JOHN GIELGUD SETS UP IN MANAGEMENT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 8, 2 October 1937, Page 10

JOHN GIELGUD SETS UP IN MANAGEMENT

The announcement that Mr John Gielgud is to set up in management for himself, and to present a seriea of four plays (for limited runs) at the Queen's Theatre in the autumn, is a piece of theatrical news of first-rate importanee (writes the theatre correspondent of the London Observer). Of the plays, two are by Shakcspeare — "Richard II.," and "TJie Merchant of Veuice"; oue by Sheridan, "The School for Scandal"; and a fourth by Chekhov, "The Three Sisters." In all of them Miss Peggy Ashcroft will be Mr Gielgud •'a leadiug lady. Mr Gielgud talked to me about his plans last week, aud the " 1 's " of the narrativo flashed past as quiekly as tele-graph-posts seeu from the windows of a fast-moving railway-earriage. From which it might be inferred by many people that Mr Gielgud has as much egotism as is attributed to actors in general. But this is not true. I gathered that he was far less interestcd in setting himself up as a "star" thau in getting together a permanent cornpany that might do something importaut for theatrical art. Mr Gielgud is against too long runs. "It's true," he said, "that I had oue much too short lately, 'He Was Born Gay,» but beforc that I had playcd 'Hamlet' in America for six nionths on cnd — sometimee playiiig nine performances a week — which is murder for au actor; 'Richard of Bordeaux' rau for more than a year, 'Musical Chairs' more thau six months. Old Vic Days. * "On the whole^ I think that my happiest time as an actor was when I was with Fagan at Oxford, and at the Old Vic, in each case rehearsiug and proparing new productions the whole time. Also, there is nothing that keeps a cornpany keener and more interested in Iheir work than haviug oue play ruuning in the evening bill, with a new production to be rehearsed and put on every couple of mouths or so. "Ther» are two main difficulties in such a scheme. One is to budget carofully enough to get one's production expenses back in the eight or ten weelw of the play's run. This, with luck, is not insuperable. "Then there comes the temptation, if any one play does turn out a big success, of keeping it on beyond iU» allotted time. Bronny Albery has had a i'riendly ; bet with me that if, say, any one production is playing to £1,000 in its last weeks, I'll abaudon my scheme of ehanges, and keep it running. ,'Bu.t I think he'll lose his bet. Ai'tcr all if one takes a play olf while the puLlic is still full of interest for it, oue has all the better chance of reviving it in any future season of plays. Choosing the Plays. "The choice of plays has to be car?fully considered. There was no question of being wildly experimeutal (the public is apt to stay away from wild cxperi-, ments), but we think we have got four which should each be worth thcir eight or teu weeks run. 'Richard II.' has recently been a huge success in Now iTork, played by Maurice Evans. It has not been dono in the West End of London for years. After that we go on to the artiliciality — or at least 'stylisation of Bheridan in 'The School for Scandal'; theD the extreme naturalism of Chekhov — and then back again to Shakespcare. , "the interest for the public may v/pII turn out to be the seeiug of the same company of actors .trying to do tbGse diil'ereut- things — lackling these various problems. A scheme for some such permanent company is always being debated, but had hardly evcr bccn tried in the Wesfc End. Arnold Boune.Lt attompted to start one for a short timo at the Court Theatre many years ago. But apart from that, one has to go back to pre-war Vlays— to the VedrenneBarker managements." Mr Gielgud himself is not playing spectacular parts in all the plays. In the "School for Scandal" he will tako the traditionally "unsympathetic" part of Joseph Surface; and in the "Three Sisters," in which he will play Colonel Vershinin, all the parts are pretty well equal, Sguw and Maugham. 1 asked Mt Gielgud if, for bis one "moderu" play of the sories^ there had beeu any altornative in Chekhov in hia mind. A^arious other plays had been considered and dismissed for various

reasuns. "Tho Loclor's Dilemma," because some of its dialogue, especially the medical dialogue, might secm to have dated; "Dear Brutus," because it still belongs essentially to the ineinory of Gerald du Maurier; Maugham 's "Our - Betters," which Mr Gielgud thinks a masterpiece of comedy, because lt would not fit in too well with the cast that he has engaged. On the whole, the beautiful "Three Sisters" is a happy choice. Miss Peggy Ashcroft, who will play Portia and Lady Tearle and the leadiug woman's . part in the two other plays, is one of the most brilliant of our younger actresses. She played in "Romeo and Juliet" and "The Seagull" wilh Mr Gielgud at tho Now Theatre, and wilh Miu formerly at tho Old "Vic and Oxford. She has just roturued from making a success in ' ' Higb Tor" in America.