THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1663, 1 February 1913, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

The World's a theatro; the Earth, a stage.—Hoywood. / I [Bt Sylvius.] "The Sumhlne Girl," "The Sunshine Girl," one of the latest Gaiety successes, was produced in 'Syd-ney-lost Saturday weok, with great success. It is lull of comedy turns of tho brightest vaudeville order, united by a bright and airy plot. Tho "Daily Telegraph" 6ays:— "The story can bo , dismissed lightly. Vernon Blundell suddenly becomes the proprietor of a large soapmaking establisnment producing £10,000 a year, conditionally upon his devoting five years to its management, during which period ho must not marry, under penalty of losing his inheritance, which, in the alternative, becomes a cooperative concern, owned by the workpeople. Blundell, prior to this being inado known, has joined the firmans an ordinary workman, and when tho time arrives for his taking possession, he induces an impecunious stockbroking peer to impersonate him, in order that he may discover the germ' of true love, which, as may be expected, he finds in orthodox fashion simultaneously with the appoaranoo of a second will removing the five years' barrier. Blundell, thereupon, sets tho lead. Others follow his example, tho marriago market at Port Sunshine is suddenly glutted, and the curtain rings down on a community of happy folk.

"The production, which was drawn out to a dangerous length by the persistence of encores and the overpowering enthusiasm of the upper circle, was a triumph for Mr. Leslie Holland as Lord Bicester, the impersonating peer; for Mr. tJack Cannot as Floot—an ex-cabdrivor, who pomes on tho scene because he happens to have been observant as a Cockney Jehu— and for Miss Jessie Lonnen as Marie Silvaine, the head of the packing. department.. Mr. Cannofs humour is irresistible;, He has fun and laughter written in every movement. Merriment bubbles from lum like water from an artesian well/and, as the pivot of, the performance, nothing more delightfully whimsical oould have been secured than his mirthprovoking ■ capacity. "Quito -the best musical number of the performance was .Miss Ivy Bickford's Here's to Love,*! sung directly after the chorus opening of the second half. Tho choral -accompaniment was both effectivo and good, and the song will probably .become,- a favourite, for it has a pleasant theme, is tuneful,, and Miss Bickford sang it well. There are, however, several other numbers which, if less musical in themselves, trere given an eitremely attractive setting,, and an interpretation good enough for anything. One of' these was Miss Blanche Browne's 'Tiny-touch,* in which sho had the assistance, of a beautifullygowned ladies' semi-chorus, which added life and colour to a very chic eong,. and Miss Browne's demure 'Take Mo' was also clever. There was plenty of sound advice in Mr. Holland's little Girl, Mind How You Go,' which, like most of the other vocal items, received very effec-tive-treatment. from the cliorus. In fact, the choral. efforts were from tho first markedly successful, and fully up to tho high standard which has come' to be associated with all Williamson productions. The only weakness of 'Tho Sunshine' Girl' , is in 'The Sunshine Girl' herself.

A Dawning Star. ■ . Miss Borothy Brunton, the gifted young singer and actress, who is 'so ap-pealingly-clever as Frau Van Buren, in "The-Girl in, the Train," has a brilliant'future'before; her in the'sphere,of light opera, if she elects to oontinue on the Stage. Added to youthful charm and freshness, she is a born actress —she does, nothing wrong. Her gestures, movements,.inton'ation, facial expression, are always-just right,'-which in a word means that Miss Brunton has that .peculiar stage sense which ib rare, and without which no ac- • tress can range far in her art. , Miss Brunton has a pretty light soprano voice, nicely produced, is unostentatious i-ini personality and ; manner, yet is •toctic. She. is a''daughter of the late Mr.' Brunton, whose facile brush was such a faotor in tW success of the Bland Holt ,' j .'.-A : Less .than two years ago Mrs. Hugh; Ward detected talent in: I little "Dot" Brunton, and to-day her performances are not excelled by anyone in the cast. She is the best Phyllis in "Dorothy" ever seen in New Zealand, 1 and her burlesque acting with Mr. W. S.'Percy in "Tho Cirigalee" displays the-wide range, of her talent. "Hindis Wakes.", ' t "Hindle Wakes" is the title of. what is described (in one paper) as the most notable play of the past London season. ; The author, Stanley Houghton, had ..been unknown beyond hia own bailiwick, which is the cotton district in Lancashire. For.-"Hindle" stands for' any one of the many l centres ofi tho, textile industry Which are grouped around Manchester. "Wakes" is the local name for' the annual week of holiday, which, as in the Continental festival of "St.-John's .live," represents an interruption in the ordinary routine of conventional existence, an; interval when the primitive instincts are apt to surge to the surface. 'J hip .is what happened in the cuse of Fanny Hawthorn, a mill girl. She has spent a week-end at the seashore »?ith tho 6on of her employer. The affair, entered into with the simple notion of having a "good time," ran its very natural oourse. . If it had not -been found out, it inight have remained but an incident in-tho lives of two young people; but, coming to the knowledge of her parents and'his, it assumed a momentous aspect. How shall it-be met? The girl's parents and the. young man's father see but one way out, the Eirl, however, sees another, prompted thereto by her,own natural instinct. She has the crude independence of her class, and is taught by her experience to assert the, modern woman's right to regulate for herself her own salvation. s

The play is racy of the soil out of ifhich it has grown; the characters being hewn boldly, but' with sufficient detail, out of the actuality of the local types. There, are no puppets in this play; nor anything dragged in to furnish, a "secondary interest." The grim plot evolves out'of itself, naturally, inevitably, and not without the momentary relief of caustic, humour. Two Popular Revivals. . During the coming week the New Comio' Opera Company, which has been 'delighting large audiences during-the past week at the Opera House, will appear in two interesting revivals. The first will be that coloursome musical comedy "Tho Cingalee," and, secondly, Celiier's always popular light opera "Dorothy,", which is packed with genuine melody, and has a fine flavour of lavender and old lace. There is no question that "Dorothy" will revivA well. It has done so on so many occasions that it could not fail to please, even if the quality of the performance happened to be short of some of those stored in the memory. One notablo cast wa9 that in which Clara Merivale appeared as Dorothy and William Elton as Lurcher. On that occasion, I fancy, Charles Leuman'e was Wilder, and Imano, Sherwood, and old Howard' Vernon appeared as Squire Bantam.' Nellio Stewart was a notably good Dorothy, arid George Latiri was a most amusing Lurcher. Miss Florence Young, who recently played the role, must be classed among the best. Nonfe of the Dorothys I know could sing the "Tally-Ho!" with the vim and vocal electricity of Miss Young. Miss Amy Murphy, who will sing the part next week, can be relied upon to satisfy vocally.. She first played the part with the Wellington Amateur ■ Operatic Company, when-the late, W. D. Lyon was Lurcher and Mr. E. J. Hill appeared as Geoffrey Wilder, and Mr. Arthur Ballance (now. a professional in England) was Sherwood, In Miss Dorothy Brunton, Wellington playgoers will seo the best Phyllis ever. Miss Ghiloni will bo the Mrs. Privett; Mr, W. S. Percy, Lurchor; Mr. W. T. Andrews, Sherwood; Mr. R. ■Roberts, Wilder; and Mr. Victor Prince, Squire Bantam. "The Cingalee" is a tuneful work in a pretty setting, but, being musical comedy in the pure, is hardly likely to revive so successfully as "Dorothy." Tho merry tinkle of musical comedy has a restricted age limit. Good legitimate light opera has, none. The Drama in London. The writer of "A Woman's Letter" in tho "Sydney Morning Herald," under Lon-

<lon <lato of December 20, remarks of the closo of the dramatic year that "it will have been remarkable, more for tho renaissance of 'domestic' plays than those of any ordinary type. 'Milestones' etill runs a triumphant course; it will run another six or eight months. 'Bunty Pulls tho Strings,' though somowhnt farcical in its conception, was a domestic ploy, and ran well over a year. ... " 'Hindle Wakes' and Ttutherford and Son,' did good work, and now wo have 'The Eldest Son,' by John Galsworthy, playing to good houses at the Kingsway—a wonderfully written slice of country family life. 'The Younger Generation,' at the Haymarket, also a domestic play, is also a great success. These all represent a typo of play for many years not seen in our theatres. In all oases the signs of the times are revealed in the treatment of the parents by their children. Tho parents make mistakes, the children judge. But the surprise is that, in spite of the pro; eaio scenes in which most of them are set, they are so amusing that the theatres rock with laughter, even though' in_ some phases of tho plays tears fall plentifully. Miss Ethel Warwick's new production at thfe Queen's. 'The Tide,' by Macdonald Hastings, gives opportunity mainly for some really beautiful acting by Miss Cicely Hamilton. The author, a new man, inclines to the 6erious and tragic sides'of life; he handles them fearlessly, and grips one's interest all the time." A New Comedy Company. The new Hamilton and Plimmer Company has been finally selected, and from the list of names it will be conceded that the management has secured a strong dramatic organisation. The company includes Messrs. George S.' Titheradge, _ H. R. Roberts, Arthur Styan, Sydney Stirling, I. Stuart Clyde, Paul Latham, Cyril v ßell, and Harry Plimmer, Mrs. Robert Brough, Misses Lizette Parkes, Muriel Dale, Kate Towers, and.Beatrice Day. The coming tour will start at the Palace Theatre, Sydney, on Saturday, March 15. The Sydney season will last for four weeks and four nights, and after a six weeks" season in Melbourne the company will make a flying trip through Tasmania and New Zealand, returning to the Palace Theatre about August 1 with a number of 1 recentlyacquired London pieces. For the brief Easter season in Sydney "Dr. Wake's Patient" will be revived, and in the return season in August "The Turning Point,", the play which Miss Ether Irving reappeared in London at-St. James's Theatre after her Australian tour, will be one of the attractions. The management states that "The Blindness of Virtue" and "Hindle Wakes" will also be produced. Messrs. Hamilton and Plimmer, it is further announced, have secured a site in Melbounie for a new theatre, and building operations will be started shortly after Easter. Thn following is the tour of the neir Hamilton-Plimmer Companylnvercar(rill, Jijne 16 and 17; Dunedin, June 18 and 21; Timaru, June 23 and 24; Christchurch, June 25 to July 1; Wellington, July 3 to July 12; Wanganui. July 14 and 15: Palmerston North, .Tuly 16 and 17; Dannevirke, July 18; Napier. July 19 and 21; Gisborne, July / 23and 25; Auckland, July ?8. Tho company will play "A Woman of Impulse" and "Dr. Wake's Patient." Notes. Tho well-known American-English actress, Fannie Ward, has been divorced in London- by her husband, Sir. Joseph Lewis, a millionaire diamond merchant, on the ground of her. misconduct . with John Donovan, an actor, who was joined as co-respondent in the oaso. Mies Ward is a native, of St. Louis, in tho United States. She made her first appearance'in New Tork, in 1890, when a girl of. 15 years, and' in'lß9s "starred" in London 'in' "Tho Shop Glrl:' y \ In', 1908 she played at Terry's. Theatre, .in London, as Lady ■Kitty 'in . ."Tho Marriage of William Ashe," from Mrs. Humphry Ward's novel of- tho same name. ' , -

Mr. George Tallis has returned to Melbourne after his visit to England and the Continent with Mr. Williamson. Mr. Tallis also visited America. The tour combined business with pleasure, but the engagement of artists and attractions,' and the _ innumerable visits to theatres in search of these, gave Mr. Tallis a strenuous 'time., .

The' r Marlbvr" ;Dramitic Co. playing "The Monk and the Woman," ana VTho Queen of the Redskins," will commence a tour of New, Zealand', at. Christchuroh, March:'22.:'The ( Wellington ■ .Season 1 will'extend from May 5; to 17,1

When the.last.mail'left America Cuyler Hastings.was on tour with Belasco's!production of Wm. C. do Mille's play "The Woman," recently played in Sydney.

It is always pleasant to chronicle tho progress of JHew Zealanders abroad. . One Wellington actor' wlio is making big strides in the United States is Mr. Ethelbert Hales, son of Mrs. W. H. Hales, of Oriental Bay, Wellington. He-has now been playing Tammas Biggas in "Bunty Pulls the Strings" for two seasons, and ijuite'recently he appeared in New York in this'most successful',play; Writing of Mr. HalesVperformance the Philadelphia "Record" said "Ethelbert Hales, as Tammas .'Biggas,'.. appeared the blunt Scotchman in a '.'striking'-and powerful way. Ho was the big Scot, stubborn and irascible, determined to rule in hi 3 heyday, but humble - enough . when fate brought him to" bay." • "Tokyo Town" will shortly bo introducing into Australia some of the arts and talents of old Japan. A company of forty Japanese have been engaged; and they will commence a tour ot Australia and New Zealand about the middle of March. They will comprise the most extraordinary aggregation of artists that has ever visited this part of the world. In addition to the conjurera -and jugglers there yvill be eeishas, actors,' wrestlers, and various experts in native arts. Um-brella-making and lacquer work will be some of -the crafts that will bo revealed, • and the visitor to "Tokyo Town" will probably learn more of the life of old Japan than a mere casual visit to tho countty could ever give him.