WAR TIME IN THEATRELAND

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2376, 4 February 1915, Page 3

WAR TIME IN THEATRELAND

LONDON'S STRUG6LING STAGE (By Arthur Mason, in the Sydney "Herald.") London, December 18. On tho whole, London's stage is struggling gamely and not unsuccessfully through these parlous times. In Paris, the theatre, for a time wholly bloUe'd out, is just beginning to raise its head again. But even that recent reopening of the State theatres, the Coinedie Francaise and the Opera. Comique, is as yet only a trembling experiment, which meets with very nesitant response from private managers. All over the once gay city, indeed, theatrical interests, chary of offering themselves as hostages to fortune, still keep their doors fast 6hut. They have reason. From Paris a very considerable proportion of the audiences, and guite a number of tho actors, have vanished within the nebulous hazard of the fighting line. Paris will get back her theatres, but only slowly—not merely for that reason of the absence of her men, but also because in Paris,- if anywhere this time of strain and anxiety, and these thousands of houses of mourning, are not fit frame for the art of the stage. All the same, I should be glad to have been a witness of that noble scene at the reopening of the Comedie Francaise last week. The drama chosen was the classic "Horace" of Corneille, and we are told that when the old Horatius, answeriug the question of the' Roman matron — - 'Que voulez-vous qu'll fit contre trois?"—replied in the great words, "Qu'll mourut!" a flame of emotion swept across tho vast audience, and the theatre thundered with applause. That was a fino moment, and there wae another when Mmo. Bartet recited a poem written for the occasion by the famous Belgian, Verhaeren, entitled "La Fiero Belgique." The emotion of the great actress was such that she could hardly speak the lines; while most of her hearors were in tears. But at the end, the words "All honour to our country and our King!" drew the audience to its feet, shouting "Brave!" and the Marseillaise was sung with indescribable enthusiasm.

■ We cannot equal that in London. For one thing, we have no parallel with the Coniodio Francaise. For another thing, we are not so closely at touch with the terror and the pride of war aj are the French nation, and we are not living at their level of emotional strain. Uur theatres have not at any time been closed entirely. They were down to very few in August, when the customary doldrums of the summer vacation found them exposed, in addition, to the upheaval of a country called suddenly to arms. Since then they have come to more sta-blebalarice. London's population is vast in number,. and not all of it is directly involved even in a world war. Moreover, the stage gradually reshaped itself as a convenient escape from thought of all the ghastliness abroad in Europe. Thus there were always audiences for this, and sometimes for that. One by one our theatres opened. Sometimes they closed again, hurriedly. Sometimes they survived the strain of half-houses and depleted box-offices. Sometimes they were crowd, ed night after night, and despite the horror across the water. It is understood that the actors' salaries are now on a war-time basis. It is believed, also that some 600 actors are under arms. But this week in London 20 theatres and all the great variety houses are open.

Apart from the more subtle influence of universal unrest, which was bound to bear disastrously upon the theatre world, two facts in particular have helped towards a situation that at one time threatened to annihilate London theatreland. In the first place, West End London, which ; provides every night thousands of wealthy theatregoers, and Jills thousands of high-priced seats, has been hard hit by the war. They say nothing about it, but the fearful casualty lists say much —the officers' casualty lists in particular. There is much sorrow in the West. End of London, and far-spread diminution of the theatre-going mood. In the second place, the darkening of London by night and the early closing of so much ofLondon's night life have had susbtantial effect upon the movement of the suburban populations. It is a long way to the West End from some of the suburbs, and it is not pleasant to go groping one's way home in almost black darkness. Suburbia, in consequence, postpones its .weekly visit to the theatre and stays at its fireside^ Nevertheless things go on. They Save gone on largely by means of revivals. A few new autumn plays were tried, but one by one they went toppling. • Then, at theatre after theatre, revivals of old plays filled up the gaps. Never was seen such a resuscitation of Ibng-buried amusement. Some of it proved unable to bear the strain of new life; some of it was discovered as still vigorous. "Drake," at His Majesty's, had, oT course, a special appeal, and incidentally it enabled Tree to give quTte a lot of money to the patriotic funds. "Miss Hook of Holland" and : 'KTs House in Order" are just ending afwjr quite fair runs. "Our Boys," no less, is being enjoyed by audiences at the Vaudeville, who must almost be the grandchildren of those who first saw it there. "The Little Minister" has done excellently -well at the Duke of York's, and at the Apollo Mr. Hawtrey, after failing with the new "Seven Keys to Baldpate," and also with his once-suc-cessful "Never Say Die," played another well-thumbed card from his old pacy— "A Message from Mars"—and is still in tho running. "Henry IV,'-' which followed "Drake" at His Majesty's, did not go beyond a few weeks, though it was a beautiful production— and what a lord of words was this Shakespeare! Mr. Matheson Lang was well praised for his Hotspur, whom he presented with much fire—and a stilts ter. He was a fine figure in the shining armour of that day, but otherwise, find especially from the elocutionary point of view, seemed to mo to lack the real Shakespearean distinction. HSwever, it was a good company, and Tree, who had been an impossible Sir Francis Drake, was a wholly ideal Falstaff. But that is Tree's way. Still, "Henry IV" failed—but never mind, next week we are to have "Henry V" at the Shaftesbury ,and "A mer Night's Dream," with others to follow, at the Coronet. "The Flag Lieutenant" is also with us again, and appropriately but one of the most successful of our revivals is undoubtedly the splendid production of "The Country Girl" at Daly's with sumptuous staging, and with the still-unrivalled musical-comedy star, Miss Gertie Millar, to sing and frolic as charmingly as ever in new and fascinating songs and dances. It is possible, too, that there nover has been a funnier Barry than his almost namesake, the inimitable W. H. Borry, London's j reigning low comedian; nor has the Indian Princess and "Under the Deodar" ever had a finer exponent than Miss Clara Butterworth, until now a well-known. London concert singer, and one of tho few singers who are also artists. ''The Country Girl" is on all counts a delightful business.. i

Of thcTuew plays, "Peg o" "Ttfy Ecart," a pretty American comedy, has succeeded by grace of Miss Lauretta Taylor, whoso charming Peg is a househoid word across the Atlantic. I huvo not seen "The Dynasts," Mr. Granville Barker's brave attempt to reproduce scenes from Thomas Hardy's long, long poem, but "Outcast," the one survival of our autumn wfeeltage, Tia» , ttUed WyaUhwo's ior man* weeks, tt ».

a beautifully writeen comedy-drama, by Hubert Henry Davies, who once wroto "The Mollusc," alter seeing which 1 felt that anything Hubert Henry Davies might write would be worth going many miles to see. "Outcast," moreover, gives occasion for a superb performance by Gerald du Maurior, a polished and temperamental artist, and unquestionably one of the finest comedy actors of tlie day. Next week Drury Lruie reopens witli its new twice-revived "Sleeping beauty," "Peter I'au," and "The Cockgoily Bird" come once more to dolight the children, and some of their elders, and at other places other pantomimes and other Christmas theatrical activity. On tho whole, therefore, London's theatroland, and London's nighttime gaiety, though they may be shad-owed,-are certainly not eclipsed.