THE THEATRE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3112, 16 June 1917, Page 11

THE THEATRE

(By Sylvius.). Am Accidental Start. Curious mo (ho wa.ys .mil means li.v which, niaiiy neorrlu have found their Kay n» lt> tho nrofussioual stage, l'artijtilarly is il. so in tuo colonies, whore l.linro a.ro no dramatiu academics or Bohools to cnuin young folk of talent J'nr a theatrical carcor, as Jβ, or was. tho casQ on tho Continent and in America. A caso in point is that of l r «.id Bennett, who has boon starring in a pie.turo entitled "Tho Princess of the Dark." Mic-fl Bonnett; in the daughter o£ a Perth hardware merchant, find has been keen on amateur theatricals since sho entored her teens. At ono time tho Julius Knight Company wore ia Perth, claying "The Sign of tho Cross," when the Voune lady who played tho boy Stephaous aud her undoratudy wcxo thrown out. , i>f tho same motor-car. Both woro too much hurt to play, so Mr. Charles Berkeley, had to scout round for an emwEoncv Stephanie. Somebody mentioned htlJe Enid- Bennett, and Mr. Knight looked her over and found her trim to type. She played tho part eo woll that sho was told to look up the Williamson people if ever sho went east. And she went east in due course; -was Riven, work -with ono of tho dramatio companies, and then had the luck to bo encased for tho Niblo Comedy Company. Mr. Niblo took a fancy to tho young actress, and taught her a treat deal. Fo that in the end she played eome nf Misa Cohan's part* when that lady was 111. Sitbsennently she went to America with tho NiMos. and after playing in eomedy for a timo Gravitated towarda' that maelstrom of tho mono world—Loo Aueoles. A friend in Now' Zealand recently had a letter from Mies Bennett wyins that sbo was signing up for two years at a salary of -CISO a. -week. " Death or James Welch. Air. .Tames Welch, the popular comedian, died in London on Tuesday, April 10, aged 52. After considerable eiporienco »s an amatour, Mr. Welch .-joined Wilson Barrett's Company when he was 22. Character aotdng, the interpreting of quaint, occontric, pathetic, or of curiously humorous parts appealed to Mm, and it was cot long before he had established «■ big reputation in London. One of the first plays with -which he waa associated as a. manager was "You Never Can Tell," which was produced at; thn old Strand Theatre. Ho used to tell how he went some, miles out. of London to get permission from the anthor to produce the ploy. They could not, however, agree about terms. "Jimmy" Welch cajoled and.tried .to coax tho anthor, but all to no purpose. When ho got hack to Waterloo he; sent a telegram by way of ft joke, "Can I have your play for nothing?" Tho telegram won him the play, for tho author, unwilling to reduce Bis foes to James Welch tho manager wag unable to resist tho humour of "Jimmy" Welch the comedian. His first wife was Miss Lo Gallicnne, sister of Mr. Bichard Lβ Gallionne. His w.cond wifo is a daughter of Mies Lottie Venno and on tho stago is Miss Audrey Fordo. Mario Tempost and Garcia. Miss Marie Tempest, who was tho great Garoia'e last pupil, gives an amusing account of her first meeting with the illustrious teacher of einging. "I had just arrived in London from Paris, and woro n. wonderful dress of bright Stuart tartan. It was very tightfitting, and buttoned all down the back. Those woro the days when every -woman showed her figure. My waist was nineteen inches. I had called upon, Garcia to have my voice tried. At the timo I was studying pianoforte at Trinity College. Over horn-rimmed glasses Garcia glowered at me. I sang tho Ernani scena. I suppose you think you can sing?' he said; and then ho gathered himself together, and roared: 'Go,home and tako off those corsets. Never lot me see you with o ninoteen-inch waist again!' For the first six months he led me tho devil's own life. I used to cry over niy lessons. Ho would get into a towering- rage and throw the music about. Ono day ho told mo I was to sing Mendelssohn's 'Infelice' with tho Symphony Orchestra at St. James's Hall. When I camo off the platform after this public appearance Garcia came into tho artist' room, put his arm about reo, and kissed me. From that time onward,he was kindness itself. I followed up by winning tho Itoyal Academy silver medal for pianoforte, the gold medal for English declamatory singing, and also numerous mednls for elocution.-"

The London critics waiee Marie Lohr very warmly for her latest part in "Remnant," a translation from the French, flaying lead with Mr. Dennis Eadie, she is Baid to havo introduced an atmosphere of rare delicacy and charm. London music halls seem to Jh> straininc evory endeavour to offer stronger bills each month. An. example of tho talent appearing was noticeable at the Colisoum lately, when Genee and Com-' pany, Mrs. Patrick Campbell aad Company, Margaret Cooper and Marini, wero noticed anions othw artists. Miss Vera Pearce. the Tivoli Follies etar, who is well known here, hns left Australia, to fulfil a starring cnjasiemont in South Africa. Miss Nellie Stewart ie presbntine "Sweet Nell of Old Drury" in eerial form, at tho Sydney Tivoli—a different act each week. Tho aovelty so far has been a big success.