RENEE KELLY’S RECORD

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 111, 1 August 1927, Page 7

RENEE KELLY’S RECORD

MISS RENEE KELLY HAS j TOURED THE WORLD | WITH “DADDY LONG- I LEGS," AND IS SOON TO | WRITE HER MEMOIRS. I SEARCH FOR A COTTAGE "POUND the World with Daddy Longlegs.” When Miss Renee Kelly writes her memoirs that will be her title for them. Miss Kelly holds a world’s record. She has played “Daddy Longlegs” right through the English speaking world. Beginning in America and then on to Canada, England, South Africa, Australia, the world tour is ending in New Zealand. At present Miss Kelly’s memoirs are nebulously floating through her mind, but when she returns to England they will take definite shape on paper. While the leading lady of “Polly With a Past” added the finishing touches to her make-up in the dressing room at His Majesty’s Theatre on Saturday evening a SUN man talked with her of the theatre and its people and future plans. HER DEAREST WISH “My dearest wish at the moment,” said Miss Kelly, as she carefully added a touch of colour to two expressive eyes, “is to be with my daughter. I received a cable this morning to say that she has just undergone an operation for appendicitis.” Her thoughts were thousands ol miles away with her little girl in England. “When we get Home (Miss Kelly is really Mrs. Hylton Allen) we will get a car and tour round Sussex, lovely Sussex, searching for a cottage m> husband and 1 have planned. It will be the ideal cottage. We both want ti. live in Sussex.” There will be lots of interesting curios and antiques in that cottage Miss Kelly said. She is particularly fond of Eastern curios and alreadv possesses a fine collection. On her dressing-table was a tiny bronz*Buddha. After doing a tour of the world that little Buddha will find a place in Miss Kelly's ideal cottage. PICTURES OF NEW ZEALAND Pictures of New Zealand will also find a home in the Sussex cottage, for Miss Kelly is an enthusiastic photographer. Already she has taken some most interesting views of New Zealand scenery and had them enlarged. Miss Kelly has that estimable quality—sweet, womanly charm. She was born in London and is faithfui to that wonderful city. Like all English visitors, she said the nicest things about New Zealand and hopes to return with more plays. When the present season ends she and her husband will return to Eng-' land via America, where they hope to spend some days visiting the theatres of New York, Chicago and San Francisco. Miss Kelly would like to play Tessa in “The Constant Nymph,” but unfortunately that cannot be done at present. She would also like to play Peter Pan, but that, too, must wait until the future. In London Miss Kelly and Mr. Allen have a large following at the Colisseum, where they present little one-act plays. She thinks that they may open there after a rest in England. “They always seem to be wanting us at the Colisseum,” smiled Miss Kelly, who was now deftly fixing her maid’s cap over a mass of golden hair. “On our way home from South Africa we received a cable asking us to open immediately on our arrival. We rehearsed on the boat and opened as soon as we landed.” “Act 1.,” shouted the call boy and Miss Kelly gave the final touches to her make-up. She had just time to say, before going on to play her part, that she had played with Ben Greet’s Shakespearean company, that she appeared at the opening* of the Maxine Elliott Theatre in New Y'ork, and that during the war she remembers many young New ZeaI landers who attended the theatres in London where she was playing “Daddy Longlegs,” “The Willow Tree” and “Nothing But The Truth.”