STAGELAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 484, 13 October 1928, Page 24

STAGELAND

FIXTURES HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE Now Playing—Margaret Bannerman, “Sexes and Sevens." Monday: "Diplomacy.” November 3-17.—" The Girl Friend" and “Hit the Deck,” Annie Croft. November. Dion Boucicault and Irene Vanbrugh. COMING J. C. Williamson Celebrity Vaudeville. "Princess Charming.” "Castles In the Air." ST. JAMES THEATRE Now Playing.—“Stiffy and Mo” Revue Co. COMING “Baby Cyclone” and "Good News." Elsie Prince and Jimmy Godden. Cecil Kellaway has safely got over his first holiday in many years, and is now in the thick of rehearsals for “The Vagabond King,” in Sydney. Arthur Stigant also has a good part. Auckland has fallen under the spell of the Bannerman charm. This evening Miss Bannerman will appear for the last time in “Sexes and Sevens” and on Monday evening “Diplomacy” will be staged. Sardou’s comedy is always a sure draw and is worthy of revival.

FAME FOR THE GREAT i We hand it to some of our j American friends when they j write of English stage folic. j The following is clipped from a Texas paper. Ellen Terry , famous actress, died to-day. She became famous as Rudolph Valentino’s leading lady in “The Four Horsemen.” . The films certainly have something to answer. Because of the intensity of the story, together with the fine acting of Charles Hallard, May Collins, Leon Gordon and Zillah Bateman, “Interference” must have a long run ahead of it at the Royal, says a Sydney paper. • * * Mabel Gibson, here with the Gilbert and Sullivan Operas, is down for the picturesque role of Huguette in “The Vagabond King." Huguette is the tragic figure who loves Francois Villon, and follows him from tavern to tavern, clothed in male attire. She dies through taking in her breast a dagger thrust meant for her vagabond poet. * * * One of the best musical plays of today was the general verdict of an enthusiastic audience at “Song of the Sea,” at His Majesty’s Theatre, London, last month. There is everything that fastidious playgoers could wish for in this colourful pastiche of the navy of Nelson’s day. From the moment that breezy Stanley Holloway jumped down some 20ft to rescue the distressed heroine in true sailor fashion to the end when true love found a way to happiness on the admiral’s quarter deck there was hardly a dull moment. All this, too, without any strident American snap, only grace and charm. Lilian Davies, Mary Leigh, A. W. Bascomb, Stanley Holloway and Claude Hulbert were worthy of this ambitious entertainment.

COTHURNUS.)

(By

Dick Henderson, here some time ago in vaudeville, appeared at the Palladium, London, when that famous theatre returned to all-vaudeville again last month; also on the bill were Ivor Novello and Phyllis Monkman, Billy Bennett and Grade Fields. * * * Leona Hogarth, a skilful American actress, now appearing in “White Collars” at the Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne, gives a new turn to an old grammatical trick. Among the leading American actresses whom Miss Hogarth has met is Minnie Maddern Fiske. Another fine actress who has appeared in Australia and New Zealand is Margaret Anglin. “On one occasion, when she was appearing in Washington, D.C.,” relates Miss Hogarth, “Miss Anglin, knowing that she was to be followed in by Mrs. Fiske, wrote a note which she left in her dressing-room as a compliment to Mrs. Fiske: ‘Margaret Anglin says Mrs. Fiske is the greatest actress in America.’ This note was duly found by Mrs. Fiske, who returned the compliment by making two trifling additions to the sentence. When it reached Miss Anglin it read: ‘Margaret Anglin, says Mrs. Fiske, is the greatest actress in America.’ ” In the eight years that Roy Rene has been appearing as “Mo" —calculated on two-a-day basis—he has used a ton and a-half of hair crepe and shorn over seven thousand acres of

whisker. Eight years ago Nat Phillips was running a show and playing a character called - “Stiffy,” Roy Rene in opposition and personating “Mo.” Being long-headed Australians, they saw the possibility of a great combination, and, uniting their forces, opened at the Princess Theatre in Sydney and were set. They write their own revues and other people pirate them. “As a matter of fact,” said Nat, “there are only forty thieves in the profession and Roy and I want the other thirty-eight exterminated.”

Gladys Cooper Back in London

Event of the Season PLAY FROM THE FRENCH Gladys Cooper's return to London, after touring the English provinces for some time, was one of the events of the season. The daily papers devoted columns to her frocks, of which are said to have set the fashion for the current season. 'Miss Cooper, with her hair tied up in rags, wearing a slovenly dress, and with no style about her, was the first act surprise for the audience at the Playhouse, W.C., where “Excelsior” was produced, says a London critic. It was the kind of audience you expect at a Gladys Cooper first night. In a box was the actress’s husband, Sir Neville Pearson, whom she married two months or so ago, and her children, Joan and John Buckmaster. In the stalls there were many prominent stage people. Toned Down The play is from the French—it was done in London under its original title, “L’Ecole des Cocottes”—but H. M. Harwood has toned it down Sufficiently to get the Lord Chamberlain’s licence. It is the? story of a woman, simple at heart, but ambitious, who climbs up on men’s shoulders. She begins in Montmartre, where she quarrels and then makes it up with a nice young man, played by Denys Blakeloclt. From him she goes to a flat in a more expensive—but not more happy —quarter with another nice man, in the person of that really clever actor, Nigel Bruce; and from there and Eim to a magnificent place in the Avenue Odu Bois de Boulogne with not such

an agreeable lover, who is smoothly played by Athole Stewart, whose beard is magnificent. All the time she is forced ahead by a professor of deportment, an elegant figure which Ernest Thesiger revels in playing, and dogged by a little friend. As this litle friend Hermione Baddeley made the comic hit of the evening; the second act is hers, and Miss Cooper went almost into the background for a time. Delicious Comedy It is a ue. us exposition of comedy situation and writing: I'--. Thesiger trying to teach Miss Baddeley how to behave at the opera and Miss Baddeley getting everything wrong is irresistibly funny. But there is a slight monotony about the play. Repetition of experience happens apparently so inevitably that there is very little surprise. Ambition is the mournirg robe of happiness sometimes and the last act has its sadness. The character of the climber gives Miss Cooper something that she has not d / ! in recent plays. There is very li.de drama, very little opportunity for tense emotion. She plays it all \ with ease, but she is not-extended by it. -

October 13 is given as the probable date of “The Vagabond King” in Syd- \ ney. The reorganised company for ’ “The Vagabond King” will comprise ■ Strella Wilson, Mildred Cottell, James Liddy, Arthur Stigant, Russell Scott, Cecil Kellaway, Arthur Greenaway and j Eardley Turner. Beppie de Vries, will, i of course, play the lead. * * * Just before Herbert Mundin’s departure from England a London paper j had the following comment: “Herbert ! Mundin is going to be, lost to the I British stage for two -years, we regret | to say. He leaves for Australia to play the leading comedian’s part in ‘The Desert Song’ and other musical comedies. Thus the Williamsons, who control most of the theatres in Australia, rob London of an artist we can ill afford to lose. Two years is a very long time to be away from London. With all its glamour as the metropolis ! of the British theatrical world, Lon don is a very desirable place to work in, but the definite offer and guarantee of two years’ work in Australia at a big salary balances that glamour. Herbert Mundin’s case is indicative of what may happen to many other West End stars. With the London theatres in their present uncertain state, such a contract as the Williamsons were able to offer him is something no London artist can ignore.”

One ot J.C.W.’s best-known producers received the shock of his life the other day. Noted for his somewhat eccentric behaviour at rehearsal, \, he startled the whole chorus by shriekj ins: Off with your hats, you girls' I vwant youth and only youth.” Care* !y he scrutinised all the ladies | i of* the phorus, selecting some and re- ! jeci\hig others. “You will not do.” he informed one young lady of somewhat i i uncen tain years. “I said I wanted jyouthi” It is bad enough stepping! I back gr adually into the back row without bein £ told about it quite so rudely. She no annoyed with the pro- : dueer ,that she slapped his face, i Strange to say, though, after she had ! subseque®L\ ly apologised, he engaged her!

The Dominion tour of the Celebrity . Vaudeville Company, which was tc have opened in Auckland at the end j of this month, has been indefinitely l postponed. Williamsons hope, however. to send over a vaudeville company early in the new year with Long i Tack Sam as the principal attraction. The experience of the YanbrugliBoucicault company in Australia on the present tour seems to be that old ! favourites are preferred. Following j "Mis* Nell o’ New Orleans,’* it is probable that “Aren’t We All?** Frederick 1 Lonsdale’s clever comedy, will be ! given for a few nights. “Aren’t We j All?” has been so well received in ! Australia that it would have been surj prising if Mr. Boucicault had omitted : | it on this occasion.