THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1681, 22 February 1913, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

[Br Sylvius.] The World's a theatre; the Earth a stage,—Heywood." Misrepresentation. Tho Wellington Celtic Club has many . members with a fair claim to intellectuality and culture, who would bo doing a good work if they would train the young people of Irish lineage how to think of the real Ireland and real Irish people. This thought occurred to me on witnessing a rather dreadful specimen of "Irish drama" plnyefl at the Opera House this week. Surely the committee of the Celtic Club did not deliberately approve ( of such n play, which depicts everyone in various stages of idiocy. There is the old drivelling, sneakish informer—an Irishman; a merry loon with a light heart and lazy hands, whose every lino is an anaemic jest—an Irishman; the hero who deliberately places incriminating papers in his pocket belonging to one whom he knows is his enemy—an Irishman; the gaol warder, who allows' a prisoner allegedly guilty of treason, to-escapo under his nose —an Irishman The Americans have taken strong tions to "this class of play being set down as typical of Ireland and the Irish, and if tho Celtic Club is alive to its duties it will not sanction such plays. Besides, Ireland has, many very excellent playwriehts of lier own, in which the dignity," poetry, and passion of the peonle arc represented. Take, for instance, W. B. Teats, Lady Gregory, J! M. Synge. and others, whose works are artistic and thoughtful. / ' It is only lack of thought which is responsible for tho production* iind«r Irish auspices of a play such as "The Emerald Me," the analysis . of which _ must convince' tho?3. responsible that it does not do a great people credit. The subject is one wliich might Ik debated with profit by the Celtic Club, even if that would only result in presenting to those interested a noint of view of the Irish as renresented, in the drama ot'>er than that shown' in "The Emerald Islf." Miss Susio Vaunhan Departs. ' 7 Audiences,: not alone in Sydney, but -.throughout Australia, 'will say larewell with regret to■ Miss Susie Vaughan, who, is to leave tor London. It . was m 1901 that.sha, first came to this country, for the • Brough-Bpucicault comedies, anil easily, goined.-.a,: place she., has' kept ever .since/- as. .one of.'the, leading .actresses of: Australia.She has aiso'au excellent re-putation-in London, where she first -became widely known with her famous sister, Miss iiato Vaughan, in vaudeville .sketches, and later as ,one of the celebrated Vaughun.troupe of dancers. When Miss ICate Vauglian went to the Gaiety at the time that Hollingshead .was draw-: irig all London with burlesque,. Miss Susie Vaughan mads her definite entry into dramatic work as a member of a stock company, a sphere.in which she was enabled to gain, a vast experience in every 'class of piece from far« to tragedy, with pantomime thrown in,at Christmas time. It was not long before she reached'the •West End, where she was much sought after for comedy work, anil-distinguished hersilf in those character impsrsonations which she has made so well known in Australia. I«rwork-in London-was interrupted only by tours in America with Sir John Hare, and in the English provinces with him, Sir Beerbohm Tree, and Lewis : Waller. After her Brough-Bouci-cault engagement, she joined the *"Aro You a Mason?" Company, returned to London in 1905, appeared there in "Merely : Mary Ann," and then-came'back for the Australian cast piece, scoring a huge success''as the'irate landlady, Mrs. Lcodbatfnr. • 'Her latest succcss was her impersonation of Martha'in the .dramatic version of "Faust", at the. Sydney Theatre Royal—one of the pronounced successes ■of.the cast. ■ 1 ' . . The Little Theatre. . Sydney is to have |its Littio Theatre next month. Buckler, who is to reappear under; tho J ; C. Williamson management this evening as Bnroutli. in tho production of "Bella Donna,", has decided to institute the new movement for tho production of contemporary plays, which at 'present are:-not regarded by tho managers as suitable for production in tho' big theatres, where heavy expenses and the tendencies of .popular, taste must constitute important factors in shaping policy. In London and other European cities, as,well as in New l'ork, the Little Theatre js .an established fiict, and Mr. Buckler is of opinion that such a movement has great prospects in Sydney. That there is a public,for pieces of this class is shown by the .success of "Ladv Frederick," "Milestones," "Mr.?. Wiggs of ; tho Qabbage Patch," "The Hypocrites,"' and so on. Thc;o is, however, an. intimacy and' a restrained method in of thsse/pjeces', Which, cando.t ;bj attained in a largo theatre.;' Mr. Buckler has -leased the .'Standard-, Theatre;in Castlcreagh Street, and will open it under its'new. ,nimo 011 Easter Saturday.' lie states that the repertory will include comedies .-by English, French, and American piny-, wrightfi,and that' there will be no difficulty (in obtaining . .a full supply . of pieces. - Play by ii Canon. ''General John Regan," a new. Irish farce, presented at tho Apollo on January 9, forms tho principal London' production of that. week. It is by Canon Hannay, whose light and amusing, novels are issued as by "George ' A., Bermingham." Tho new piece made its"way with tho audience at once, and kept the.m in -roars .of ■laughter. It deals with Iloraco P. Billing, an American touring millionaire, who visits.'Ballymoy, Ireland. Ho is'amazed at its dullness, and tries tn wako it up by inventing ■ a cartain .General John .Regan,. "tho heroic founder of • Bolivia," 'and angrily asks t!i.j local editor, the Mayor,, and the hotel-keepers to v show him the statue! in his honour.' Dr. Lucius O'Grady rises nobly, to the occasion, writes a florid inscription for a proposed statue, .forms a committee,,and invites tile Lord-J.ieutenant'-to :unve'il'it when completed. .Meantime - . he> conducts tho local . bind in "Rule Britannin," which .he 1 assures them is the old Gaelic battle-march of "King Malnclii the. Brave." The Lord-Lieutenant merely sends '.in A.D.C. to unveil it, and havin? no v\ir for music, the laMer reverently bares his head to "The Wearing 0' tho Grren" (ultimately. ote'erred by the band to "King Mnlachi"! under (lv* impression that it.iv"G«d Save the King." At this. point, with Charles Hawtrey, as the inventive Di'. O'Grady. tho audience bseame help,less with laughter; and tlt» papers think the niece,may "catch on," though it is poorly constructed. The Waltzing Viscount, A New York paper gave prominence to the following recently:— "It is announced by cable t'••«* New - Ttork will soon have an opportunity of see- j ing the ron and heir of a British' pe?r in j musical comedy. Viscount JXingan, eldest ( pin of Lord Cowley, win worked for a short time as a rcerio painter and is now in the choriisnt the Gaiety Theatre, in 'Tho Sunshine Girl.' has extracted a promise from Mr. George Edwardfs of a small psrt 11V the new -English company to.visit America. Lord Baugan is k;iown as the 'Waltzing Viscount/ just as th 6 Earl of Yarmouth is nick-named the 'Dancing Earl.' Lord Dangan is, however, by far' the better dancer of tho two. 110 "is in great demand among the Gaiety girls as a partner at the theatrical charity balls, which ths chorus always attends in lar.go numbers. The young man takes his profession very sc-riously, and has talent enough for a musical part,- although his singing powers are not ureat. On the programme ho is Arthur Wcliesley." Mr. Rignold's Estate. Compared with tho late Mr. Harry Rickardr, who in a few years made a big fortune out of vaudeville, Mr. George Rignold (lied a poor man. The granting of probate in tho late Mr. Ilignnld's estate last week showed that the distinguished actor-manager did not find a goldmine in any of his theatrical enterprises. The estate was valued at little over Jill,ooo. In his bequests. Mr. liignold did not for- 1 get the four daughters of his brother, the lale William l'ignold. who played l-'alstaff in Sydney, and who was stricken with blindness towards the end of his career in .the Old Country. Mr. Lionel Rignold, the well-kncwn London actor, is one of the executors. Tho residue of tho estate is to go to the Royal General Theatrical Fund. England. The. late Mr. liignold was proud of his Sheakespearean productions, and more Ihiin once declared that he had never lost a shilling while ho was ziving tho Australian public Shakespeare without count-

ing the cost. His lbsses wero in melodrama. While telling (he story of his life when lie went from Sydney to London in 191)2 to appear at tho benefit of his blind brother, Mr. Rignold said:—. I havo always tried to put Shakespeare on the singe m tho best possible manner. In Australm I played 'Henry V,' 'A Midsumincr Night's Dream,' 'Julius Caesar,' and 1 lie Merry Wives of Windsor.' I kept my theatro in Sydney open 52 weeks every year for nino years, and. acted in all nij- own productions; with tho exception of pantomime. I made Shakespeare pay. I never lost a farthing over any of my revivals, and I did all tho pieces with all tile best obtainable effects, electric and otherwise. I,could always rely upon lull benches. Yes, I havo played i'alstaff n 'i r l"" 1 Macbeth. In the- latter play I had tho witches on wires, and they appeared and disappeared with the most startling results. I made them appi'opnntely uncanny. In 'Othello' 1 was the Moor, and that; proved a great attraction—a character I had played in England; but, strange as it may seem, I havo never tackled' Hamlet.'" It .must havo slipped tho actorinanager s memory that he played Caliban - IJrmi 1 f' lccc3s f l 'l Melbourne production of ino Tempest" in 1886. Mr. Rignold was not seen ns Caliban in Sydney. ■ He first playod the part of the man-monster at tho Queen s Theatre, London, long before lie made his name in "Henry Y." Notes. ' >, 'irf r ' ® ornco Cardine#, - the Wellington sifneur, who has been serving an engagement on the Rickards vaudeville circuit ln Australia, has. accepted an engagement to tour South Africa, cominciicing in June next. ' Kismet" has proved wonderfully suc.cessfnl at tho Bernhardt Theatre, Paris. Ihe takings 0 f the opening night constituted a' record, totalling over XBOO. Edward Knoblauch, its author, lias amassed a large fortune from the Oriental play, , and "Milestones," which he wrote in collaboration with Arnold Bennett", Someone asked Violet Loraine, the "Puss in Boots" principal boy, what was her recipe for popularity. "Putting oneself on. good terms with tho audicuce," wns her reply. "Send your singing and your acting right* over the footlights, and send over, also, the feeling that you want to bo good friends with everybody in front. Dignity and restraint are not wanted in musical shows." .