ARMY AND STAGE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10610, 8 June 1920, Page 6

ARMY AND STAGE

NEW ZEALAND ACTOR REMARKABLE CAREER OF MR SHAYLE GARDNER. There are many in Wellington who remember Mr Shaylo Gardner, Uie young New Zealander who has made such rapid progress in the dramatic art in England, aud who bids fair to become one of the most popular artists in the Mother Country. Some interesting details of Atr Gardner appear in the latest number of tho ‘‘British Australasian” just to hand, from which we cull the lotion ing i—•

About, eight years ago a young Now Zealander startled his follow students at the Academy of Dramatic Art, in Gower street, by carrying off most of the honours of the vear- He won tho Lady Gilbert medal'for tragedy, the EorbesRobertson medal for elocution, the lencintr prize, and a, scholarship tenable lor one year. This was Mr Shayle Gardner, who impersonated Nadir of IVrsia, in the recent production of Ihe Sunshine. of the World” at the Empire Theatre. His first professional experience was as understudy to Aubrey Smith on tour, the latter's repertoire including ‘‘.Marjorie Marries,” a comedy by Norman MeKeown,- an Australian writer. Then, from walking on in 'frees production of •■Joseph and his Brethren," he reached the altitude of appearing as the central figure in a special performance of “ Hamid., ’’ before an Educational Congress at the Imperial Institute. A season at the Little Theatre followed, and then ho became a member of Air Phillip i ar;' s company at the Petite Theatre Angles, and afterwards at the Court Theatre, London, in a Shakespearean repertoire. He was in the first production in England of ‘‘Damaged Goods;” and in tho original production of Barrie’s one-act play. ‘‘Der Tag,” at tho Colosoum. Subsequently ho played one of the pleading parts in “The Land of Promise," on a provincial tour- « ~ Rejected three times m England, Mr Gardner enlisted with the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces in the Dominion, rising from tho ranks to be captain, serving altogether three and a half years. Ten months before his discharge Genera) Russell appointed him Director of Entertainments, when he had tho of two cinemas and three or four companies, the most notable being “The Kiwis.” On bis discharge he was cast for one of the principal parts in “Tho Eyes of Youth, m at St James’s Theatre. The actor, in the intervals of stage work, lias acted for the movies, one of his characters being Christopher Codrington, in n screen version of Phillip Gibbs' novel of lire Press World. “Tlio Street of Adventure.’ Air Gardner, who was horn in Auckland. went to the' Auckland Gramme School, is a grandson of Francis Shayle Gardner, poet and educationalist, and a nephew of the late Dr Boyd Carpenter, who for twenty-seven years was Bishop of Ripon. Air Gardner lia? travelled all over tho world, and at twenty-eight has seen more of life than many men of sixty.