STAGELAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 68, 11 June 1927, Page 22 (Supplement)

STAGELAND

HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE

Now Playing: “Camille,” Nellie Bramley. July 2-July 16.—“ Lady Be Good.” July 19-July 27: J. C. Williamson Vaudeville. . July 28-August 18.—“ The Last of Mrs. Cheyney,” “Daddy LdViglegs” and “Polly With a Past,” Renee Kelly. STRAND THEATRE June 17-June 30.—Humphrey Bishop Company. COMING Alan Wilkie in Shakespeare. “Tell Me More.” “Rose Marie.” “La Mascotte,” Auckland Amateur Operatic Society. “The Cassilis Engagement,” Little Theatre Society. The next production of the Little Theatre Society will be “The Cassilis Engagement,” a play by St. John Hankin. Mr. Kenneth Brampton is busily selecting his cast and arranging for the production. * * * The popular Humphrey-Bishop Company will play a season in Auckland from June 17 before returning to Australia. It will appear at the Strand Theatre for a fortnight.

Bert Barton, who plays the first mate in “Sunny,” played the engineer in “White Cargo,” and, previous to that, was Humpty-Dumpty in the J. C. Williamson pantomime of that name.

Kerry Kelly, here with Maurice Moscovitch, has now joined the Joseph Cunningham English Comedy Company in Australia. A member of the company writes me that they are playing to good houses at the Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne.

Elsie Prince will return to Auckland on July 2 in “Lady, Be Good,” when the advance paragraphs tells us, the

“No, No, Nanette” record will be broken. Jimmy Godden, Charlton Norton and other members of the company say that they look forward to the return visit.

Renee Kelly will play several parts during her stay in Auckland, and her season to be a most interesting one. Her characters will be Polly in “Polly With a Past”: Mrs. Cheyney, in “The Last of Mrs. Cheyney”; Lady Sloane in “Brown Sugar”; and Judy in “Daddy Longlegs.” * * * B'etty Hicks, daughter of Seymour Hicks, who toured New Zealand some

time ago, is playing in “Asleep,” at the “Q” Theatre, London. . Ellaline Terriss (M r s . Hicks) is appearing at the London Coliseum in a oneact piece, “Mint ’ Sauce.” Miss Hicks is making a name for herself among i the young London players of to-day.

Judith Anderson is inconsolable at the failure of “The Green Hat” in Melbourne. The play is considered quite too unpleasant for pleasant people, and it flopped so badly that it is alleged that at one matinee there were more ushers than audience in the dress circle. An afnusing rumour is going round Melbourne that Judith is Eugenie Duggan’s daughter, prompted by what some people imagine is a similarity in their voices, and the fact that Eugenie’s married name is Mrs. William Anderson. Of course nothing could be more absurd, as Judith carries her own mother round the world with her, but some folks will snatch at any straw in the wind. It is a toss up which actress is the most amused, Eugenie’s daughter being still quite a flapper, though doing very well in character parts in stock in Adelaide as Mary Anderson, while Judith is justly proud of the fact that only her own efforts and talent have put her where she stands to-day. -v

Claude Dampier, the “professional idiot,” who for many years toured the Fuller circuit, has arrived in London. A London paper says: “Claude Dampier is the drollest entertainer the colonies have yet produced. Tall, lean and long-legged, he affects a shrunken dress-suit, a tiny hat, a monocle, and a pair of gloves. His “confidences,” politely delivered in a cultured voice, are accompanied by a vacuous smile, which will become as famous as his chuckle.

(By COTHURNUS .)

“The Cassilis Engagement,” which is to be produced early in July by the Little Theatre Society, will have two very popular Aucklanders in its cast. They are Miss Ethel Rae and Miss Beryl Nettleton, who will take the parts of Mrs. and Miss Borridge respectively. Both have had considerable experience, and both are excellent at stage work. ♦ * * E. M. Hull’s book, “The Sheik,” will be at the St. James’s Theatre, Sydney, in a few weeks. A complete company of London principals have arrived and are actively rehearsing, surrounded with the true Eastern atmosphere of camels, desert mules, and donkeys. Mrs. Hull delayed for several years negotiations for the dramatisation rights of “The Sheik.” She selected Robert Ginns for the sheik and Kathleen Pickard for Diana. * * * “What makes these musical plays so delightfully easy for those who may be tempted to let their attention wander,” says “The Times,” writing of “The Desert Song,” “is that everything of the least importance in the story is said or sung with emphatic repetitions. If you miss it in the dialogue, you discover it in-a duet; if you miss it in the duet, there is still a vigorous chorus in reserve. The splendid romantic truth is told or chanted until the Riff mountains ring with it.”

When Warde Morgan made his appearance at a special matinee of “Frasquita” at the Theatre Royal, Sydney, he received a remarkable ovation from a packed house. Mr. Morgan was badly injured in the Aberdeen railway smash, and it was thought he would never walk again. But he has made a wonderful recovery. The audience applauded and cheered incessantly. The scenes were probably unparalleled in Sydney’s theatrical history. In the leading male role, opposite Marie Burke, Mr. Morgan acted and sang with conspicuous success and ease.

“Sunny,” a popular musical comedy which has run for 13 weeks in Sydney, is said to have been sold by Empire Theatres, Ltd., to Fullers for £5,000. It had been rumoured in theatrical "circles that Empire Theatres Ltd. had experienced insuperable difficulties in securing theatres in the other capital cities. It is understood that negotiations were opened up with “The Firm,” but apparently agreement could not be reached on the question of price for the Australian rights outside Sydney, where Empire Theatres own their own theatre.

Mr. John Fuller has arrived in Wellington from Sydney. After putting in IS days here he goes on to London, Paris and Berlin. From Berlin he will

return to London and then proceed to New York. In every city Mr. Fuller will make a lengthy stay. “Really,” he remarks, “It is a holiday trip—the first of the kind I have had-for 20 years. But everywhere I go it will be my object to get to know—and to become known to—the heads of the business.” Mr. Fuller does not expect to return to Sydney before September, 1928..

Norah McManus, the talented Auckland girl, got her big chance in Sydney She has been understudying Marie Burke in the leading role in

“Frasquita,” and when Miss Burke contracted a cold and was unable to go on, Miss McManus stepped into the breach. She received a great reception and the newspapers paid her the tributes which were her due. Miss McManus has appeared with several of the J. C. Williamson productions since she left Auckland to put New Zealand on the theatrical map. * * * “It is as hard to get into London as it is to get into heaven,” writes Lorna Helms from her dressing room in a London theatre. “I was just ten minutes off appearing on the London stage this week. On the day when I came to this theatre, where I am understudying Dorothy Seacombe in ‘Give and Take,’ i was told I was to play. I got very excited, and rang up mother to come along and bring some friends. They came, and paid good money for their seats. Then, ten minutes before the curtain went up, I was told nut to play —Miss Seacombe had arrived —although I was all dressed and made-up. But Harry Green says he is going to tour the piece, and has asked me to play the part then.

The Allan sVilkie Shakespearean Company is due to open at Wellington on July 6. The lire at Geelong, Victoria, some time ago, which destroyed the whole of the company’s wardrobe and settings, resulted in a visit to England by Mr. Wilkie to purchase an entirely new outfit for the 24 plays which now comprise his repertoire. The productions are now being staged on a much more elaborate scale than when the company was last in New Zealand, and, added to that, the casts have been reinforced by half-a-dozen talented English artists who were specially engaged by Mr. Wilkie when he was at Home. The latest additions to Mr. Wilkie’s repertoire comprise “Henry VIII,” “Anthony and Cleopatra,” ' “Measure for Measure,” “The Tempest,” “King Lear,” “Much Ado About Nothing,” “A Winter’s Tale,” “Cymberline,” and “The Two Gentlemen of Verona.” The company is at present on a successful tour in Queensland.

Reginald Wykeham, Pirie Bush «and Ronald Warl, members of the Renee Kelly Company, were all here with the Vanbrugh-Boucicault Company. Gwen Burroughs came with Frank Harvey. “The Last of Mrs. Cheyney,” Frederick Lonsdale’s entertaining comedy, is due here shortly. Here is the cast: Charles (a butler) Hylton Allen Jim (a chauffeur) - Reginald Wykeham William (a footman) . . . . Pirie Bush George (under-footman) . . Reg. Long Lord Elton Leslie Victor Lord Arthur Dilling . . . . Ellis Irvine Willie Wynton Ronald Ward Roberts Jackson Wilcox Hon. Mrs. Wynton . Peggy Willoughby Lady Joan Houghton . . Phyllis Best Lady Mary Sindley . . Gwen Burroughs Mrs. Ebley Emma Temple Lady Maria Printon . Margaret Darner Mrs. Cheyney Rene Kelly

Renee Kelly brings some exquisite frocks to New Zealand to wear in the modern comedies she and the company supporting her will present to Dominion audiences. In “Polly with a Past” Miss Kelly wears some beautiful dresses, and carries a flame-coloured pair of ostrich feathers presented to her by some South African admirers. In “The Last of Mrs Cheyney,” in which she plays the part of a fascinating woman who has made a brilliant entry into society, the dresses are also rich and varied. Again in “Brown Sugar” Miss Kelly as Lady Sloane wears some elegant frocks and a beautiful evening wrap. One dress is of canary-coloured georgette made with a full deep tunic flounced inlet with pyramid motifs of ivory guipure lace, which matches the transparent yoke. Another is of pale, shell-pink ninon with a plissi skirt, which forms a front panel to the lace tunic. The lace is of a tawny pink tint, a turquoise blue bow finishes the V-shaped corsage, with blue beading edging the lace.

Among the big company which makes up the Humphrey Bishop entertainment are George Ross, Walter Kinsley, Fred Webber, Marie Landon, Doris Pretty, Alan Kitson, Mark Leslie, Dorothy Rhyder, Elaine Maye, Dan Flood, Charles Albert, Thelma Trott, Bessie White, Frank Egan. Billy Barry, Hilda Beaux, Tom Hardie and John Montfort. This popular organisation will play for a fortnight at the Strand Theatre, beginning on July 17. It seems that Auckland has received the credit of being responsible for “Stiffy’s” appearance on the vaudeville stage. “Stiffy” is Nat Phillips, of the “Stiffy and Mo” combination. Some time ago Mr. Phillips and his wife (Daisy . Merrit) were appearing with the Fullers’ in New Zealand. He had in view a war sketch, “The German Invasion.” For this he desired the Australian character so long in his mind. Suddenly he got it. “As I was passing down a street in Auckland,” he explains, “I noticed a young fellow trying to sell rabbits to a woman standing outside her house. ‘What’s the price?’ she asked. ‘Some,’ came the reply, ‘are a zac; some are ninepenoe; some are a deena; some are eighteen wing; and some are two bob!’ There was my character—in tone, speech, and dress! Stiffy I named him, and ‘Stiffy’ he has since been. Later I secured the Albert Revue Co., and among the members I took over with it was Roy Rene.”