STAGELAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 364, 26 May 1928, Page 24

STAGELAND

(BY

COTHURNUS

FIXTURES H!S MAJESTY’S THEATRE Now Playing: “The Student Prince,” and “Madame Pompadour.” June: “A Cuckoo in the Nest,'' “Rookery Nook,” and “Thark.” July 15: "The Silent House” (Maurice Mascovitch). July: Dion Boucicault and Irene Vanbrugh. COMING “The Girl Friend.” “Castles in the Air.’ * Grand Opera Company. ST. JAMES’S THEATRE July 5: “Sunny,” “Archie,” and “Mercenary Mary” (Elsie Prince). Coming: Grand Opera Company. CONCERT CHAMBER June 27: “Outward Bound.” Little Theatre Society. LEWIS EADY’S HALL June 6-7: “The Florentine Tragedy.” Auckland Amateurs.

The League of Notions Revue Company, now making its premier appearance at His Majesty’s Theatre, Wellington, is a combination which shows distinct merit. Frank Gorman, who used to be known as the “Rev.” Frank, has now organised a revue company in Australia. He is supported by the McKinnon Boys, Sadie McDonald, Harry Ross and Nellie Kemp. From “Rookery Nook,” due in Auckland shortly, the peppery admiral speaks to the flippant young husband: “Why do you wear that glass in your eye?” “I’ve rather a weakness there.” “Well, why don’t you wear a glass hat?” St. James’s Theatre Will Open on July 5. -

The new St. James's Theatre, which is rapidly nearing completion, will probably open on July 5. Auckland's newest amusement house is an artistic tribute to the city, and a special gala performance is i being arranged for the opening night. Sir Benjamin and Mr. John Fuller will probably attend. Three musical comedies will fTe played for the opening season—“ Sunny” “ Archie ” and “Mercenary Mary.” Elsie Prince and Jimmy Godden will play the leading roles. They will be supported by a distinguished cast.

Maidie Hope, who is appearing as the Duchess du Surennes with Margaret Bannerman in “Our Betters” at the new Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, has a particular interest to Australians. She married Dudley Ward, a cousin of Lord Dudley, a former Gov-ernor-General of Australia. She is the daughter of John Hollingshed, a notable and historic personality of the London stage, who built the London Gaiety Theatre. She is a clever and versatile artist with a big London reputation. The Auckland Amateur Operatic Company is to play “The Belle of New York" after all. Negotiations for a theatre have ended successfully and the society will soon go into rehearsal. It is estimated that Gladys Cooper’s profits for her provincial tour in England amounted to £20,000. This famous London actress has just concluded her first tour of the provinces since she became a star. After a successful season with “The High Road” in Sydney, the VanbrughBoucicault Company is playing “The Notorious Mrs. Ebbsmith.” The company includes Irene Vanbrugh, Dion Boueicault, Norman McKinnel, J. B. Rowe, Prudence Vanbrugh, Ronald Ward, Gwvnne Whitby, G. Kay Souper, Reginald Wykeham, Hugh Williams, Peggy Willoughby, Annie Saker, and Eardley Turner.

Edgar Wallace, who was one of the first to glorify criminals on the stage, actually says he wrote “The Man Who Changed His Name,” produced in London recently at the Apollo, as a protest against the murder dramas. Although murder loomed in the offing throughout the play, it was never really committed, and in the end it turned out that a man had been suspected of intent to kill merely because he possessed the same name as a notorious criminal! Really, for a craftsman of Mr. Wallace's standing, this was a little thin. Garrick Letter Valuable Document Now in Auckland WRITTEN FROM ADELPHI THEATRE A letter written by David Garrick in the Adelphi Theatre, Dondon, in 1772, is now in Auckland. This valuable link with a famous old actor is the property of Miss Wales, 8.A., of the Diocesan School. The letter is old and faded, but the writing is still legible. Garrick wrote a scrawling hand and was delightfully This particular letter was written seven years before Garrick died to a lawyer friend in Dublin. The lawyer was a distant relative of Miss Wales’s father. Unfortunately part of one page of the letter is missing. For a long time it was carried round in the pocket of the relative, who passed it on to Miss Wales and consequently the valuable relic broke at the folds. For a time the value of the letter was not realised, but now it is worth a considerable amount. Christie’s, the famous London art dealers, have offered a good sum for the Garrick letter. David Garrick was one of the most noted men of the English stage. He was born in 1717 in Hertford, and with Samuel Johnson left to seek fame and fortune in London in 1737. They arrived with only fourpence between them. Garrick made a scant living in the wine business, but in 1711 he made his first stage appear-

ance in “Richard III.” From 1742 to 1745 Garrick played at Drury Lane and later appeared with Sheridan in Dublin. In 1747 Garrick became the chief proprietor of Drury Lane Theatre. His finest productions were revivals of Shakespeare’s plays, which he made very popular and in which he attempted to secure accuracy in mounting and dressing. Garrick was a man of great wit and versatility and enjoyed the friendship of the greatest men of the day who gathered at his house at Hampton. His long association with the beautiful “Peg” Woffington ended in 1749. Garrick was buried in Westminster Abbey. When he died Johnson wrote that the event had “Eclipsed the gaiety of nations and impoverished the public stock of harmless pleasures.”

John Hollingshead, a journalist who became a theatrical manager, conducted the Gaiety Theatre for years in the days when Gaiety burlesque was one of the chief London entertainments. Hollingshead’s name is recalled by the fact that his daughter, Maidie Hope, is in Melbourne with the Margaret Bannerman company. Miss Hope appeared at the Gaiety and at other theatres when musical comedy had become the favourite form of light entertainment. She was in “The Shop Girl,” “The Circus Girl,” “The New Barmaid,” “A Runaway Girl,” “A Gaiety Girl,” and other musical plays of those types. Many appearances in “straight” comedy have followed. Jeanette Gilmore to her male partner in a dance in “Rio Rita,” in which Gladys Moncrieff is playing in Sydney: “Can you dance on your toes?” “Sure!” “Well, get off mige.”

‘Princess Charming Elaborate Settings in Mythical Kingdoms No via and Sylvania are the tv.o mythical countries that provide the settings for “Princess Charming.” recently staged in Sydney by WilliamsonTait Company, Ltd., with Kathryn Reece making her first Australian appearance in the title role. Novia is the home of the princess. She is plighted to the king of Sylvania (Leslie Holland), who sends an officer, Captain Charles Torelli (Reginald Denny) to escort her to Sylvania for the marriage. When the captain arrives there, Novia is in a state of revolt, and in a dramatic situation he saves the life of the princess. Dut the circumstances are such that before this can be done the captain and the princess have to be married. Following the marriage—at first a more formality'—there arises a deep love between them. The two proceed to Sylvania. To s,-.ve the captain from the incensed king, who threatens to have him shot, the princess consents to a divorce. Further developments end in the king relenting, and the way being cleared for the happiness of the captain and princes in the possession of each other. Striking pictures in a richly spectacular musical comedy are the embassy at Novia, in the first acl; the reception at the court room in Sylvania, in the second act; and the flower-covered house built up in a tree, with the captain and the princess as the occupants, in the third act. One of Miss Reece’s principal numbers is “Palace of Dreams,” sung by her disguised as a boy. Extremely varied are Miss Reece's dances, ranging from a pantomimic phantasy with Mr. Dandy to a most picturesque court room ballet, in which appear the ladies-in-waiting, together with a number of young girls representing the princess’ special attendants.

Although she is only aged 16 years, ; Donalda Warne, a Sydney girl, has been selected by George Highland to ’ be leading woman in the J. C. William- ' son, Ltd., production of “Rookery ’ Nook,” another of the Ben Travers 1 farces. Miss Warne’s first appearance on the stage was in childhood. Many old-fashioned people may say that she 1 is still a child, but she is said to 5 have undoubted talent as an actress. 5 She was “discovered” by Mr. Highland t in the chorus of the musical comedy 1 “The Girl Friend” in Sydney. The 1 company, which has been appearing i in other farces by Mr. Travers, has f gone to Adelaide, where “Rookery 3 i Nook” will be given a trial before it 3 j is brought to Melbourne and Sydney. 3 “Thark,” the "ghostly” farce which has no ghost in it after all, will also | he produced in Adelaide.