THE THEATRE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 300, 7 September 1918, Page 11

THE THEATRE

(By "Sylvius.")

"Peg" on Tour. Provincial playgoers will doubtless be. interested, to know the exact dates of tlic "Peg-0' Mv Heart"' Company in/ the Xurlli Island. The following is the tour so far a? if is booked :—Danneyirke, September 11; Fcilding, Thursday, September 12; Huntervillo, September 13; Taihape, September '14; Ohnkun'c, September 16; Tauninrumii, September 17; To Kuiti, September 18; Te Awamutii, September 19; Otorohanga, September 20. ■ ■ "OhlOh! Delp'liino." That ".Krenchy" musical play, "Ob! Ob! "Delpliiiie," will bo staged at-Her Majesty's, Melbourne, to-night. The cast will be an exceptionally strong and attractive one, including George Welch, Ncsta' Barry, Oliver Peacock. Reginald Roberts, Jack' 'Ralston. Phil ' Smith, Gladys Moncrioff, Phyllis Amery. Florence'Voving, John Ford, Eva Webber, Olive Godwin, Addie Lonnnrd, Kitty Dbwnes.' Cvril Kitebard.

Slump In-London, ' Mr.. Allan Jlamilton, formerly a lessee . of' the Sydney. Palace.Theatre, is makfiig a very loiig". stay jit Brighton, England, from which gay' resort, ho makes, frequent, visits ■ to London to ".do"' the-tiieatros, whore he .is'welcomed by several ..old friends .now. in management. Writing on Juno V 2; he describes "an appalling slump in the show market,-which caiholikc a thun-der-clap about two months ago; and has got steadily-.worse every week.. Nothing l seems to shake the stability of Oscar Asche's 'Cbu Chin Chow, ,- ibis amazing, and not undeserved, success being ono of the wonders of the age. Notable, exceptions may also bo '.quoted in ''Nothing But' the Truth' and' 'By Pigeon Post,; , the' latter a modern war comedy, iii which M'adgo .Titlieradge looks'chic iii a military French uniform as a surgeon on active service. Poor Marie Lbhr came a dreadful cropper with her . '.Press the Button' comedy, by Robert Kitchens. Seven nights'.and two'.matinees, when up went the'shutters, and theatre how closed to rehearse yet another new piece. This is a bad start as a young manageress for the daughter of our old friend Kate Bishop, especially as . she is putting up her own money with- . out backers or syndicates. _ Some of the musical comedies, 'Maid of the ■Mountain," 'My Boy,' and ._ 'Lilac •Domino,' hold their ground against all' troubles, but the majority are, struggling ,hard to make deadheads interested, profusely -.'papering the house' , in the hopo .that.'.the great .paying public will scent a run, and back it up. It is a dangerous game that can be played in only tho greatest cities; and one of which Australian managers • happily know nothing. The-fact" is that a great deal of. rubbish is experimentally tried out in London under tho impression that it will please, as in the case of Marie Lohr's production, and aheap of money is lost in the process." \

Sara Allgood in Pictures. Miss Sara Allgood had her first experience in. .playing before the kinematograph camera before she came to New Zealand, appearing in a' charming little play culled "Just Peggy," .which no doubt will lie seen here before long.. Miss Allgood informed', a pressman that siio greatly enjoyed the experience, but had to admit that, film-acting had its drawbacks. For iu-stanee, she said that once a thing. wa,s .done—a motion made, an arm waved, a head tossed, a linger moved, or an. eyelid lifted before the all-seeing eye .of the camera there was no altering it—it wa's .hopelessly irrevocable,;■ and otuvcoulcl not—never got tho'chance—to improve on a. performance as one could on, the. ordinary stage. "When you play a new.'part on "the stage," said Miss Allgood, "either you or the producer will find means of improving.' it by adding touches here, and'there, "or refrniaing from doing something that,'felt' wrong, b.itt once a picture is taken it cannot bo. altered;.at least, it could be by taking it all over again, but that is not to bo thought «f with celluloid ribbon at tho price- it is." , ■ ■ ■'■ ; - : Notes. , .. ■ Mrs.' Dallas, who is to play the 1010 of the Duchess of Plaza- Toro in "The Gondoliers" 'with the Wellington- Amateur Operatic Society, is probably, one of the best contraltos in the Dominion. She will be better known to Duiiedin people, as Miss Mabel Esquilant.. In . stature;' voice,, and carriage, she should mako an ideal Duchess. . • .'. The, dates tti Capelli's farewell concerts iii "Wellington ivill.be September 23 and 30,