THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1920, 1 December 1913, Page 5

THE THEATRE.

The World's a theatre; tho Earth a stage.—lleywood. Harry Lauder Eclipsed. Harry Lauder, the brilliant. Scotch comedian whom J. and N. 'fa-it are bringing t-o Australia next year, recently found himself eclipsed in astuteness by a broken-down cabman in tlie Irish capital. Tho "jarvio" had a horse ami conveyance almost as ancient as himself, and, when Lauder asked him one day what ho would pilot a party round I'hoeuix Park for, he reckoned that five shillings would bo fair. Lauder s cautious Scotch nature roso in affront at such an exaction, and lie forthwith told the cabman that "four sli.illms was quite enough. Cabby agreed to taV.«.. the lot at this rate, and t-hoy soon set off, the driver discoursing eloquently about tho objccts of interest en route. In fact he discoursed so much and so charmingly that Lauder forgot tho time, and was only reminded of the enemy when c-abbv pulled the horse t-o a standstill, and said, "You'll have' to get out here, my bold buclios, for yotiT time's up." "As it was cither paying mother five shillings or walking home," remarked Lander, finishing the story, "I reluctantly handed over the fivo shillings as wo were in a -remote part of I'hoeinx Park."

Le Crand Seigneur. - "Lo Grand Seigneur," by Edward Ferris and B. I'. Matthews, which has just been produced by 11. B. Irving at the Savoy Theatre, in London, seems to liavo made a hit with the public, though the critics treat it somewhat irreverently. Apparently, it is about as unreal as most of the plays pretending t(j deal with phases of tho French Revolution. One prominent commentator writes: "Historians are still vainly trying to find a formula for the French Revolution. Let them go to the Savoy Theatre and they will know at last what the leading characteristic of tho Revolution really was; it was the period in which everybody dressed up in everybody's else clothes. People who obstinately wore their own clothes were gullotincd, and cerve them right. Tho others, who didn't mind tho trifling inconveniences of a misfit, escaped: tho survival, you may call it, of tho mis-fittest. There were several ways of playing the popular game. If you had a pistol, for instance, nothing was easier than to put it at" tho head of the gentleman whoso clothes you wanted. This was the Marquis's way. He wanted the coat and tricolour sash and plumed hat of the Republican Guard, in order that he might escape from durance and (with the magic influence of Robespierre's own signature in the coat pockct) compel tho bloodthirsty ait-izens t-o do just what ho liked. Quick! a pistol to tho General's head and tho thing was done. So effectually done that tho General without his own clothes utterly failed to his identity, and was promptly sent, as tho Marqujs, to tho guillotine, whei;e the Marquis, as the General, saved the life of a brother aristocrat by making him (way No. 2) put on the clothes of a lackey. A third way was the interchange courteous. This was practised by the Duchess and tho Dancer. . . . Why are French Revolution plays nearly always absurd? You might as well ask why their players choose so many different ways of mispronouncing 'Monsieur.' It is a stage tradition. And it is a stage tradition which audiences accept witn perfect good humour. We all took the great clotheschanging game as somehow an inevitable sequel to the Fall of tho Bastillo, and thoroughlv enjoyed it. The circumstanco that tho. leading clotho3 thief was Mr.; H. 7 B.;; .Irving had no doubt much to do-with our enjoyment. For Mr. Irving is prominent among those actors of impressive iand roma'ntio personality who can make absurdities not only acceptable, but delightful.

The Dance and Effect. Anna Pavlowa is not only a graceful dancer, but she knows the difference between dances that aro a, natural outcome of tho plot, and thoso that aro merely dragged in for operatic effect. On this point she remarks in tho "Century Opera Weekly" that Meyerbeer appears often to have been more anxious to entertain his audience than to maintain the artistic unity of his composition : Accordingly, ho cave us the ballet of nuns in "Robert do Diablo," the gipsy dance in "Les Huguenots," the skating ballet in "Le Prophete," the shadow dance in "Dinorah"—all sumptuously set—all more or less extraneous hi their relation to tho progress of tho plot. Another glaring example is found ill "Faust," where Gounod wrote a ballet to be bodily thrust into that opera when it was transferred from tho Theatre Lyriquo to tho Grand Opera in Paris. In many other works, however, the introduction of the ballet enhances tho atmosphere of a scene, and aids directly in tho unfolding of tho. theme. In "Aida," in "Samson and Delilah," and in "Carmen" this is notably so. And a dance in an opera, if not dragged in by the, ears, is easily effective, as is recognised by the more modern composers who iiave availed themselves of it successfully. In "Manon" and "Pagliacci," for instance, tho gavotto and the minuet furnish vivid dramatic' contrast*, and while not of the proportions nf the Tyrolese ballet '11 "William Tell," they contributed conspicuously to the desired effect. In Strauss's "Salome" and in "Elektra" tho danccs are of course, climatic.

Oho opera, "La Gioconda," is famous chiefly because of its charming ballot. "Tho Danco of tlio Hours," which includes not alono the hcst music in tho opera, but tho only music that lends itstjlf to a general appreciation. Not absolutely essential to tlifi action of tho onera, this ballet is brought in so naturally that it really seems to be a vital factor, and, furthermore, its lightness and grace serve to throw tho tragedy following into extreme sombro relief. New Comlo Op<jra go. Tho Christmas dates at .Auckland will bo lilled by tho New Comic Opera Company, which was last in. Now Zealand with "Tho Girl in the Train," "Nightbirds," etc. On tho present tour this talented organisation will present "Au- | tumn Manoeuvres," and will revive that popular musical plav, "The Arcadians."

"Falling on." There has been a marked falling olf in the principals of the New Comic. Opera Company at .Melbourne lier Majesty's. This, it. 'may be pointed out, does not refer to the numbers of tho principals, but to tho falling oft' in size. For tho fjerm of "anti-fat" has been let looso in the company, and small sizes are now the rule. Tins guilty party is -Miss Colin (lliiloni, the plump—or, rather, the unco plump, but always pleasing—artist who is such a. popular person with the public that they have never tailed to demonstrate by their applause that they could not have enough of her. The result was that Miss Ghiloni grew to such an extent that when she played matronly parts she fitted beautifully into the role. .Miss Ghiloni grew desperate when she found that for ordinary purposes of comfort she was a few sizes too largo, and I decided to economise. She invented something. It was not a medicine, but a habit—which, being translated, means that she cultivated the habit of doing without tho things she liked the most, but which had tho distressing effect which she did not desire. Her systom of dieting lias had its effect, and if Miss Ghiloni keeps up tho system much longer sho will shortly bo able to play soubret'te parts. Tho other principals of tho New Comic, Company have, been t following Miss Ghiloni's system with equal assiduity, and even Victor Prince ' is "falling olf" perceptibly.