was at his hands that Glogau met his death, is suddenly won to his defence by the soldier's declaration that, lie kille'd , Glogau because he was"" a spv. The big scono is that for Felt (Sir (lieorgo Alex- , ander) and his wife (Miss Ethel Irving) after Glogau has been strangled in the corridor outside. Of Miss Irving (says' tho "Telegraph") "it is hard to say enough. The play would be worth a [ visit, if only to watch her face, and its tenderness and its anguish, its helpless distress, its anger, and its passion, To ! see her listening, very still, save for the restless fingers, now swaying idly, now l clenched till her arm stands tense, end stiff, as fear gains upon her, is like watching a woman's very heart." The role of Beaucourt is played by Mr. God- [ frey Tearle. When Miss Maggie Moore opened her latest season in Sydney on November 2 tho performance was said to be the 43"Sth time slie hod played tho part of Lizzie Stofol in "Struck Oil." This is surely "stretching it" a little. Averaging the performances at 100 a year, this would fake 13 (nearly Jl) years to do, and "Struck Oil" has-not nearly reached that average during the last fifteen years. Theatrical figures must always be taken cum "grano salis.- • The New Zealand tour of the "O.ft Our Selection" Company commences in Auckland on November 18. This dramatisation of Steel Uudd's book has proved ■enormously popular with Australian audiences.