THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2427, 5 April 1915, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

IBi Sylyios.] rho World's a theatre; the Earth a stage.—Heywood. Return of Nellie stowart. If a plebiscite of playgoers were taken as to who is the best all-round actress Australia had produced, it is fairly safoto conclude that 80 per cent, of the replies would be—"Nellio Stewart." The playgoers of the last decade or so only know Miss Stewart as a very clever comedy actress with one outstandingly big success, Nell Gwynne in "Sweet Nell of Old Drary," a role which she has identified herself with very thoroughly in recent years. But in "Sweet Nell" one only catches sidelights of the talents that Miss Stewart formerly could lay claim to. In former years she was a very admirable burlesque artist, and in comic opera her like has not been seen. Older playgoers will recall her delightful performances in "Tambour Major," "La Fille du Madame Angot," and later in "Ma Mie Rosette," "M'aniselle Nitouche," and the Gilbert-Sullivan repertoire. Unfortunately her singing voice failed her when she was at her prime, and deserting the lyric stage Miss Stewart entered upon a career on the comedy stage of which she has-been a shining light for a good many years. During her career Miss Stewart went to London and appeared aB the principal boy in the Drury Lane pantomime, and also made a success in "The Scarlet Feather" in the metropolis. The other extreme was Miss Stewart as "Camille," a tragedy role she filled with entire success. In the old days it was not uncommon to find actors and actresses who could compass the widest range of parts, but there are few actresses still before the public who can claim to have achieved such high honours in all departments of stage work. Annette Kellerman. Annette Kellerman has returned to her native land as .the star of what is reported to be the most marvellous ever produced. The play, which is a romantic fantasy of the sea, called "Neptune's Daughter," opened at the Palace Theatre, Sydney, a fortnight ago, and ever since the theatro has been filled with overflowing crowds to view the famous Australian. So tremendous a vogue, has the play attained t'hat it has been found necessary to postpone the New Zealand tour which was to have opened in Wellington the latter part of March. In this play Miss Kellerman, often called a mermaid, appears as a real- one. Surrounded by some forty _ mermaid sisters, she swims and dives in the crystal water of BerIn vengeance for'the death of her sister, a baby mermaid, she becomes mortal so that she may kill the king whom she believes responsible for her sister's deatli. In the course of this rovenge she meets with wildly exciting adventures, but eventually wins happiness. Quite Accidental. . Actors of to-day are not the hardliving set they were SO or 40 years ago. The gentle ascendency of the'stage has Improved the status of the actor, until to-day the successful actor appears as often in the King's honours' list as do poets, sculptors, or other artists. If an actor be found to be thick'of speech or slightly blurred in his phraseology it Is usually the result of accident—somebody's birthday, a legacy, : ma-in-law's demise, or just plain accident. Mr. Harry Plimmer tells a good story of an accidental drunk. It was at Albury, where the blue grape is transformed into rloh red wine, and ; where every visitor is invited to test the 'quality of the local vintages. An actor who is now prominent in America was so invited, and quite enjoyed himself taking a sip of claret, of nort, of sherry, and the cloying muscadine in the cool underground vaults. But daylight and heaven's breeze wrought a peculiar effect. He became speechless and his less lost all sense of responsibility. That night he was to play the faithful old. doctor who attends on Josephine, and is with Napoleon on the defk of the warship in the last act of "A Royal Divorce." There was only one important line for the doctor. It was: "Sire, the British Admiral approaches!" Held uo on either side by perspiring actors, the poor "doctor" arrived at. the cue, and Jimmy Hasdott roared out in a whisper: "Speak the line!" The actor became vaguely conscious that the crisis had come, but all he could gurgle out was: "Si, Bish' A'nrnl Poasli!" Then they dragged him off, as the British Admiral "poashed." A Barclay Gammon Story. Barclay Gammon tells a good soldier story. Barclay was taking a walk (without his baby grand piano) in the neighbourhood of Farnborough, and came to where a battery of R.F.A. had halted. Says one of the drivers to his mate (they were evidently Reservists). "This 'ere war worries me, Bill. A week or two afore we was called up, 1 was • bound over to keep the peace for six months. The time ain't nearly up yet, and 'erp s I've gotter go out and fight the Kyser. ■ What's anybody to do?" Somewhat Remote. Those who have special reason to romember Marie Dtressler's "enterpise" at the Aldwych a few years ago may be interested in the following extract from an article contributed to the "Stage" by its New York correspondent. It is dealing with a recent appearance of Marie's in the American city, and it concludes"lf any of tho lady star's London friends ever expect from this play any return of their old investments they • stand, about «is- much chance as a celluloid dog chasing an asbestos cat through Hades.-"Lon-don Opinion." Australian News. Writing from Sydney on March 25, Mr. Richard Stewart, of J. C. Williamson's managerial staff, said:— "I have just received a paper from London, "The Pelican," sent me by Miss Ivy Shilling, in which she has gained the prize "Pelican" cake, from all t'he lea'ding English ' artists, jby votes to the extent of 8502, and the next to her was a Miss Colfer who gained about • 1000 . less; then comes Miss_ Gertie Miller; followed by Miss Ellaline Terriss. It is a yearly affair, and seems quite an honour to the one gainiug the prize. "I am going to Adelaide, for the Easter 'season (Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company) opening on Easter Saturday, for a fortnight, then possibly on to the West, after which Ibelievo the company returns to England. "Sydney shows have had a right royal time for some months. 'High Jinks,' absolutely the. finest show of its kind ever presented by tho firm, had to be taken off to phenomenal business at Her Majesty's, and Fred Niblo's season at the Criterion has never been excelled. Both these shows go to Melbourne; the latter opened at the Royal last Saturday week in 'Seven Kevs to Baldpate,' and its success thoro is quite equal to the Sydney recaption. 'Higli Jinks' finished at Her Majesty's last Friday, and is a week out, opening at Her Majesty's next Saturday. "Tho pantomime has started hero splendidly last Saturday, and as also did Miss Muriel Starr with 'Bought and Paid for,' hut I am sorry to havo to report that Miss Starr had to give up the part after Saturday night last, and"went through an operations for appendicitis last Monday, at the .Tenner Private Hospital, and at 0,30 Monday : irmmi.net news camn ta the above office

that the operation had been eminently successful with no complications, anil in talking to the doctor yesterday I was informed Miss Starr would bo playing in four weeks at latest. Miss Bremer (a young Australian) has taken up the part for Miss Starr, and has certainly made good with the public, for tho business is still up to concert pitch. This young lady was placed with tho 'Argyle Case,' also 'Ready Money,' and afterwards married Mr. E. W. Morrison. 1 understand she is but. 19 years of age, but certainly is possessed with exceptional talent. "Julius Knight is still at the Theatre Royal, and this weell is reviving 'A Royal Divorce.' His season is really excellent, and very shortly starts a now play entitled 'The Guardsman,' and in a few months goes out on tour m North Queensland." . If Shakespeare Wrote To-day. George Cohan, tho lively burlesque actor and comedy writer, who has achieved more success in the last fivo years than' any other man in tho theatrical business m the United States, pos- " oi "J le has been saying that II Shakespeare were writing his plays to-day he would not find a manager game to produce them. Mr. Cohan lias the gift of common sense, and his great success entitles him to consideration as a first-rate judge of what the public ■ wants. He hands them . tho nope" in great style, and at tho same time is explaining to the world through the "Green' Book" how ho figures what precisely is the "dope" to givo. tho public. Shakespeare is the man who said everything there was to be said. His glorious truths based on a profound knowledge of life, his wondrous moralisings, his brilliant wit, and the chiming music of his phraseology will ever be the sun' in the heaven »of English literature, and jot those who watch the theatrical game closely are more likely to believe Cohan than not as to Shakespeare's chances of publication. During the last five years the world has grown amazingly frivolous in its playgoing. Twenty years ago comic opera was considered the . lightest and most delightful form of entertainment. Then legitimate comic opera was swept into tho .dust-heap by gay flippant musical comedy, in which the manners of the times and fripperies of the theatre were .burlesqued with the gloves off. But even this incursion, which shocked those with any regard for the proprieties, was in time reckoned too slow. The tango crazo caught the world and made it dizzy, arid after that camo the revue, a light frothy entertainment, that is vaudeville, broad burlesque, pantomimic spectacle, with usually more than a soupcon of suggestiveness all jumbled together. On the talking side of the question the change is just as marked. There are now no audiences for the "talky" comedy or play._ Quick, rapidly moving, fireworky American comedy has altered the whole outlook on stage work, and an even bigger factor is the kinematograph picture play, which is all action. Through frequent visits to the picture theatre the public has become saturated with the craze for quick movement and compressed action (it is a sort of speed mama with them), and when they witness a play written in the mode of twenty years ago, is it any wonder that they vote it dull and slow? Even the brilliant dialogue of Oscar Wilde does not compensate them for tho almost entire lack of action. He is giving them oxaotly the reverse of what- modern American comedy of-the "Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford" typo, and the movies" talk: The American comedy will not stand analysis from a literary point of view, but it is accompanied by a whirl of incident of a broadly comic character, with here and there a great blob of sentiment that one could knock off with a stick—but what is the use of arguing? It. is precisely what the public want,- and wise managers will continue to study their pocket by giving it to them. Those who have a desire to see what "going broke" feels like will probably continue to produce tho older comedies of Wilde and Pinero. It is all verj; sad, but a careful survey of the position of the stage to-day; not only in England and America., but in our own small way here, almost induces us to believe George Cohan's speculation about Shakespeare. Hie trend of public taste respecting plays is reflected in its taste for litera-'! ture. 'The hurry-scurry, new life, get-i there-quick novels that are turned out in America by the gross every week have the same characteristic as the modern American comedy. The sentiment is splodged on in the same thick turgid fashion, and is. usually regarded as "the real thing," whatever that may be. One yaguely wonders if Sir Walter Scott, Fielding, or 1 Smollet would rouse any interest in a publisher in these racy if somewhat incomprehensible times. Notes. . Mr. Leo. de Chateau, general manager for Edward Branscombe, Ltd., is coming across to New Zealand with the Red Dandfea towards the end of next month. " ; . ' 1 "When we came through Suez to Australia," related Mr Stigant, dame in "Cinderella" in Sydney, "we saw British soldiers posted unendingly. There was some surprise when the cheers given by the passengers to the Tommies were unanswered, but the reason' was contained in the remark of one of them, a Scot, who came up close to the ship and shouted, reproachfully, to the immigrants leaning over the side, "You're gangin' th' wr-r-rong way, laddies!' " Miss Maggie Moore ■is playing the Dame in the pantomime "Sinbad the Sailor" at .the Sydney Adelphi. Florence Esdaile, the Australian vocalist who has returned from a long English and Continental tour, and is starring at the National Theatre, Sydney, was in West Hartlepool when it was bombarded by the Gorman battleships. She was having her morning cup of tea when the war'of the guns and" tho crash of exploding shells brought terror in their wake. The hotel at which Miss Esdaife was staying escaped injury, although the Empire Theatro, only a little distance away, was damaged a little outside. The well-known American producer, Mr. George Barnum, has been brought to Australia by J. C. Williamson, Ltd. to stage a number of American plays for tho firm. These will include: "Kick In'.' (drama), "On Trial" (drama), "Under cover" (drama), "A Pair of sixes" (farce), "Twin Beds" (farce), "Baby Mine" (farce), "It Pays to Advertise" (farce), and "He Comes Up Smiling" (comedy). Those will he played in the near future.