THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1623, 14 December 1912, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

, (Br Stlvius.) The World's a theatre; the Earth a stage.—Heywood. "On our Selection." "When he wrote "Om Our Selection," "Steele Eudd" (Arthur H. Davis) created a group of characters almost ridiculously typical of a certain class of settler in Australia—the small selector native to the soil, whose humour has something of the drought in its make-up, and whose glcomy depression is as full of optimism as an egg is of meat. Only those who have lived in tho back-blocks of Australia., through good times and bod, oa;n estimate the force of "Steele Rudd's" pen, but there is ample testimony in favour of his fidelity to types. This "yarn'' (or. series of yarns) has been put into dramatic form, and the result is to be seen at the Opera House this evening. "On Our Selection" is to be played by the Bert Bailey Company, which is said to have established new records in melodramatic business in every Australian city visited. Mr. Bailey, who has not visited .New Zealand for many years, will be seen as "Dad," and capable players will people the scenes set round bhingle Hut, the house of the Waybacks.

Carrie Moore Again. ■ Miss Carrio Moore—one of the idols of the musical comedy .and'vaudeville stage, both in Australia 'and England—is at .present, touring : the Doininjon at tho nead of her, own company, which includes Mr. Percy Clifton, the clever comedian, late of "Th-s Arcadians" Company. ■The dates of thu tour of the Carrie' Moore Company are as , follow:—Greytown, December 1G; Carterton, December 17; Masterton, December IS;.. Pahiatua, December 18; Palmerston North, December 21; AVaipawa, December 23; Hastings, December 2i; Napier, December 26 and 27; Gisborno, December 28, SO, and. 31; Foilding, January 2; Marton, January 3; War uganui, January i and G; Waverley,, January 7; Eltham, January 8; Stratfordj January 9; New Plymouth, January 10 and 11; Hawcra, January 13 and 14. The Wellington 6eason. commences on-January 18. ■•■.■'

"Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford." In Sydney (says the "Bulletin") "Get-Bich-Quick Wallingford" is still teaching tho lessons that (a) the way of Hie transgressor is easy, and (b) the road to wealth is paved with bad intentions. Probably tho only thing that prevents many citizens who new this play from turning "bad" is the. knowledge that nowhere outside of : .pramaland will there be found a,.collection of "fools" overflowing with tli«: milk of human innocence- like the inhabitants of-Battlesburg.-' One thing in connection 'with' the play that pains this paper is the persistent celibacy of the directors of. the United Covered Tack Co., Ltd. In tho last act, when Wallingford has twins, and everybody else, including tho waitress and the very juvenile Eddio Lamb, are represented as married and in their right minds, these ancient reprobates aro shown as alcoholic bachelors, going off. to , mokn "a night of.it" at the Millionaires', Club. . The company, with ; several tons of. American idioms and a fine looseness in trousers, will arrive in Wellington at Christmas. "The Attack." Henri Bernstein's latest play "The Attack" has been produced by Mr. John. Mason in New York. Says "The Theatre":— . " 'I/Assaut' (its original title) is hardly a play. It is a recitation of the past in the life of Alexandra Merital, a prominent and successful political figure, who in his youth, to'.save a'-starving wife, embezzled. Hei hau , 'long since paid-the debt, but ,a disreputable journalist sells the', information. to .hie"rivals, nnd Merital is forced to'sue-for libel. However, the principal in the attack upon him has a far shadier-past, -and. by some incriminating evidence which ho .has obtained Merital breaks down tho opposition and save his good name. Before all this mixup a young friend of his daughter has fallen in love with him, and in a scene (ho has long since been ■ a widower) between them, remarkable for its technical difficulties, and verging closely, on the absurd, ho accepts her love, for she practically forces it on him. Vindicated, however, by the courts, ho feels he must, tell her the truth, which he does in a long declamation about his unhappy youth, his struggles, his fall and his redemption. She understands and the final i curtain falls." ' . . , The cast includes Mr. Wilfred Draycott, the English actor, who visited New Zealand with that sparkling company.: which produced "Tho Marriage of Kitty." "The Duko of Killicrankie," and "Cousin Kate," about seven years ago, and Miss Dennison, who was here with the Frawley Company, which played "Arizona" and "Barbara Freitchie" 60 well. Notes. Writing of Lewis Waller's performance of "Henry V" (which we are likely to see next y«ar) the New York "Theatre" says:—"Waller in the title role- is at his heroic best. '"There is splendid dash and romance to • his portrait, even if it lacks the great essential youth, but his reading is a delight to tho ear, crisp, vivid, and varied. ■ The company, too, • in its entirety reads well, while several of tho players deserve special mention for their admirable work. ■ "Miss Madge Titheradge makes a beautiful figure as 'Rumour, and declaims with really splendid dignity and expression. She .doubles,■ too, tho Princess Kathorine, an impersonation of witching Gallic grace nnd charm." Mr. Geo. Cohan, tho talented brother of Miss Cohan (to be seen in WeljinTton nt Christmas in "Got-Hich-Quick Walfingfovd") lias scored another big success in a play written by himself entitled "Breadway Jones," which is said to be exceedingly simple in plot, but is packed full of comic and pathetic touches. A now play entitled "Tho Boss of Beekv"—Bocky b?inir a mild sort of "Dr. Jekyll and Sir. Hyde" dual personality— by Mr. Edward Lock", has been successfully produced in New York. Becky is being played by Miss Frances Starr. A Picture opera is the latest thing at the Scala Theatre, London. "Mephisto" is a combination of stage-play, opera and kinemacolour pictures accompanied by an arrangement of tho music from Gounod's "Faust." The stovy, however, is not thnt of "Faust," but a kind of morality nlay in which the. Evil One wars on the - world, but Virtue■ is'-triumphant.' , '' The Fivo Olracs, a diinng. nnd olavor

tho Theatre- Itoyal on Monday evening. Ihey como with a good reputation from tile i'alaco Theafa'o, London., wharo they appeared in a command performance before the King and Queen. Apropos of tho return to Australia of Julius Knight, and tho forthcoming production in Sydney by J. C. Williamson', Jjfcd., of "Faust," it is an interesting iact that Mr. Knight appeared in "Faust" in Loiuton some years agx), playing Valentine. Sir Henry Irving was Mephistopheles; William Terris, Faust; Ellen lerry, Marguerite;, and a small part was playod by Martin Harvey. Mr. Knight, whose fifth visit to Australia this is, will make his roappraranee in "Milestones," which opens in Sydney to-nipht. Ho will also bs seen in "Bella Donna." "Wliile in Syuney recently on a holiday trip, Mr. J. Coyle, secretary of tho Wel.lington Hospital Board, met Mr. Hugh Ward. The genial actor-manager has not iorgotten tho Wellington Children's Hospital, for which he did so much when iundso wero being raised to construct a now building, and told Mr. Coylo that when ho next visited New Zealand with a good company he would give a benefit performance in aid of the institution.