THEATRE FAMINE IN NEW ZEALAND

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 25, 13 February 1937, Page 13

THEATRE FAMINE IN NEW ZEALAND

New Zealanders are very appreciative of good theatrieal entertainment when it is offered to them, but after the experience of the past few years most lovers of the theatre mu'st have come to realise that, of the infrequent plays the eommercial theatre presents, a large majority are old ones, notes a writer in the "New Zealand Herald." It is only neeessary to glance at the theatrieal advertisements in any London newspaper to realise that, although scores of new pieces, musical and otherwise, are staged in the Empire's capital. every season, very few of them ever reaeh this part of the world. Theatre-goers are grateful for the opportunity to see such lavish production as "White Horse Inn" and "The Dubarry ' ' of recent memory, but such showis come at rather long intervals. Many people would gladly forego some of the gorgeousness if they could be supplied with a larger number of less pretentious, but good, new plays in the periods between. Old Musical COmedies \ The occasional revival of Gilbert and Sullivan is almost a patriotie duty, but since the evergreen operas have been released for broadcasting it may be questioned whether, weleome as they are, an interval of less than five years between sasons is really called for. Considering how many musical comedies and light operas make their debut every year in London, New Zealand theatre-goers have rea/son to complain that they are given so many "old favourites." Since the beginning of 1934 New Zfealand has been treated -to proi'essional revivals of the following:— "Floradora," "The Merry JWidow," "Wildflower," "The Arcadians," "High Jinks, " "Our Miss Gibbs," ' ' Paul Jones" and "Lilac Time. ' ' Bemembering the large output.of musical shows in both Britain aud America, tho disparity between old and new teeeins remarkable for a period in v/Tiich both Australia and New Zealand are making rapid economic reeovery. Paucity of Plays ' * So far as non-musical plays are concerned, New Zealand theatre-goers would be glad even of good revivals if the eommercial stage would provide them. When the record of the past two years is examined, it appears that only two companies have presented typical examples of the work of modern playwrights. "The Wind and the Rain," by a New Zealander, Dr. Merton Hodge, wa's sent on tour all over the Dominion, going to places which had not seen a professional stage production within living memory, and apparently it was warmly welcomed every where. Another company, headed by Miss Ethel Morrison and Miss Elaine Hamill, presented four good modern plays last year with much success. A third company toured with drama of a more "popular" type, but ite progress came to a, rather abrupt end in Auckland. It may be argued that competition from talking pictures and the reper* tory movement has done much to spoil the field for modern plays as a' eommercial proposition. This many people find hard to believe. Most such plays, perhaps a majority of them, do not call for either large casts or expensive wardrobes and scenery. The eontem* porary English fetage, however much it may be criticised, is at least a free ontlet for new ideas and experimentation, but New Zealand has hardly any contact with it except through repertory societies or the printed page. Marie Tempest's Example. It does not xequire a very long memory to xecall the post-war tours made in New Zealand by Miss Marie Tempest and her husband, Mr. Graham Browne, and the delight which they gave to people of every taste. These two fine artists could have performed with success on a bare stage, but their plays were beautifully mounted' by the simplest means. Instead of painted scenery they nsed hangings of thin material, which could be taken from place to place in wardrobe hampers. A little good i'urniture, flowers and clever lighting did the rest. Miss Tempest dispensed with the nsual small orchestra and employed instead a violinist, who played good mnsie before the curtain, to the aecompaniment of a piano. Such accompli&hed players do not often visit this country, but nevertheI less their productions were a mqdel | which, if it were copied to-day, would win the same public appreciation as that of 14 or 15 years ago. Amateurs' Enthuslasm. The amateur movement, which is growing rapidly in this country, oughfc to cbe regarded as an 'ally, and not a rival, to the professional theatre. It ha/3 developed because large numbers of New Zealanders want to see plays and eommercial enterprise does not provide them. Amateur acting, in spito o± lts limitations, is doing more than aiiything else to Ipeep interest in the drama alive.' It has cultivated in many people a new taste for all the theatrieal arts. Bightly or wrongly, New Zealanders who like good plays feel that theatrieal enterprise is not giving them a fair opportunity to support it as they would wish. They admit the difficulties — the handicap of distance, the cost of travel and the competition of other forms of entertainment — but they can hardly be blamed for thinking that their enthusiasm is nnCer-rated and that some--1