THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2360, 16 January 1915, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

[BY SYLVIUS.]

Kie World's a tfieatre; the Eartb a stago.—Hoywood. Wllloughby Dramatlo Co, Tho Willoughby Dramatic Company is to commonco a season at the Grand Opera House 011 Monday eveuing next in Geo. R. Sims's melodrama, "The Ever Open Door," which play is said to have achieved a fair measure of success in Australia. Tho company, which is headed by Mr Geo. Cross and Verattemec, will also appear in "Under Two Flags" (a . dramatisation of "Under Two Flags." by Ouida), and "Camille." with Miss Remee as tho lady with llio cougli and Mr. Cross as her wayward lover, Armand Duval. Lupino as a Colllwog. Barry Lupino's wonderfully realistic golliwog danco in "Cinderella," at Melbourne Her Majesty's has aroused the scepticism of .quite a number of . patrons, who candidly express the opinion that it is not really Barry Lupino, but a dummy that Rupert Darrell guides through tho intricacies of an eccentric dance. Tho reason is that the golliwog's movements aro so remarkably "lifelike"—as it may bo described—-as to impress the beholder that they are not human. The fact that after the golliwog has danced off the stage, and, on returning, doffs his wig, and face mask, thereby revealing the features of Barry Lupino, does not appear to have convinced the sceptics, one of whom wrote to tha J. C. Williamson management: "It does seem paltry for an up-to-date theatrical management to descend to tricks like these, and ring in on us a working doll and deceive us that it is a comedian doing ihe stunt. No living person could fall about like that." Strange to say, other letters are in practically the 6ame terms, but the management has offered to donate £500 to any charitable Institution if it is proved that the dance is not performed from beginning to end by Barry Lupino.

The London Stage, , Writing to a friend in Wellington, Mr. F. W. Haybittle eulogises a performance of "Henry IV" (Part I) now being given every afternoon in London under Tree's management. The cast is a very fine one. Tree is Sir John Falstaff, Matheson Lang is Hotspur, Basil Gill is the King, Owen Nares the Prince, Charles Quartermaine is Poins, and Henry Morell is Westmoreland. Dame Quickly is being played by Mary Brough and Lady Percy, by Viola .Tree. Gerald du Maurier is appearing in a play called "Outcast," and Oscar Asche is going strong in a Zulu play, entitled "Mameena." Mr. Haybittle says:— "Do you note the performances are now all in the daytime. London is a city of total darkness at night." Mr. Haybittle is- hardly correct in this. On November 19 tbe following shows were given at night:—Aldwych, "The Earl and the Girl" ; Ambassadors, "Oddß and Ends"; Comedy, "Peg o' My Heart": Criterion, "Ce Bon Monsieur Zoetebeck" (by a Belgian company); Daly's, "A Country Girl": Duke of York's, "The Little Minister ; GarricK, "The Double Mystery"; Globe, "Mameema"; His Ma : jesty'a, "Henrv IV": Kennington, "The Marriage Market": Lyceum, "The Soldier's Wedding" ; Prince of Wales's, "Miss. Hook of Holland"; Queen's, "Potash and Perlmutter"; Royalty, "Milestones"; St. James's, "His House in Order"; Savoy, "Mr. Wu"; Strand, "The Glad Eye"; Vaudeville, "Our Boys"; Wyndham's, "Outcast." As all-the muaic-bafls are open at night, as well as the above theatres, it is difficult to understand Mr. Haybittle's assertion. X- ■ ;

Mr. Lewis Waller revived "Monsieur Beaucaire" at the Kennington Theatre at tho end of November. The name of Miss May Beatty, the ex-Chri6tchurcb Pollardian, appears among those appearing in the revue, "Hullo, Everybody," at the London Pavilion. The Creek Chorus Revived. Miss Carrie Haase and Miss Esmo Berringer, who act as the chorus, after the style of the Greek plays, have the longest and most important parts among the actresses in Granville Barker's production of "The Dynasts," at the Kingsway. Theatre, London. Excepting during the two intervals, Miss Haase is on the stage from the commencement to the final curtain. Miss Haase came under the notice of Mr. Barker when she was acting in William Poel's production of. "Hamlet." She had had a lot of experience during her stay in England. She started as understudy to Julia Neilson, and played that actress's parts iu.the "Scarlet' Pimpernel" and "Henry of Navarre." She was a leading member of Miss Horniman's Repertory Company at Manchester, and was' the original Atrne in the provincial tour of Bernard Shaw's "Man and Suporman," being rehearsed in the part ,by the author.

Straining a Title. y: Reading the plot of Beaumont Smith's play, "Seven Little Australians," I can find no resemblance at all to Miss Ethel Turner's charming tale of the same name on whioh it is supposed to be founded. Nearly everyone under 40 has read "Seven Little Australians." Those who have not still have pleasure in store. In the play the father of the seven is represented, as a dissolute scamp, and the sending away of one of the girls to a boarding school (Judy, in the book) is owing to her being' found with the cashbos nor father has stolen. The following is a sketcli of the plot The doctor (Edward Landor) has in his care six unruly youngsters—Pip (the inventive); Suds (the cheekiest), Dumps (who has a grudge against creation), Bunty (the cheorful stammerer), Baby, and Nell, and to the family comes Miss Bobbie (Vera Spaull). Her real name is Roberta, and her red hair is the trouble of her life, because she hlames it for her short temper, and eventually oubts it all off to save her soul. Bobbie's father is Captain Lennox (Harry Sweepey), a worthless spendthrift who, after failing to extort money-from the doctor, leaves Bobbie in his care and returns at a later date to rob him'. Meanwhile Bobbie has endeared herself to all, and many are the romps and practical jokes played by the seven merry young Australians. Bobbie discovers hor father robbing the doctor, and in contriving his escape is detected with the cashbox in her hands. She refuses to explain, and is sent to a board-ing-school, from which, however, she runs away, and, returning to her home, is looked after by the other six youngsters, who have a most glorious time when Constable Mullany (Tlios. E. Tilton) comes to tea, for Bobbio, who is under tho tablo, gets all tho good things that should go to the gallant police officer. Eventually Sir Frederick Graham (Reginald Kenneth) arrives on tho scene with news of the death of Lennox, who was shot in the South African war, dying so bravely that he has boon awarded the Victoria Cross, which is handed to Bobbie, along with tho letter which tells the truth about tho nttawpted robber.v. Bertha (Sinua St. Clair), the mnid-of-hiucli-worry. is niarreid to Sonstable Mullanejyand this clears the way for Bobbio to become the Dootor'a "little I housokceper.