LAUGHS IN LONDON

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 287, 2 September 1942, Page 8

LAUGHS IN LONDON

Attractions Of Wartime

Spared of the deadly blitzes of a year before the London stage was fair-, ly abloom in June, new-plays seeking to vie in popularity with revivals of some .“good old trusties” which entertained the public a decade ago or more. Among these ",rustics,” as will ever be, are- the Gilbert and Sullivan operas. A new D'Oyley Carte season commenced at .the Princes Theatre on June 8, with “The Gondoliers.” Gilbert and Sullivan seasons always seem to start with this opera, with an old friend, Sidney Granville, as the Grand Inquisitor. Other delightful revivals of recent date have been Ralph Lynn once more in “Rookery Nook,” at St. Martin’s, “The Doctor’s Dilemma!’ (Shaw), at the Haymarket; “Baby Mine,” at the Westminster,' Daphne du Manner's, “Rebecca,” with the evergreen Owen Nares, and “The Maid of I he Mountains” at the Coliseum.

There were several performances of notable excellence. These included “The Watch on the Rhine,” with Diana Wynyard and Anton Walbrook; Emlyn Williams in his own new play, "The Morning Star,” “The Man Who Camo to Dinner,” with Robert Morley and Coral Browne, and “The Dancing. Years” at the Adelphi. Noel Coward's “Blithe Spirit” is now advertised as London’s’longest run, showing that this agile playwright can still hit the bulls eye. After a ll the musical revue prevails for the moment, as it always must- in wartime. Some of these shows are “Get a Load of This,” at the Hippodrome ;. “Gangway,” with Bebe Daniels and Ben Lyon; the 8.8. G. success, “Happidrome,” at the Prince of Wales; "Pine aiid Dandy,” with Leslie Henson, Dorothy Dickson, and Stanley Hollowav; “Scoop,” at the Vaudeville; “Sky High,” at the Phoenix; “Big Top,” at His Majesty’s; “Twenty to One,” at the Victoria Palace; “Full Swing,” at the Palace; not forgetting the eternal non-stop revue at the Windmill Theatre (11th year). London's theatrical attractions would not be complete without adding the plays. “Warn That Man,” “The Land of Smiles” (with Richard Tauber) ; "Other People’s Houses,” at the Whitehall; the new Russian ballet at the Cambridge; and the Sadler's Wells Ballet at the New Theatre. Twice nightly variety is still being presented at the Stoll house in Kingsway.