STAGE FOLK

Evening Star, Issue 22146, 28 September 1935, Page 5

STAGE FOLK

True to their promise to make it possible for New Zealand theatregoer's to meet Cyril Ritchard and Madge Elliott before their departure for England and the Continent, Messrs J. C. Williamson are presenting this delightful pair in Auckland, on October 2, in a repertoire including / Roberta/ 1 Our Miss Gibbs/ and ‘ High Jinks/ They are honeymooning in New Zealand at the present moment, after their marriage in Sydney on Monday. In these musical plays they will again be seen in the dances that hare made them famous in Australia and London, as they are exponents of the best, in terpsichore. A tour of New Zealand follows the Auckland premiere. Frederick Lonsdale, the dramatist, has written a new play, ‘ Half a Loaf/ to be produced in Loudon this month. He has been working on it for more than a year, and finished the final version only a few weeks ago. Although he is one of the most uni--formly successful of modern playwrights. it is nearly three years since he had a new piece staged in London. This was ‘ Never Come Back/ presented at the Phoenix Theatre in the autumn of 1932. At present delighting Australian music lovers with their sweet singing, the Viennese Boys’ Choir, the most unique musical organisation in the world, will be coming to New Zealand later in the year. As one critic wrote of the exquisitely blended voices; “ Their archangel-like tones seemed to come from an invisible upper world/ Their engagement by Messrs J. .and _N. Tait for an Australian-New Zealand tour, marks another important event in our musical history. The choir has been in existence for Over 500 years: it' has trained the musical childhood of such great masters as Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, Richter-r----all of whom sang in its ranks at various times. The lads appear in costume for their operatic excerpts, so that their appearance on any stage is almost dramatic. Another coming attraction for New Zealand is the visit of a. Williamson company playing ‘White Horse Inn/ an amazing, spectacular musical play that has charmed London for months, and Australia likewise. It will probably be a Christmas attraction here, Keith Winters’s emotional comedy, ‘The Shining Hour/ which was recently produced in Sydney, was staged with success this month in Melbourne. The New Zealand girl, Elaine .Hamill, is featured, and concerning her work the critic of the Melbourne ‘ Herald * _ wrote: “ A beautiful girl. Miss Hamill had poise as Mariella, and when she gets more used to. the role will play it with greater simplicity. For a girl of little experience it was a very good performance. What is at once visionary and logical in the role she was able to realise, and would have been more impressive had she made her effort to convey this less apparent. What is plainly logical she achieves with distinction. Her big scene with the dry, shrewd, Hannah

~ . was well done. . , .” Campbell Copelin was the star player. At the beginning of August—the end of J summer—London theatreland was at its ebb. One of the new shows was Ivor Novello’s latest,piece, ‘Full House/ with three leading ladies in Lilian Braithwaite, Isabel Jeans, and

Heather Angel. Another source of entertainment was the season the the New .York Yiddish Art Theatre Conn pany. One of the most popular; theatrical diversions was Mr Sydney, Carroll’s open-air theatre in Regent’s Park, where Shakespeare is produced with firstJine stars. The two successes of the city were still having things pretty much their own way.. They Were the American musical comedy ‘Anything Goes/ .and the evergreen historical farce ‘IOO6 And All That.” A. distinctly unusual farce,; ‘The Mysterious Universe,’ based on Sir James, Jeans’s admirable book cf astronomical science for the masses, made its appearance at the close of July. It did' not receive too enthusiastic mention from the Presa critics, a number of whom noted un-: favourably sardonic references to the Creator, In a veritable panegyric on the art of Muriel Brunskill, the celebrated English contralto, who gives her first concert here to-night, the ‘ Southland Times ’* critic wrote:—“ No other singer heard here has been so protean. When the first notes of *Tho King ’ were played,, the woman on the stage changed utterly, from the woman who had revealed Margaret; at the spinning wheel, caught in the ecstasy of love. There was a perceptible movement of the eyes, following the galloping horse, and gradually, subtly came the impression of the api preaching drama. The three characters were heard, not merely in tones. _ They, appeared living—the Erl King sinister but ingratiating, the child terrified but yielding, the father soothing but apprehensive. Never before has Schubert’s ‘ Erl King’ been so wonderfully, pictured. A few moments later this same woman with the lift of an eyebrow, a titled head, a new posture be- - came a living portrait of Carmen, wha sang the Seguidilla with all the lascivious charm of Bizet’s cruel heroine.. This is mot achieved by superficial change; it is the . of . histrionism! which goes deep’ for its inspiration and impetus. A' little later, tvheii ‘ Callei* Herrin ’ was given as an encore, this physical change was suggested- again, Madame Brunskill in- ah instant suggested the fishwife. There was na undue emphasis, no heavy colouring, na strong, line, hut enough to convince the audience that a new; character was before them.” ■ t Now spending a well-deserved rest iui Rotorua .' are Mr 'and Mrs Cecil Ritchard, • two stage stars who have stolen! a short period from a strenuous season of stage appearances; in order to honeymoon. After touring New Zealand with’ the “ Roberta ” Company, they will complete their interrupted honeymoon in Honolulu. But New Zealand will see them first, for the Dominion tour, commences at Auckland on Wednesday next with a gala, performance of ‘Roberta.’ Australian people have hadf their imagination and sympathy caught by the romance of two hard-working stage folk, the rush and glamour of whose life kept them too busy to fall in love; they have been stage pals for, many years and. fulfilmentin marriage is tbeir happy lot, ' After their honeymoon Visit is - over they take up with the first-class Williamson Company, with which they have been associated in Australia for many months. Mr. Ritchard, who is producer as well a# chief player, speaks highly of this company in whose ranks are many favourites. The repertoire will also include ‘ High Jinks ’ and - ‘ Our Miss Gibbs/ in modernised version. In .all- of them’ Mr and Mrs Ritchard have big dancing and comedy’parts; The casts include : EthH M6rrison, formerly of, Wellington; Leo Franklyu, Frank’ Warfo, Jerry/Connelly; and 1m instrumentalists/ Leslie 'Crane* (another New, Zealander), Charles Zoli, ‘Mary' Rigby,; Mona Potts, Jean Slapoffski, Millie Engler, and full ballet of'lovely Australian .girls. ’ - Elaine Hamill, the beautiful young leading lady of the J. C.> Williamson production of ‘ The Shining Hour ’at the Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, war a hospital nurse-at Napier, New Zealand, at the" time of the great earthquake, hut subsequently decided tor adopt a stage career. Success has coma quickly to her after varied experience, as * mannequin; gales girl/ repertory] theatre actress, and film artist. She played a smaU part in ‘ Blue Mountain Melody ’ in order to, obtain definite experience ,of the - , professional, stage,j and her best chance came when 'Jean Duncan left the of ‘ Roberta ’.in . order to be married, and Elaine Hamill was .given her.rple, , LOHDOM THEATRES * • ,r, • > . ■ • ■ ■■ < HEAT WAVE DEFIED : f Despite the heat wave and the outdoor attractions, more than 2P London theatres have remained open during tha summer, writes. George W. Bishop in ■the ‘ Daily Telegraph ’ of August 14* Most of them- have been‘ playing to good, steady business,, and several hava been drawing capacity audiences. No other capital in, the world can produce such .a record. Plays that have been absolutely, weather-proof are:— ‘ Tovarich/ at the Lyric, where there is rarely an empty;seat. ‘ Anything Goes/ Mr Cochrane’s production, which is packing the Palaca Theatre every night. ‘Glamorous Night/ Ivor Novello’a musical piece at the vast Drury Lane Theatre, where the takings went up during the heat wave. . / . ‘ 1066 and All That/ at the Strand* for .which the “House Pull” boards are out nearly every evening. The case of ‘1066 and All That’ i» ; extraordinary. If opened in April and for weeks the business was only moderately good. As soon as the really hot . weather came the public began t»; flock to the Strand, and it is now approximating £2,600 a week, and look* like going on for many months.