THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1605, 23 November 1912, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

(Br SiLvraa.) The World's a theatre; the Earth.a stage.—Heywood. Harry Lauder. Messrs. J. and N. Tait announce that they have captured Harry Lauder. The Scottish singing comedian is to tour Australia the year after next'. In all probability his Sydney season will-~bo ■ at the Town Hall. The contract is for a tour of 2weeks, commencing at Eastertime in 1911. Last month Lander was the star performer .at the Tivoli, London. Landers popularity may l>e measured by this chronicle in a leading London paper:— "Harry Lauder is back. Ho reappeared last night at the Tivoli, sang three new songs, sought to satisfy his admirers by giving one old one as a fourth, was compelled to add a fifth, and oven then the crowded audicnco was reluctant to_ let him go. The programme at the Tivoli is a very strong one, and several new features were introduced. But Harry Lauder's reappearance overshadowed everything. -Each of his new i sonp has just that catching chorus which, as sung by Lauder, is irresistible. _ and all were at once enrolled among his successes. The first, • "She's the Lass for Me," is of the order of "I Love a Lassie," and has much of its merit. The other new songs were: "Just the Same as .his .Father Before 'im," and "For the Bonny Lasse3 Lovo the Kilty Lads." When he sang these songs there was a demand, which' was not to be repressed, for some of the old favourites, and the wee "Doch an* Dhoris." rriven in Lauder's best form, secured for him a great ovation, and, finally, with pathos and feeling, he sang to a simple melody a song which expressed tho longing of the alien Scot for the wee cot by tho heather, his birthplace , and early home." Knoblauch Fails. Edward Knoblauch, writer of "Kismet," lias suffered a failure in-New York with his new'play entitled "Discovering America," produced by Mr. Lewis Waller. "The Theatro" says of the performance:—. "There are many qualities in Lewis Waller to be admired, his coinage to nssumo the responsibilities of a' producing manager, his readiness to undertake a moderate part that his fellow players may shine by their own light, but' above, all his attitude as a loser. No 0110 could countenance defeat with a better grace or feeling that creditable effort had been expended to achieve success. "Discovering America" gives full opportunity to observe all the qualities 'named. It contains some good scenes and some' poor ones made effective by excellent acting. "The plot is carelessly thrown together, with many possibilities ignored and makeshift devices employed to make it cohere. Most of the characters are episodic, and, in one or two cases, quite superfluous. The play shows America at a strong disadvantage. The comparison of the good side of one country with the poor side of another, is obviously unfair. We are slangy and Tilde, perhaps, but not quite so unreservedly as Mr. Knoblauch would make it appear. But that is not where the shoe pinches; the reason for the failure is because the play itself is a very inferior niece of theatrical property. Lewis Waller made Peter as living a figure as possible out of the available material, as did Madge Titheratke with the more living part of Ruth. Elene' Foster, Malcolm- Duncan and Suzette Cotta interpreted the other important parts intelligently and,with discrimination." Georgß Rignold Stories. ' Mr. H. P. Gcdard, writing in the New York "Theatre," tells a couple of stories rominisoont of George Riguold's starry days in America. _ ■ , It was some time in the early seventics," writes Mr. Godard, "that I first saw' George Rignold, when he came to 'Hartford, Conn., to play 'Henry V, under, otho management of Jarrett and Rainier, with'a company so bad that between the acts ho made a speech apologising for 'the scratch company' that had baen furnished him.' In one of the very first' scenes" of tho play trouble began when tho 'Ambassadors of France,' who bring in the box of tennis balls from tho French Dauphin, did not enter when he called, and had -to bo almost dragged before the king on his throne. This incident had got Riguold's temper pretty well aroused, and a little later it got to tho boiling point. Tho first scone of Act IV closes with Henry on his knees tho night beforo tho battle. of Agincourt, uttering that beautiful prayer for the success of his army in the coming contest. The stago was in darkness, and a spot'light was to be thrown on the figure of the kneeling monarch. By a stupid blunder the light was tlirown about two feet above his head. The result was a delivery of the text about as follows:— , "'0 God. of battles, steel my soldiers' hearts . ' (Damn it, lower that light), Possess them "not with fear (What the devil ails that light P),' a revised version of tho text that convulsed tho audience. "Rignold was such a fina actor and splendid looking man on the stago that ere the evening was over ho conquered all difficulties and won the audience. After the performance, he dropped into a ballroom next tho theatre where some newspaper men were watching the dancers. In a few moments he accompanied some of us into an adjoining cafe, where he accidentally brushed against an . Irishman who drew off and hit him ere lie could apologise. Rignold promptly knocked the man down, and a free fight would probably have ensued, had not a reporter drawn Pat aside and told him that the man who had floored liim was a fighter who 'had licked a bunch of Frenchmen ' that very night.' On this tip Pat left, as Rignold's physique was such that this tale of his prowess socmed entirely probable. ■ "A year or so late*, I was one of an immense audience at a benefit performance at Booth's Theatre, in New York, when Rignold appeared as Romeo to five different Juliets. My programme was 'burned in the great Baltimore fire of 1901, but as I recall it, tho ladies appeared in this order: Fanny Davenport, Ada Dyas, Minnie Cmnmings, Maude Grainger, and Mario Wainwright. Of these, Miss Davenport appeared to best advantage,, though'it wasjferhajjs fortunate for her 4h<it Adelaide Neilson cancelled, at the last moment, an acceptance to bo one of the quintet. Tho performance .was curious, rather than interesting, and v.'hen Mr. Rignold was called out at the end of the play, much out of breath, his first words were, 'You sse, I have survived it.' '"Henry V' had a long run at Booth's that winter with Rignold in the leading role, which he played superbly, having a handsome stage presence and kingly manner, and though he was not especially good-looking in private life, he was then dividing tho worship of the matinee girls with tho very attractive..Harry J, Montague, of Wallack's. His support was excellent, and included Charley Bishop as Bardolph, and Fred Thorn as Fluellin. Ho was tho first to introduce tho spectacular return of', the victorious monarch, riding into the crowded streets of the city of London upon a handsome horse/' Notes. Mr. W. S. Percy received a letter tho other day, which opened with the following sentences: "I think you are wonderfully clever in 'Nightbirds.'" "Ah," said the comedian, looking up from the letter, "hero is a request for an autograph." Then ho continued reading: "I admire your comedy very much indeed through the. whole of the performance, except when Mr. Andrews is singing _so gloriously ill the third act, when I wish to heaven you would go away and let us hear him sing. It does seem a pit.y to hear you spoil his beautiful song with your jokes. 1 am quite disappointed, as I love tho air of tho 'Tjluo Danube.'" "Now, what do you think of that?" queried tho comedian. "Here ani I, working hard—very hard—to lie humorous, and I am told to 'go away and let us hear his song.' I call that base ingratitude 1" Julius Knight arrived in Melbourne from England during the week, it ml wen t on to Sydney, where "Tho Milestones" rehearsals are to commence. Prior to leaving London, Mr. Knight was appearing in place of Arthur Bourchier in "Find the Woman," whioh was ntneed in Australia u "Tlia Third Dotm, 1

Oil Monday, October 7, Miss Ethel Warwick (Mrs. Lewis Waller, jun.), opened her own season at the Queen's Theatre, London, with David Belasco's version of the French play "Zaza." Miss Nellie Stewart and Mr. Harcourt Beatty appeared in "Zaza" at tho Theatro Royal, "Sydney, somo time after tho first great success of "Sweet Nell of Old Dru'ry." Miss Stewart played tho part of the actressheroine, Zaza, and Sir. Beatty was the married lover, Bernard Dufresne. Miss \ Florence Baines (sister of Miss Marie Baines, rccentlv in New Zealand), tho original Mary Ellen Thompson in 'Miss Lancashire, Ltd.," is appearing under the Rickards management in Melbourne. Mr. 0. E. Lennon, who was the Old Man of the Sea in' "Sinbail," has been re-engaged for this year's pantomime, "Puss-in-Boots." Tho Great M'Ewen, Scottish Enter.tainer, is appearing in Melbourne.