THE THEATRE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 306, 14 September 1918, Page 13

THE THEATRE

(By "Svlviue.") Return of tho English Pierrots. , The popular English Piorrote return to tho Concert Chamber this evening for a couple of weeks after a highly successful tour of tho North Island.'At Wiuigamii the show was fortunate to strike the week of tho inter-collegi-frtc football matches, and benefited thereby, whilst at Napier Blythe' and. M'Gruer's staflVcelebrated .the closing of the , big shop at 5.30 .p.m. on Saturdays by purchasing 200 seats afc 45.each, so tliat with; Mr. Bob: .Thomas'slittle but,good combination luck was tho handmaid of quality on the tour. Frqm 'Wellington, the Pierrots will go , to Perth for the summer.

Wellington Competitions. ! 'Splendid, entries 1 are being received for, the music, and elocutionary competitions that are to. commence at the Town Hall on November 14. Tho committee has arranged a very complete syllabus—almost too long, I think— which will take froiir NoVoihbei , 14 to November 30 to-get through. This will .be a strain pir'tlie judges, competitors, and perhaps tbo public. Still,' it is difficult to know what classes could be dispensed with, and their arrangement has evidently received careful atteution. November promises to be n /month of amateur effort. The AVclJington Amateur Operatic will begin a soven nights' season of "Tho Gondoliers" on Saturday, November 2, and, following on, tho competitions j will carry on from tho middle to the 1 end of tho month. "the Thirteenth Chair." The dramatic attraction to follow Allen Doono at tho Grand Opera House will be "Tho Thirteenth Chair," a psychological play in which Miss Margaret.'N'yeherley (the wife of the author, Bayard Veiller) is said to Tiave made a cousiderable dramatic success in America. A lengthy sketch of the plot of this play has already appeared in this' column. It concerns an inquiry as to the murderer of Spencer Leigh by.his friend Edward Wales. Wales happens to be at the homo of his friend Eoscoe Crosby, who has employed, a celebrated spiritualistic medium to entertain his friends. Bosie Iβ: Grange is summoned. A seanco is arranged, a-nd Walee, fascinated, and I almost convinced tha-t it is not all humi'bug, eeeks to learn the name of the unI known murderer of his friend Leigtt. The lights go down—tliero is an eerie sensation as the'weird sister takes charge of the little Gathering, -then, suddenly, there is a shriek, the lights are turned, up, and Wales is discovered to have been stabbed to doath in preoisely the B same manner as his fnond Leigh, by a knife thrust in the back. The rest of tho play is'devoted to the clearing up of the mystery surrounding tbp two deaths. It is interesting to loarn that the part of Eosie Iβ Grange is being played successfully in London by Mrs. Patrick Campbell, who gives the medium a French accent. Miss Wycherley's accent is Irish—which hardly accords with the namo of tho central figure. ..■•.-

"The Purple Mask." On July 6 Mr. Matheson Lang commenced a London season at the Lyric Theatre with "The Purple Mask," a romantic drama, being an adaptation by Mr. Charles Latour, of Paul Armpnt and Jean Manonssi's four-act drama "Lβ Chevalier an Masquo." The action takes place in Paris, at the moment, of Napoleon's rise ty powor. There a , Httlo -Rroup.V.of Eoyalists is busily .eh/jaged in an endeavour to rescue the Duke of. Chateaubriand from the clutches of tho First Consul, aiid eventually to' set li I?6urbon upon the throne of France.. At the head of the bund is, n famous conspirator, nick--nnmed'"The Purple Mask," who has won for.liimself a creat reputation as a kidnapper of prominent Republicans. Rut, owincr tn. defflult,' his nlaco is taken by" the Com.te. ; dp..Trevieres. the .part plnvpfj by .Mr. Mntheson L?nR. 'Aeniiist : him'.is , arrayed, tho notorious Fniinhe, aid«l. by his numerous snies aiifl spcret police. By these -well-match-ed onponents the. enme of_ nlot nnd cnnnter-Tilnt'.is nnrnVd-.on with ljnflmjpiiiK vicrour" ond inpermity until the time nrrivps' for the Count to secure a final victory, ■.. ■' '

A Creat por?onality. : Guy Bates Post is said to be the best "actor seen in' Australia for many years, and it was,'unfortunate that lie ,was not given the opportunity to visit Now Zealand. -Describing his last night in Sydney, a friend writes me as"follows:—f'At.-tlie conclusion of the performance Mr. Post was, of course, compelled to -make a speech, and such was the enthusiasm that the whole thing did not , wind up until twenty minutes to twelve. The lights had to ba turned out to get the audience out. However, the actor—the great actoris said to ho keen on Axistralia, and he hopes to ; come back within tho next two or three years ( but he is such a terrific personality wi America that it may he longer. New Zealand has missed one of tho greatest treats in tho theatrical history of this country, for Mr. Post is a wonderful artist and a great personality." The testimony borne by my correspondent is endorsed by all—public and profession—who saw Mr. Post in either of'the two plays he appeared in.

Melbourne's Repertory Theatre. ! After an existence of seven years.as an independent organisation, the Moltiourno Repertory Theatre has been taken over by Messrs. J. and N. Tait. Mr, Gregan M'Mahou, the founder and director of the Repertory Theatre, will continue to have charge, and tho - plays will be interpreted chiefly by professional casts, but amateurs possessed of the necossavy talent will also be provided with opportunities. Under the auspices' of the Repertory Theatre fifty-seven dramatic works wftre staged, the authors drawn upon including Bernard Shmv (tho mainstay of the movement in -Melbourne, as in most other centres of the British Empire),' Ibsen, I Kuripides, Galsworthy, St. John Hankin j Grauyille Barker,.-Arnold Bennett, Hauptmani:,, Tchekhov, Stanley. Housiilou, Schnitaler, Sudorinsiiiu, and utliei' 'not-able'writers'. Tho Australian play's written respectively by Messrs. Louis lllsson, Alfred Buchanan, Arthur H. Adams, Edward Dyson, Blaniire Young, 15 H. Oliphcii'it, William Moore, Mr.s. Kathleen Deiirdon, and Miss Mary -E. Wilkinson having been produced.