PLAYS AND PLAYERS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8361, 22 February 1913, Page 10

PLAYS AND PLAYERS.

OPERA HOUSE. February 27-March C—Rickards’ Vaudeville Co. February 28-March 10—J. C. Williamson. May 5-17 —Marlow Dramatic Company. THEATRE ROYAL. Fußer-Brennan Vaudeville (permanent). PICTURE SHOWS. New Theatre, Manners street. His Majesty’s, Courtenay place. Empress Theatre, Willis street. People's Picture Palace, Manners street. • CONCERT CHAMBER. In season —The Follies. “BELLA DONNA.” Mr Julius .Knight, discussing his arrangements for tho production of Robert Hiobens’ “Bella Donna,” said recently: “My endeavour as producer, lis to transport tho audience to Egypt, Suggesting as subtly as can be its spell and mystery. ’ This will "not be achieved by means of crowds, but .by characteristic touches—glimpses of the Nile and whatever can be done by suggestion. There will be tho distant music, tho boatmen singing os they row on the Nile—none of it intrusive, but still the local colour. The second act is the Villa Androud, which Will be furnished in the Egyptian fashion, thus giving a more vivid impression of the locality. A view of the nesert will bring tho audience into close touch with Egypt and what it stands Tor. This will he a night econo, and the room will look out on the starlit night and the endless' desert. In this room Barohdi and Bella Donna plot, bud I am endeavouring to sound an. .eerie ’ Macbeth note in this which (should b© very effective. In the third act, played on board a dahabeya, moored on the Nile, yon. will get a jwider sweep of the desert in the distance. _ Little details, such as tho native girl water-carrier passing along Yho bank and the muezzin, the call to. prayer, when every native kneels, will indicate tho locality ffgaiju I. am trying also to got one of those brilliant ( sunsets, that all who have passed through tho Red Sea know. There are bne or two moments of quiet, when the him is to suggest the stillness of the Besort that is always an impression of (Egypt-- And hero, I might say, I hope pne of those wretched Pitt street trams‘will not rattle past. There is toothing in a quiet play that hurts a scene more than those trams, ’ said Mr Knight j 'They do bring one back, to Sydney with unnecessary violence. Our last act should be a Very beautiful bcene. 3$ will be outside the Villa Andread. The ' all-pervading desert—you never get away from it in Egypt—and a night glimpse of the Nile will be prebonted-. It is into the desert that Bella Donna goes at the end of the.play-. She goes hopeless and alone out into whai teems infinity-.; And this, to my mind; fa the great cleverness of the ending! It is Where the modern dramatist Score*. Hia predecessors would have fended the play with suicide, hut here koii have the tragic figure, with Tier remorse, if Bella Donna v is capable of pich feeling: yon certainly have defeat end despair-.’’ A NATIONAL DRAMA. A national drama written, by anj Australian author may be staged Iff, England (writes' the Sydney “Bun”,)» The dramatist-will endeayeuivto areusS, Well enthusiasm that the pub* Die will see tho necessity far maintain-) ing an overwhelming navy. The Rev* T, HilLhouse Taylor, the author ol h ‘Parsifal” (in which Miss Titteli Bruno appealed' when it was staged ,undef tile direction of Mr J. Ch Wil* iliamson), is leaving for England With (quite a number of good things stowed (away in his bag. Among them is a motional drama founded on the subject of the life of the . gipat advad hero Kelson. The dramatist hopes to get it Staged under the patronage of tha Naval Defence League. Tho, subject, fa one of groat dramatic possibilities;., but so far it has been passed over by. tho writers of plays, The motif ofi ilr, Taylor’s drama is found in JNolBon’s own words, “It behoves every man to come to the assistance of his, country at sea—the only place whore, England can bo defended—so that tho| peaceful homes of England may nob be degraded by .the foot of the invader.” The drama is hot a romance—'it follows the life of Nelson, and recreates the pictures to be found in the .most stirring times of the -world’s history. The dash of romanticism —if it taay ha so called—is given to it by the introduction of Lady Hamilton, without whom no Ufe pictures of Nelson would be complete. National oharj racters are depicted in the play with) .lifelike detail. “The idea was given', ;to me,” says Mr Taylor, “by Dr Gus-J ■tar Hall Bohraxnann, of Newtown* who) helped to write some of the dialogue.” GOSSIP Mr H. B. Irving, who began his season in South Africa at Johannesburg on Boxing Night with great success, has acquired, from September next, a lease of the Savoy, and he will resume his London management there upon his return from South Africa. Mr Hugh D. Mclntosh is sending through New Zealand the biggest vaudeville company which has toured the Dominion for very many years. It will be headed by Arnold do Biore, while Nella Webb, Taylor and Arnold, Alberto Marini, and Mozzetto will be some of tho other stars in the bill. The company will open first in Auckland. Miss Susie Vaughan, the well-known actress, proposes to leave for London shortly, and her performance in “Faust” last Saturday night at the Theatre Royal, Sydney, constituted her last appearance with that company, as sho is not proceeding with it to West Australia. There was an enthusiastic demonstration on the part of the audience, for Miss Vaughan has won great popularity amongst Australian playgoers. Heaps of flowers wero handed over tho footlights, arid, finally, in response to the continued applause, the actress made a little speech, in which she told tho audience how sorry she was to leave them all. Behind the scenes she was presented with a silver card-case from the “Ben Hur” chorus girls. The copyright of Wagner’s “Ring” runs out on December Slat next; therefore after that date there will be no fees to pay. The Moody-Manners Opera company have arranged to produce the great Tetralogy at popular E rices on January Ist, 1914, at Kelly’s, iverpool, and afterwards to tour the whole of the provinces. As none of the theatres in Great Britain are built with a sunken orchestra of some 20 feet deep, as at Bayreuth, covers have been made to hide tho orchestra and reduce its volume of sound; so that the public will bo able to hear every word from tho singer, while the orchestra will

bo able to play every note that has been written by Wagner without its sounding too loud in tiio auditorium. There will bo lectures in each town for four weeks before the visit. A correspondent, writing to tho London “Stage” from Montreal, Canada, under date of December 28th, says;— Business for meritorious English attractions and stars is awaiting them in the whole Dominion, from Montreal to Vancouver and back again. English attractions have never been so popular as they now are. Lewis AValler played A Marriage of Convenience at the Princess’s, Montreal, Christmas week, to over £2OOO gross. The advance booking for New Year week at the Alexandra, Toronto, gives absolute assurance of £3OOO gross or over. Mr William Faversham’s production of Julius Caesar, which ran only three weeks in New York City, 'played at the Princess’s, r Montreal, to just under £3OOO gross, and at the Alexandra, Toronto, to well over £3OOO. Sarah Bernhardt has found that her strength is hardly equal to the demands made upon it during her big American tour, in which she travels with a company of unusual size for vaudeville. She was temporarily disabled while in Chicago, and it was feared she would not bo able to continue the tour. Apologies were made at two performances on account of her health. The Divine Sarah is surrounded hy physicians and attendants, and every precaution is taken to safeguard her against colds, discomforts, and annoyances, but even so, she seems at times to be much fatigued, and in gravp danger of being compelled to resign from a task that is considered astounding at her age. Promoters and managers been under heavy expense with regard to the tour. ■The German -Emperor has written the libretto of a new ballet, Corfu, which was to be produced at the Royal Opera on January 27th, the’ Emperor’s birthday; The idea originated with tho Kaiser when he saw the dances performed by the peasants, of .Corfu at Achilleon Castle early in the . year; Tho Emperor became enthusiastic, and summoned Dr; von Hulsen, the intendenff of the‘Berlin Opera, to Corfu; The la Iter agreed with'his Majesty that the dances would be a great success iff Berlin;