THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2156, 23 May 1914, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

.[BY BVOTflfS.]

TUB World's a theatre..; tho Earth' $ 6lnge.*-iteyWSotl.

the V/HloujgVvy Dramatic Company,

On Monday evening that very powoi* ful drama, fotirided ©u Mnreus -Clarke's gruesome novel "For a. Term of His. Natural Lite," wilt bo- produced by tiirt Willonghby Draitta'tio Co-HipaMy ati tliffl Grand 'Opera House, li is a good many, years since- this classic among Austra-* .fiiiii plays has. been soon in Wellington, but ire still have roeolleclkms of Aifre A Dampier' line assumption, of the r-010 of tlio itov. John North, of j. M. Atholwood's sketch of "CSabbetfc the maueatur, add of Harry Plinuner's artistic treatment of tlio. brutal drunkard, Cap* tain Frere, and it is with no sina-f-1 amount of interest that one looks forward to the revival nf the. old play. Marcus Clarke now wrote anything half so tragic or gripfnl ,as "I'or n Tenii .of His Natural Life,"' .and there lifts Hover hem. any story penned that si vividly portrayer the totters of tiio ■aid .convict days of Australia.

Tlio revival of this nlav to be followed by. that higWy-Golom-cd ' lnolndrama,. "Th© Bad Girl of the Famiiv," tlio title of which pfassjf-ios ii-ie play wrth irfiotot'rapte fidelity. Lauder 1 ? Melbourne Fatewoil. "Will yo iio come back again?*' piped a gallery voice- i'i*ni among tiro '£M peojjto isiio packed the Priucuss'a iituatrej jViolhourno. "1 don't know," replied Harry. Candor. "V* tee., I'm Mot itwa' yet." Then (says tlin "Ago") liu thanked tho public m tiio hiaiincr in which they had received lira "hiimMo elt'orts" during xho past four Sveoks,, WheMver lie ivt3.\i, in lu tu.ro, ire- never hoped to get better or mote appreciative audiences tl-ia.n in Melbourne. "Your attention and oirtlwiaivstn," ho said, "fcwo takcu the best .Ty-om mo that 1 possibly would give. And 1. speak. tji the 'gallery i\s \reji as to anywteru else. I thank erciiylmdy., and i' t.kiak that yo a' can hear what I am savin'-. This fts tho first time 1 'have had a eliaiiea to sit dawn, or rather stand up, and too a nice quiet- crack wi' ! ye. Titero is nothing like comiu' .close 'together. The closer wo i;ot tin* Wore wo Mkc awl love one another. 1 Won't leave till Sop. te-mber 21, when I sail for - tho On-i'ia-d-ian shores, and if 1 sob ove.i'y-lioEl.y there that ; 'fcuows yo I will ic'l'l them about ! ye." . Tito, audieiieo shookwith : laughter, aftd above-. 41; other laughs rose that of Sir Alexander 'Peafroe'k, "And I wii'-l never forget yon-r jolly I laugh," cried |jaudei\ '"Would"ye life? ;to go on tout w'i' n&f It would .pay ■Mo to take- yo." fiiiis latigli was repeated. "Wliojevct one, -two, three, lour or jhoro Scotdinioi'i gather together," , contiiiired .Laufjer. "*e Ivao always { a wee dcotji an' 1 dori.s* a'n.{l"~ — l.i'j luinifncd tiro fane, .from : !.utin;iTiiiig passed to singing, ■ witjj' tlio sola tlireo or : four voices jailicdi iho qiiarust s'telfcd to u lifist," and. the ttliolo theatre sang to the tilt-kg rhythm of tho irc-JJ'knoiira .chorus, /'Bofioru wo go I iv.aut a photo talven/' 'said Lander, "I trill stjtoi all your fecs'lcenie, ifud .your friends--.yi'.iil .see- yc'itt tl» windy." Ho passed dowii. amongst -tlio s'tefls, sl'isofc hands with Sir Aiesaii'der Poaeoek amidst a- tu.mtiffc flf clapinng, witl si fl-asiiliglvfc inomtii-ialised a liotablo last flight.

■Goveirt fiardfiw Season.. Although there is now 110 grand opera season in the world which can. compiuo with that of 'tho Metropolitan. Opera liouso of New York, alike -from tho stauflfraint' of Quality, of ..variety of artists., aijd the iiiaiU.iei 1 in ivh'icli iha .operas are proditenrd.; nevertheless, Govent Uafd.cn is slili. invested with. a ■lorostigo that is partly traditioMai, and ■Jll-. part duo to the 'even standard of merit fiiain'tained. There arc titties When Very ' iudiifercnj; perfornuuiess UaVo been given in La.ndou'.!>. historic opera hpftse, and visiters from tho cojoiviesJhftvci been livue'h disn.JHMi.uted, and Itftv* cotnpa}'e.d io'ovoiit GsH'deu. unfavourably with ; La Sorila (Milan) and tho Ito.val * : opei'a of Berlin. But it must bo roftie.i.nbe.i:cd that England hag no ua.tio.ual opera subsidised by tho ■State, as in tho ease of La Seala. (which used Jo have an. animal grant by tho .imiuMiJiality of £9,8Q0, "and an endow* meat by the Goverjiiittut of ,&l%li<i .per aunUin);, the Berlin Opera Hlouso ported by tho Kaiser}, a/ftd the J?ai'is Opera I&'USo (a national .mstita.rt.ion). Covoli.t Garden is managed by b company, a:nd is run riwre w less as a business proposition (wlvioh is so English to foreigners). $10 millionaires of Fifth Avemi's spot*" lots of money te keep tho metropolitan ognffa season on tho highest plane, but 01V0 docs 3iot hear of the wealthy iiobijity of England taking any violent interest in grand Optra, Still, the old house, holds a-' respeeto'ble plaee iii tho wa.i'ld of .grand, ■opera, and many miigiilfwent performances .have imvcst.od Cov'ent, Garden.with; ■a glamorous jiamo in all corners of tlto. Empire.. . , .' tl.lo WW' ■seaso'ii trommeiicea on April 20 with 'f/a Bohemo." Tl.lo operas to. bo produced during the- current se.aso.it ■ are:—"A4eW (Verdi), "L'Ainore. dia tro Be'*' (.Moiitcmezzi):, "Masked .BAll.''' (Verdi),. "Oavaleria" ■■(Maseagni)., ''Bq.ii; ■ CJiovatini-' .(Mozart), "Falstaffi 15 (VfSS'dj), "oirl flf tho Golden West' 7 ;'.(PucciiM),. "Franceses >da- Rimini" ,(Zandofla'i) :> , •'Jewels of tfe iladomsv" (Wolf-Fttr*■. rari), "flutterfly" Cl'uqei.ni)i - "Manoji.' ■ lyesda-ht" ■ (I'uwhii), ''MefistefelQ''' iBoito), "Noe'F' {ferianget)} '"'Npzzo :do. s li'igaro" aiazart), "-Uteßo" (Verdi) { : "ragiiacci" <Lcoiiei\va).lci> ? . t¥ercii), "Secret 4i ..Buai.ii.no".. Of p\U-. ■Fet'ran), "losca" '(:l?iWc.ii'lii-j. "La.-fra» viata" tVcrdj),'' /"■tfatisfc*' '■. .(.Go.u.uod), "LoMise*' .and McWsaitdo" (BebMSSy),' "Itonieo • and Juliet" . (Gounod'),; and ."Sa'jjisMi. an.d UeiiWi" (Sa.int-Sae.ns)., 'J'ho artists eui : p'loycd ars as. fo.Bof i-^ l)es,tiifn t .Clairo Dtisj Mfl.r.lo iourse Edrina,' Mjjwiw ISgeilOr. ilattde Fav, Greta Jonsson,. (Sa'tnid Ivappel, Nellie Mclhu, Ite"* Mdrwra, Itosftia Baisa, Myrna S'luirtow, Bis* Stralia, Aliw& 2fcppi!li. . Coiitralti—Louiso Berat, Julia Claiisscii, Chai'lotto Dahmcu, Ituby 3;lcyl t Elviu Jicveroni. Louisft Kirljby Luim.. fenOfs—Haiis. Bcdis'tein, Enrico..Caruso, l'cter Cerjijlius, Odtuvo Dlia, pon-■tana-Fvjrrari, I'aul f rau&. !Rob(?rt Hut't, ftioraimi Slaiiiiwlli,. John .J'l'Corfn.aek,, johams'es Sovoteßh, Bsft'te Zucshi.

Basses and I'ViUl Beiidcr, Desire Dc'froro, Ada-mo Didiir', Georp Etforitt, joliaftiies Foiiss,, Diiih Gills v i' Aopust'. Ifiof.?., Po.mmlra Malatcsttil Mario Siiwiiiarco, Jt'lidliclo Saitipfera, Antonio Scotii, Clarcn.co Whiteiull. M , The ocmducters will bo pkrofojvta Caiiipamni. Albert Cwat.es, Pa,ul Drain, Arthur Nifeh, anil 'Bio.r.git> polagco, 'The pros'peetvjs also'■ iHeki\les fc%o. (f.vcies of the "iting" Saul perjonnaftces of "Parsifal" (a toady performed fourfceu times during 1-Im.v 'recent seism) (if Wagnerian ttpera ai Coven-t GiVrdsn),, "Bio iteis-tershtgfrr-," and w iiohctvgri.n, ,: '' The Musical Kennedys, who 'iiavd been, touring- the Ssni-lh Island, for -tljfi past) six 'Weeks with cliifsiderifMo su.eecss ateto- efisinuence a season in Wftljii'igtoit on J'ano 24 Til tin* Prtss ■■■'no'tkes spccljl prai-so is Wing given to ?Ij\ liSitvi? jCenn«h\ wtm is s.aici to be a nartie'u.kif* ly able 'cellist, NptCSs 'Kir.- Harrington Iteynol'dSf :sfi atfito who toiftijd Australasia with the, D-a-ofcl JVawloy Company, abotvt a decade, ago, is :a menrW of "Mi© ll<J,sary" Corophjs now i-ft 'MelbO'Vf.riio. "Sea-led Ordqis,"' tho- sp.opiae.iiia.r drama, mow runnhvff at the Theatro' ■Royiii, Sydney., iviil ho ira.'iisfer.i'ocl f.a ■His Majesty's Theatres, Moi-banrne-. Bn Saturday next. The revile Hero'* is to go on to kvni Melbourno. *