A Feminine Seymour Hicks

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 194, 5 November 1927, Page 22 (Supplement)

A Feminine Seymour Hicks

Gertrude Lawi~ence s London Success

London critics have described Gertrude Lawrence, the English actress, as a feminine Seymour Hicks. In the leading role in Chariot’s latest revue, “Oh Kay,” she is brilliant.

She changes from sentiment to humour and back again in a flash. She sings, she dances, she acts—she really can act as no other young actress on the stage can. This is the finest thing she has ever

done, and no wonder they paid her £7OO a week to stay in the United States for two years or so. “Oh Kay’’ has about the best-chorus since the famous “Rose Marie” chorus, and it provides first-rate parts for, among others, Claude Hulbert, as the vacant-minded young duke, Percy Parsons, as a loud-voiced revenue officer, Harold French, who only needs to forget himself to be an admirably lighthearted hero, the Bodge Twins, who are full of “pep” and a most attractive pair, and John Kirby, who is extremely droll as a stout rum-runner who is forced to disguise himself as a butler.

A producer remarked to me the other day that it is far easier to find leading women than leading men, but the theory is not borne out in London just ; now, writes William Pollock in “The Baily Mail.” Emma Haig has made a i big hit in “The Girl Friend” and Ger- j trude Lawrence is coming back to j certain personal success in “Oh, Kay!”; j but they have found a new broad come- i dian at the Palace in the person of George Gee, and —although I have not seen them —people are talking about j Fred Kerr in Mr. Lonsdale’s “The ! High Road” and Morton Salten in “Fresh Fruit” at the Court. No, men are more prominent than women on the ; stage at the moment.

There was an unrehearsed’ incident i on the opening night of the farce- i comedy, “The Whole Town’s Talking,” at Melbourne Theatre Royal, which ] provoked much laughter. Leyland Hodgson exclaimed, "Suffering cats!” ! and sank into a chair, just as a large, stately looking cat made its appearance j at the side of the stage and sedately ; marched right across to the other side, ; where, with another look at the actor, j it walked off. The audience roared with I laughter, though there were many who | thought that the incident was part of \ tne play. One of the newspapers commented: “The cat certainly knew when to take its cue.”