SHAKESPEAREAN COMPANY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 142, 3 July 1937, Page 8

SHAKESPEAREAN COMPANY

, Visit to Australia Arrangod * « STAGE IN ENGLAND ."The theatre in Bngland is in as liealthy a condition as the theatre in Aineri«a at the present time," said Mi Frank Tait, a director of J. C. Williamson Ltd., who returned to Melbourne from abroad. With hdm aboaTd R.-M.S. Strathnaver, came George Gee, Yalerie Hay and Percy le Fre, for the production of "Over She Goes," and lutc-r • 4 Swing Along. ' ' Mr Tait said the Stratford-on-Avon Memorial Theatre Company of 28 players and a producer would axrivo in Australia with a complete Shakespearean rtpertoire at the end of Feb* ruary, 1938. It was possible that the director of the Memorial Theatre, Jdtn Payne, would make the trip and return. an timo i'or the annuaL festival in Aprii. The riglits of Balalaika, LondonAs out-: standing operetta success, had also beeii acquired. The show alone had survived the Coronation distraction and played to packed houses during the festi'vities, Robert Halliday, leading man; Margaret Adams, prima donna, and Marjorie Gordon, a comedoenne, of 29 or 30, would head the cast of Balalaika, which would open in Melbourne on Beptember 4. Fay Compton had been engaged to tour Australia in September with her own companj. The engagement by the ilrm of Lawrence Xibbett, famous baritone, is confirmed. The. director is enthusiastic about the singer's presence and personality. He was six feet taJl, and a great actor, he said. He aetually started his career as a Shakespearean actor in America before he discovered ho had a vciee. Tibbett will be in Australia next April. Meanwhilo, PetrofTs Don Cossacks, slngers ann danceis, 26 of t.hemf would come from Bouth America and open in Wellington next month, on July 31, thence coming to Australia. Mr Tait stayed a week. with tho Menuhins on their xanch in California. Tiie violinist will give concerts here "n 1939, with his sfister, Hepzibah, as liianiste. Mr Tait saw in New York "Victoria Regina," whdci. was to be staged in London to mark the anuzvursary c.t Queen Victoria 's accession. In London he saw Elizabeth Berguor in Barrie's "Tho Boy David," in which she was not well cast, and which rau for only eight of 10 weeks. Margaret Rawlmgs won success in Parnell and Black Limelight. Marie Ney was playmg Celia to Edith Evans's Rosalind in "As You Like It" at the New Theatre. Gorald Savory (Grace Lane's son) had won success with a play written by him, George and Margaret, which might be secured for Australia. Sybil Thornddke and Nicholas Hannen and Athene Seyler wanted to come back to Australia, but it was a matter of plays for them. The returned entrepreneur ;3 greatest enthusiasm was for the young Wagnerlan soprano, Kirsten Flagstad, whom he engaged for an Australasian season next year. He heard her in "The Valkyrie" at the Metropolitan Opera liouse in New York. Discussions in New York for the visit of the Salzburg Opera Guild euggested a tour dn Australia early in 1939, but the matter was not yet finalised. Richard Cnoks would fulfil an Australian contract in JU39.