THE THEATRE

Hokitika Guardian, 8 May 1929, Page 2

THE THEATRE

TREND OF PUBLIC TASTE. All! ALLAN WILKIE’S VIEWS. Full of vigour and enthusiasm, and with a. supremely unshaken and wellmerited faitill in the public taste lor the highest class of English drama and comedy, Mr Allan Wilkie is again in Christchurch, after an absence of two years. The name of Allan Wilkie lias only to be mentioned for tbe experienced theatregoer immediately ' to conjure up visions of all the warm colourings, the loves, the hates, and the superbly-turned phrases of Shakespeare, England’s greatest dramatist. 01 Shakespeare’s 37 plays, Air Wilkie has now presented 23, and his great ambition is to give the remaining eleven to the theatre-going public. Incidentally be hopes to produce, in the near future, other English romantic plays. Since his last visit to Christchurch in 1927, Al.r Wilkie has added a number of plays to liis repertoire, and during the present season lie wili stage five plays that he himself has never before produced in Christchurch. These are, “ Much Ado About Nothing (played on Saturday night), “ Coriolanus,” “ All’s Well that Ends Well,” “ Henry the Fifth,” and “King Lear.” The personnel of the present company has been strengthened considerably, but in the main it is the same as on the last visit. With him now are Air Alexander Marsh, a famous English actor who recently toured the English provinces in important roles Aliss Mildred Howard, another celebrated English actress, Air Dennis Barry, Miss Lorna Forbes, Air Arthur Ivoane. and Mr John Cairns. Air Vincent Scully lias been with Air Wilkie for 131 years—probably a record in length of appearance in one company, lor Australia. In fact, most of Air Wilkie’s “people,” as lie calls them affectionately, have been with him for seven or eight years. _ A particularly interesting feature of his present visit is that completely new- equipment is being used. . New scenery and lighting effects have been introduced, allowing an elaborate continuity of action, and a presentation much more picturesque and pleasing to the eye than formerly. . Chatting to a representative of “The Press” bn Saturday. Al.r Wilkie said that in his opinion the public taste for Shakespeare was steadily growing, and he was endeavouring to cultivate it h> frequent visits. The next few years would see a strong leaning towards Shakespeare, and romantic plays. People had bad a pretty strong dose of the modern sex play, and it was followed by much “crook” and mystery drama. From that there was tbe transition to tbe “cloak and dagger school. The same trend was manifested in the pictures. A few years ago costume and historical pictures were .unpopular, now they were becoming much more prevalent. Literature was showing similar effects and all these tilings were of advantage to tbe Shakespearean drama. Referring to the ‘ talkies, 1 ' Wilkie holds an opinion quito contrary to that of many London managers, a u> appear to be showing tbe white feather. The silent film, he says, has cultivated in the public tbe habit of seeing, and not listening. If the “talkies” are to be as popular 'as tbe entrepreneurs suggest then the habit of listening will be re-cultivated. Pictures have never been detrimental to the legitimate stage, and he confesses that he hails-the advent of the “talkies” with delight. English “talkie” plays will Imve to he produced by English casts, for the American artists can never recapture the Old World atmosphere. They cannot wear clothes other than their own, and they cannot move about other than in their own way. The gramophone can he cited as a parallel While it is delightful to hear a really good record the listener has his appetite whetted to see and hear the artist in person. The human element and the personal touch of the artist must always he the dominating factor with a theatre audienc. “To date I have produced 26 of Shakespeare’s works, and I have yet eleven to present before I attain the fulfilment of my ambition,” lie said. “Co-incident with the works I hope to include examples of English classical drama. Before the disastrous fire m Geelong, when 1 lost script, music wardrobe, scenery, etc., I possessed some contemporary works of Shakespeare, and these, including School for Scandal’ ‘Richelieu/ and similar plays, I look forward to producing in tbe near future. Mr Wilkie added that tbe popular conception that Shakespeare’s plays were seldom staged because they were deficient in entertainment was quite erroneous. He instanced “Coriolanus > which, be said, bad been a great success wherever be bad presented it. He also expressed a long-standing surprise that “Much Ado About Nothing was so rarely produced ,for it was one of tbe most delightful of all comedies.