THE FULLER INTERESTS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3137, 16 July 1917, Page 6

THE FULLER INTERESTS

MB. BEN. PULLER IN WELLINGTON. Mr. Ben. ,T. Sillier, head of Fuller and Sons, Ben. and. John duller, Ltd., and other theatrical concerns too numerous to particularise, arrived in Wellington on Friday from the north, and left for the south on SatJirday evening on a (lying visit to- the various centres in which tho firm operates. In the course of an interview Mr. Fuller recounted in a brief, staccato, but very-much-to-the-point manner some of the present and future activities of the Fuller firm. It was only Inst year that Allan Wilkie joined the Fuller standard to enow that Shakespeare at popular prices was both practicable and profitable. Not many months a"o the Williamson people produced the Walter Howard drama "The Story of the Eosary" at the Theatre Koyal, Melbourne, where it failed to attract. Ihe p!«y was afterwards secured for tho Wilkie Company by Mr. Fuller, and on ita presentation at the Opera House, Syflnqy, ran for fifteen weeks to big busf/je-s at popular prices. The Williameon item's new "Fair and Warmer Gomrrany 'lias now been taken over by Ben. and .lyihn Fuller, and with Miss Carrie Moore < as leading lady will commence a. season at the Opera House Sydney, on Saturday nrat witn A Little Bit ot Fluff-" Tho Wilkio Company is to tour New Zealand shortly with "Tho Story ot of the Eosary-" and a new war play entitled "Seven .Days' Leave." Ihe pantomime, "The nunyip" written by mi Australian rouvid an Australian theme, was a big success in Sydney. It will commence a tou'r of Ivew Zealand at Auckland next (Christmas, and ths following year will be taken to London. Asked as to what theatre it would be produced in, Mr. Fuller said that pat matter was not net fixed, but if there were any difficulty on that score lio would build a theatre in London. The next pantomime for Sydney would be Kobmmu Crusoe," expanded from the revue ot that name recently played on tho New Zealand circuit by the Victor Prince Company. Perhaps the moat important news Mr. Fuller announced was' -the coming of another Italian grand • opera company. This company was to- be organised in Italy by Counfr-Fillip]?ini (the talented baritone, who was in New Zealand with the Gonzales Company). It would hato a very extensive repertoire, far larger even than that of the GorMales Company, and would include Charnentier's "Louise and other modern grand opc-ras. 'ihis company is to make its tirtst appearance in Sydney next Easter. Mt. Fuller has also completed arrangements to tour Signor Capclli, the fine tenor of the Gonzales Company, with a concert, company through New Zealand within the next few months. The Fullers have secured a long lease of His Majesty's Theatre, Christchurch, which is to be opened on Saturday next with a first-rate programme. This would enable their vaudeville acts to be seen to much better advantage than has hithorto been possible in Christchurch. Ms. Fuller also related thnt the firm had just erected a theatre as large as their Wellington theatre, in Newtown, Sydney, and business there has , exceeded all anticipations. This theatre waS designed by Mr. Henry E. , White, and was probably the finest theatre in Sydney. "Fair and Warmer" and "A- Little Bit of Fluff" are to be witnessed in New Zealand before the end of the year,.