Unhappy Author

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 526, 1 December 1928, Page 22

Unhappy Author

First Night Scenes in a London Theatre HE CAN DO NOTHING RIGHT The follovring article in an English journal gives an excellent pictare of a first-night in a London Theatre. . The curtain has fallen! On the stage the members of the company wait the decision of the first-night audience in much the same way that ancient gladiators used to cast apprehensive looks in the direc tion of the Imperial box. The applause comes volleying across the footlights as the curtain rises and falls —rises and falls —rises and falls. The minor members of the company, acting on previous instructions, leave he stage to the principals. The lesser principals join them in the wings. The major and the minor stars bow, alternately, to the audience and to themselves. Finally the star —-possibly an / actor-manager—holds the stage alone. And still the curtain rises and falls —rises and falls —rises and falls. And now a new note creeps into the general babel of noise. The star endeavours to translate it into the name given him by his godfather and godmother at his baptism. A young gentleman in the wings, who has scored an unexpected success in an actorproof part, fancies that the audience is clamouring for his return to the stage. They are both wrong. Author! Author! Somewhere at the back of the circle or in a corner of the stage box, the man who wrote the play is lurking. Quite sincerely, he has decided that no clamour from the gallery above nor from the pit below shall lure him on to the stage. He has seen things like that happen before: James Agate after “Blessed Are The Rich,” Noel Coward after "Sirocco.” They won’t make a fool of him. And still the curtain rises and falls—rises and falls—rises and falls. An awkward situation is developing. Feeling that they are being robbed of their prey, the gallery becomes more insistent. A slightly sinister note creeps into their high-pitched demands. The star becomes uncomfortable and makes a gesture of helpless annoyance. The curtain rises and falls—rises and falls—rises and falls. Obviously, something must be done, and so, all unwillingly, the author steps into the fatal limelight. Having no stage technique he crawls on sideways like a crab. Lacking make-ups his face assumes a deathly pallor, and when the whole ghastly business Is over he crawls off again, instead of holding his ground and waiting for the curtain to fall. It Is the peculiar tragedy of the author that he can do nothing light. If he refuses to appear, he is a spoilsport. If ho betrays a trace of selfassurance he Is conceited. If he contrives an adequate little speech, he has dared to anticipate his success. What is the poor fellow to do but turn himself into a figure of fun and so provide a fitting climax to the hectic Insincerities of a first night in the West End? For. remember, the applause on a first night means nothing at all. There was the case of the producer of a musical play at the Alhambra who walked on into a tumult /of cheers and walked off into bankruptcy. There was the author of a play at the Vaudeville who was shouted for—and was then booed so loudly that they heard the noise at Charing Cross! Another author, at the St. James’s, was pilloried because he was holding a cigarette when ho took his call, and yet another because he laughed at the comedian appearing In his owu play at the Apollo. These are known facts, and from them you may gather that the lot of the author is not quite so lvappy as you might have supposed.

Oliver McLennan, here in the chorus of J.C.W. shows, is playing the juvenile lead in “Rosalie” in New York with Marilyn Miller (the original “Sally” and Mary Pickford’s sister-in-law) and Jack Donaghue. * s * Harry Wool ton, who has toured New Zealand in several J.C.W. musical comedies, was offered work in England the dav after he arrived to try his luck. lie preferred to stay in London to take singing lessons for a while instead of going into the provinces. The Australian extrepreneur, E. J. Carroll, joined the ranks of West End producers of musical comedy when “Lucky Girl” was staged at the Shaftesbury Theatre recently. Mr. B. A. Meyer, well known in Australia, is also connected with the management. Thet cast included Gene Gerrard, now a popular London light comedian. The audience thoroughly enjoyed the bright production, which the critics praise highly for its tunefulness, humour and dancing. * * « Rosie Dolly, one of the Dolly Sisters, the music-hall entertainers, has been debarred by her father-in-law, the late Sir Mortimer Barnett Davis, the tobacco magnate, from sharing in any of the proceeds of his estate. Miss Dolly secretly married Sir Mortimer’s son, Mr. Mortimer Davis, on March 31 last year, and any children she may have will become disinherited, under the will of Sir Mortimer.