THE THEATRE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3042, 31 March 1917, Page 17

THE THEATRE

(By Sylvius.) "Seven Keys to Baldpato." . Wellington playgoers will have no need to complain of the Williamson i Easter offering. This will bo Goorgo '■ Cohan's very clover and lascinating comedy, "The Seven Keys to Baldpate," perhaps (the best iarcical comedy to come out of America in the last ten years or more, and ono which has never failed to succeed ,'evdry where. It was played in Australia somo three" years ago. by Fred Niblo and a capablo company, but we never saw it hero during, tho/visits of that comedian (who, by tho way, is returning to Australia shortly). . "The Seven Keys" is highly ingenious in its idea, which consists of the history of a bet, and how it waß won —a hot that a man would bo able to:'.write.tko best-selling no vol of tho year. How ho does it not be told hero, as the pleasure 'of 1 anticipation would bo lessened, but tho situations throughout are delightful in their eccentricity and ,surprises..- In this comedy tho expected never happens. The company, is headed by Mr. Robert Greig and Miss Beatrice Holloway,- jtwo players of sterling inori*, who have had a long experience in American comedy both under Mr. Niblo and in South Africa. They should receive ; a warm welcome. Tho company arrives on Monday. Praise for a Wellington Actress. A crowded and; delighted house at the Princess's Theatre' (says a recentissue of the Melbourna bore testimony to the lasting quality of the woric of Richard Kinsley Sheridan, and to the capital rnasner in which Mr. Allan Wilkie, and all but one of the members' of hiß . company rendered "The Rivals." In the first' aot it seemed likely that the whole porfofmaiice Would be : spoilt by' the way in which the lines of Mrs. Malaprop verospoken, or mis-spoken, or forgotten. IV an interval it was stated from tho stage that the player of the part had been seized with a, sudden illness, and that Mrs. Malaprop's speeches would be read by Miss Marie Ney, who had been appearing in sprightly fashionas the maid Lucy. The reading of so important a .part as j;hat or Mrs. Malaprop might oas'ily have cast a further blight, upon the performance, but Miss Noy carried it through so cleverly,'and managed to memorise so many of the linos during her periods of waiting that the audience recognised the saving of its evening's entertainment by prolonged applause. In a speech after the final ourtain, Mr. Wilkie heartily thanked Miss Ney, and announced that arrangements had been made that from Monday next Mrs. Malaprop should be played by Misß Mabel Russell, who appearod as, Mrs. Candour in the ' Allan Wilkie production of the "School Tor Scandal." Miss Ney wbb formerly Miss Mane Fix, of Wellington, whose parents are the proprietors of "The Mansions." H. B. Irving and the Theatre. In an article recently published in London, H. B. Irving Bays:— .'; "A small proportion of the population of these isles seem to thinlc that any form of reoreation at the present time is out of place and unpatriotic. They marvel how it is that wo can still play games and. go to theatres when the daily casualty list runs into 'thousands ; they rise in their wrath and denounce England as a. frivolouß end pleasure-loving nation, and refer with inelanoholy delight to the fable of Nero playing the fiddle while Rofno was bum-, ing. This class is the relic of Puritanism, deadly and barbai'oilß as far. as art was.concerned, ready,to kill if it could all the innocent joys, of life. If this force had triumphed in England thcro would havo been lib amusements of the people for me to write about today. Yet even in war time- people must bo amused, just as thoy must' bo clothed and fed. The Puritan, i who not only cannot enjoy himself at tho thoatre, but would try to prevent any-; body olso from so doing, is in a minority ; his fanaticism must give way to tlio voico of public,opinion. "In any discussion on the amusements of the people at the prcsoht time, it is impossible to ign'oro tho recent criticisms.and denunciations of tho alleged low toiio and suggestiveness of tho modern theatre.'•■ Such a distinguished soldier- as General Sruith-Dor-rion has launched this attack professed•iy to savo our young soldiers from tho contamination and temptation involved in witnessing theatrical performances tlfat are improper, Of the honesty of his intentions there can be no possiblo ffo'uß; what is more to.the point is whe,thor his charges aro justified by facts. All I would say is this: in point of actual decency the English Btago always la's been and is the' most decent in the world. This is to a largo extent because tho public had made it bo ; the stage must always reflect rather than lead public taste." "The Aristoorat." The London "TihioH" furnishes the following sketch of "Tho Aristocrat," the new play by Louis N. Parker, of which Sir George. Alexander' is now playing the horo at tho St. James's I Thoatre. .i ' . . ■ . •

"At the very height of tho Terror tho Duke of Chastelfrano calmly ignores it, retiring to his country scat,_ sur-' rounding himself with liis noble friends, living -the old stately .life, refusing to admit that there are such facts £8 Revolution and Republic—liko 'my ; old man' in 'Punch,' who; 'won't' 'ave as there be any war.'. He insists.upon a saintly bishop, celebrating mass just, as usual—and, of cou'rßO, the saintly. bishop and the inflexible' aristocrat and all their noble friends* are promptly cast into a Paris prison, with the Paris mob howling' outside for their blood. Thereupon Hie inevitable scene of all Revolution plays—the departure of the condemned for' the scaffold—which, familiar as it is, oven after tho-lapso of a century and a quarter, never fails to provoke shudders of horror and tears of pity. But it can be well or ill presented, and at tho St. James's it is very efficiently presented, with a most blood-curdling jurj> a- veritable demon of a judge, and the most affecting group of condemned aristocrats.' But our chief aristocrat there is reserved a more torturing agony than tho prospect of tho scaffold. His young daughter is condemned to die, while he is'.condenined to live. This is tho fiendish vengeance of the chief sansculotte for some old privato wrong. A chance of escape from this fate presents itself. Disguised in tho cloak and hat of a condemned comrade, tho aristocrat hopes, after all, to sharo death with his daughter. But it is tho ninth Theririiddr, and at this moment tho shout resounds that Robespierre is shot. The crowd msh in to set the poor aristoorat free. They find him dazed, and ask, 'Are wo too late?' 'No,' ho replies, 'too soon.' " London Notes. ( Revivals are still the fashion in London. Amonc'the latest announcomonts are that Dion Boucicaiilt is revTvtng W. S. Maughnhi's play "The Land of Promisd*' : (seen hero this wook), with Mi»B Irene Vnnhrongh in hor original part, and Mr. H. U. Irving has revived "Tho Professor's Love .Story" at the Savoy. "A Strange Play" is the name of _a now piece, in seven scenes, which Sir J. M. Barrio, has written fnr_a benefit performance in aid, of tho British War Hospital Fund. Mrs. Kendall will deliver an address', and many well-known actors and actresses will, iiguro in tho oast of twenty-six porsonß. Some time ago Messrs Vedrenne and

Eadie acquired a. new play by Lech- ] mero Worrall and J. E. Harold Terry, authors of "Tho Man Who Stayed at, Homo." Its title is "Tho Man Who Wont Abroad," and it is, by arrangement with Mr. Alfred Butt, to bo Boon at tho Globe as soon as "Peg o' My Heart" is ready to retire. Tho war tax. on theatre tickets is now Wo accepted thing in London. It amounts to 2d. on every Is., and is paid wben tho tickets aro purchased quite as a matter of course. lu New Zealand, where wo got our theatrical entertainment cheaper than any cthor part of the world, it would harm no ono to pay suoh an amount, and would bo a sourco of considerable rovenuo to tho Government. People recently from Homo aro rather surprised to find that there is no theatro-ticket tax imposed in New Zealand. Claro Kummer, who wroto "Good Gracious, Annabel!©" (in wnich.comcdy Marie Tempest is to open in Melbourne at. Easter), has written a comedietta entitled "The Choir Rehearsal;" which |b being done extensively in vaudeville in America.