Ko Ko at Home

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 218, 3 December 1927, Page 22 (Supplement)

Ko Ko at Home

Chas. Walenn Talks of Gilbert and Sullivan BEGAN IN THE CHOIR “Como in! Come in!” A cheery English voice called the welcome. Inside his dressing-room at His j Majesty’s Theatre, Ko Ko looked up j from his dressing table and said, “Well, | well, well,” with a chuckle. Mr. Charles Walenn was busily disguising his face as a piece of Japanese parchment, with lines on it. The chuckle seemed to suit that Japanese make-up—it sounded just as though Ko Ko were contemplating some really j nasty business off-stage. But Mr. Walenn was only contem- j plating the evening performance of | “The Mikado.” He is a quiet man, ! reads a lot and takes a keen interest 1 in the world of art. “You know I began as a chorister in England,” he said with another friendly little chuckle, as he etched in a couple of eyebrows and put a line or two on his nose. “Ko, don’t ask me how long ago that was, please,” and he went on lusting his cheeks with yellow parchment powder. “I have sung in lots of the English cathedrals.” Mr. Walenn comes of a family which has distinguished itself on the stage, and in the musical and art worlds. His brother, Gerald Walenn, is a well known Sydney violinist. Another brother, Fred Walenn, is director of

the St. John’s Wood School of Art in London, and still another brother is associated with the Royal Academy of Lusic in London. He takes the koen?st interest in all their work, but erhaps his greatest joy is studying the modern novel. He is a great admirer of Galsworthy’s work. “I have played the comedy leads in every Gilbert and Sullivan opera, including: ‘Utopia, Ltd,’ and ‘The Grand x. uke,’ ” said Mr. Walenn, who was njw adjusting his kimono and inch: ging in a cigar before the curtain . 1 came. He modestly admitted that he was v ;o of the few men who has played every comedy part. The last was ‘lluddigore,” which he did not play until he came out to Australia and New Zealand. Mr. Walenn is particularly strict regarding the Gilbert and Sullivan tradition, but he does not hold with those folk who say that the operas were never altered. “Even Gilbert himself altered the operas, ’’ he said. “One instance was Nanki Poo’s address in ‘The Mikado.’ One time it would be Knightsbridge, at a recent London performance it was Wembley, and in the provinces it is altered to suit the locality.” Mr Walenn played in the operas under the eyes of Gilbert and Sullivan, so he speaks with authority. “No, all the romance and the atmosphere of the operas would go if they were played in modern dress,” replied Mr. Walenn in answer to a question, “and the idea of ‘Hamlet’ in modern clothes appalls me.” He says that he never grows tired of Gilbert and Sullivan, though he never needs to look at the script of any of the operas before going on. Their charm is everlasting. Mr. Walenn played in musical comedy in London, after playing in G. and S. for 15 years. He appeared in “The Chocolate Soldier,” “The Country Girl,” “The Orchid.” and “Havanna.” Then he played in “The Private Secretary,” straight comedy, and later in pantomime. Yes, he likes being on this side of the world, and hopes to tour New Zealand again, but he has a hankering to go to South America, where he would like to play his first and last love, the Gilbert and Sullivan operas.

Birmingham seems to have annexed the palm for prudery in stage production. Pavlova’s ballet was not allowed to dance with bare legs; George Robey the famous comedian, was severely hampered by the censor and recently, when an age-old melodrama, “Maria Marten,” was revived there, the lurid passages were vigorously slaughtered.

The first performance in England of Martinez Sierra’s “The Kingdom of God,” at the Strand Theatre, London, was given recently. The play, by arrangement with George Grossmith, was presented by Anmer Hall, who last year gave London “The Cradle Song,” by Sierra. Gillian Scaife plays the leading part, and the company also includes S. J. Warmington, Barbara Gott, Natalie Moya and Barbara Everest. The English adaptation of “TQie Kingdom of God” has been made by Mr. and Mrs. Granville-Barker. Miss Scaife was in New Zealand some years ago.

“Dorothy,” recently revived in Melbourne, had its Australian premiere in 1877 at the Princess Theatre, where it was revived by the Melbourne Opera Company. Leonora Braham was the original Dorothy in Australia. At the time Nellie Stewart was on a tour abroad. On her return “Dorothy” was revived, and she took the title role for the first time on January 28, 1888. The Princess Theatre was the scene of Nellie Stewart’s greatest triumphs. It was opened on December 18, 1886, with a performance of “The Mikado.” Miss Stewart had already appeared in this opera at the Royal, and she then transferred to the Princess.

Arthur Roberts, a comedian whose name will not be quickly forgotten in England, has written his reminiscences, which he calls “Fifty Years of Spoof.” There are many good stories in his pages. One is of Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree. “The last time I met Tree was in the Park when I was taking two little dogs out for an air-

ing .... “ ‘You are still playing in burlesque?’ he asked. “ *Yes,’ I answered, ‘and I see you have returned to Shakespeare.’ “ ‘I have to, my dear Arthur,” said Tree. ‘lf I didn’t play Shakespeare 1 couldn't pay my income tax. I pay our modern authors royalties, and they put me on the doorstep of the bank- j ruptcy court. I pay our old friend . Shakespeare just nothing, and he saves ! me every time.’ - _____