STAGELAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 602, 2 March 1929, Page 24

STAGELAND

FIXTURES HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE Now Playing: Allan Wilkie’s Shakespearean Company in “The Merry Wives of Windsor.” COMING “The Midnight Frolics,” Edgeley and Dawe. “The Desert Song.” “The Patsy.” ST. JAMES THEATRE Now Playing George Wallace Revue Co. COMING “Baby Cyclone” and “Good News, ’ Elsie Prince and Jimmy Godden. “Rio Rita,” Gladys Moncrieff. CONCERT CHAMBER April: “The Bird in Hand,” Auckland Little Theatre Society. Ethel Irving and Owen Nares are appearing in London in Alfred Sutro’s latest play, “Living Together.” * * * Pauline Frederick, here with “Spring Cleaning,” is playing in “The Scarlet 'Woman” in New York. Bland Holt is seriously ill at his home, Kew, Melbourne. On January 31 he had a severe seizure after a period of two months’ illness. The name of Noel Coward’s forthcoming operetta—for which he has written both words and tunes —is “Sari Linden.” It will probably be produced in London in June. * * * The very popular London stage combination of Jack Hulbert and his wife, Cecily Courtneidge, is likely to be temporarily suspended, so far as London is concerned. They fear that the long association might mean too much repetition.

Vera Spaull will have the part played by June in London when “Clowns in Clover” is produced in Sydney. She will wear long fair curls, most likely, and endeavour to look as much like a Lenci doll as possible.

Margaret Bannerman, who has been appearing as Lena in the mucliYliscussed adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s island tale, “Victory,” in Melbourne, is now playing the Marquise Fernade de Monelars in “The Marionettes,” a play set in Paris. Frederick Blackman, who came from London two years ago as producer for J. C. Williamson, Ltd., and has put on several musical plays, including “Tiie Student Prince,” “Madame Pompadour,” and “The Girl Friend,” produced “Marionettes.” The cast includes C. M. Hallard as Monsieur de Verney, Gerald Kirby as the Marquis Roger de Monclars, and Louis Goodrich as Raymond Nizerolles.

Yvette Anning, who will play the Phyllis Dare part in “Lido Lady,” and came front London to Australia to do so, learnt her job in Dame May Whitty’s School of Dramatic Art in Baker Street. She was Ivy Tresmand’s understudy in “The Lady of the Rose,” and besides understudying in “Madame Pompadour,” “Katja, the Dancer” and “Polly” in London, she played parts in these. With Jay Laurier she played the name role in “Yvonne,” and in "The Blue Mazurka” when that went on tour. Her last London engagement was in “Up With the Lark,” at the Adelphi, with Stanley Lupino heading the cast.

Comedian Fred Wright, who died recently in New York, belonged to a family well represented in the profession—having brothers in Huntley and Bertie, and sisters in Haidee and Marie. Bertie has long kept the name prominent in Australia. It is related of Fred that while appearing in "Our Miss Gibbs” in Berlin a German princess proposed to him by letter. His reply was:—“My wife”— Madge Greet, by the way—“won’t let me I”

TIRED OUT Edith Day Takes a Long Holiday 1,500 PERFORMANCES After making 1,500 public appearances in “Rose Marie,” “The Desert Song” and “Show Boat,” the three biggest London musical successes, Edith Day is taking a rest. Her place has been taken by Margery Hicklin, who was through New Zealand with “Primrose” a few years ago.

Miss Day is “completely tired out” —her own phrase—and she has left

the east of "Show Boat’’ at Drury Lane for an indefinite period. The trouble is not a nervous breakdown, but sheer overwork, she said. I played in “Rose Marie” for two years, in “The Desert — Song” for a year, Edith Day and now I have been playing in "Show Boat” since last May. I came to London for “Rose Marie” immediately on top of a two-years’ run in “Wildflower” in the United States, and I have had hardly any rest all this time. I have had a fortnight off twice since March, 1925.

The first symptoms of fatigue came upon her suddenly on the stage. “Everything became hazy and far away,” she said, “and although I felt well enough in my dressing-room I could not finish the first act.” Her place was taken by her understudy, Margery Hicklin, who is continuing to play the part. Miss Day has probably been the hardest-worked actress on the London stage in the past three years and ahalf. She has certainly given more performances than any other actress. "Rose Marie” was played Ssl times and “The Desert Song” 432 times. “Show Boat” has passed its 300th performance.

(By COTHURNUS.)

“Strange Interlude,” Eugene O'Neil’s much-discussed play, has celebrated its first year's run in New York. It was assailed by the critics when it first appeared.

Anne Croft will return to London shortly for a production or two, and then come back to Australia. She is not to be in “The Five O’clock Girl,” but will carry on in “The Girl Friend” and “Hit the Deck,” in Melbourne (revivals), Adelaide and Perth. Something good in London is on the horizon, and Miss Croft is a genuine London star.

“The Jersey Lily”

Stories of the Life of Lillie Langtrey

HER COMMANDS WERE “WISHES’

Stories of Lillie Langtry have been recalled by the news of her death, which occurred recently in England. Many are told by Edward Michael, who was her personal manager for some years.

In his entertaining book, “Tramps of a Scamp,” in which he had the collaboration of J. B. Booth, he says that in every-day life Mrs. Langtry never

“made an entrance.” There was no attempt at commotion or “effect,” but a vision of beauty and grace suddenlyappeared. In the days when trains were often worn no actress managed a train as she did. In or out of the theatre, she was always calm. One day Mr. Michael found her wandering on the platform of a railway station. “Oh, I’m so glad to see you,” she said sweetly. “Will you arrange for a special for me to-morrow? I want to go racing." “Rather an expensive way of going racing?” he suggested. “Oh, no,” she said; “I think I know what I am doing; at least, I hope so.” She went; and in the evening Mr. Michael anxiously watched for her at the theatre. He told her that he had feared it would be necessary to dismiss the audience. “Oh, no,” she rer plied placidly; “of course, I knew exactly what time I had to be back here. And,” smiling, “even if you had had to close the theatre the loss would have been mine, would it "not?—so why your anxiety? And you need not worry about the expense of my special. I am sure the £1,400 I have won will cover it —and leave a little over.”

Beautiful, But Businesslike

Mrs. Langtry’s commands to her company were given as “wishes” and

“suggestions.” They were the outcome of considered thought and calm deliberation, says Mr. Michael; she had a Napoleonic genius for detail. Anyone who made the mistake of continuing a discussion after she had made a “suggestion” was told—“ But we have settled that already, have we not?” “Madame’s compliments," said her dresser to Mr. Michael on one occasion, “and please do not trouble about sending her the cash book. When she wants it she will ask for it.”

Yet she was thorough in financial as in other detail, and knew to within £2O or £3O what her credit balance was at any moment. On the rise of the curtain she could estimate within a few pounds the money represented by the size of an audience. Arrangements for an American tour were quietly settled, and she then said to her manager, “I am now going away for a holiday, and do not wish for any communications until we meet on the boat.”

Iron Will Power

With all her feminine charm, says Mr. Michael, Mrs. Langtry had iron will power and a gift of instant decision. She was remarkably well read. “Hers was always a big and broad mind, which could not tolerate anything commonplace or futile, and her favourite phrase is indicative of her nature. ‘Don’t let us fuss, please,’ spoken in a soft, plaintive voice, was a danger signal to those who knew her. She ever detested ugliness in all its forms, and ugliness of manners and speech were to her anathema. One of the acknowledged wits of the world, her sense of humour was unlimited . . . but the coarse and sordid were entirely foreign to her nature, and never tolerated in her presence. And woe betide the unhappy wretch whose reputation as a wit depended upon the coarse and risque story.” There is a widely-spread theory that a society beauty cannot become a skilful actress; but Sir Squire and Lady Bancroft, with whom Mrs. Langtry began on the stage, wrote in their memoirs some years afterwards: “We have never seen reason to regret having been the means of introducing Mrs. Langtry to the profession in which she has now for years been so earnest a worker as to achieve success far beyond that derived from mere curiosity. She was, besides, so apt and zealous a pupil as to render it a pleasure to help her to success.” A player of a later time, Mr. Ernest Thesiger, has written: “I never saw Mrs. Langtry in her prime, but even as a middle-aged woman she was astonishingly handsome, and, when properly cast, a much better actress than she was credited to be.”

Allan Priora, the Australian tenor, known on Broadway, where he was featured in “Madame Pompadour” and in Ziegfeld and Schubert productions, is returning to Australia to appear in tabloid musical comedy in conjunction with the “talkies.”

Another Australian who intends to seek his fortune in America is Leslie Pearce, but he will not leave until his contract with Fullers’ Theatres, Ltd., has expired. Mr. Pearce now plays opposite Gladys Moncrieff in “Rio Rita,” at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne, and is one of the outstanding figures in that production.

With what infinite gusto Matheson Lang plays these Westernised Chinamen! His Yuan Sing in “The Chinese Bungalow” at the Duke of York’s is more inhumanly suave, more subtly sinister, more utterly ruthless than even Mr. Wu, says a London critic who predicts a long run for this play.

If Fred Terry and Julia Neilson, with “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” and Dennis Neilson-Terry and Mary Glynne, with “No Other Tiger,” are still acting in London at the end of February there will be five members of the Terry family on the West End stage then. Phyllis NeilsonTerry will be the fifth one; she is to go to the Fortune in the Pulitzer American prize play, “Craig’s Wife.”

Writing For Popularity

When Henry Arthur Jones, the dramatist, was buried at Hamstead recently, his coffin bore the inscription:

Henry Arthur Jones, born September 20, ISSI, died January 7, 1928, author of “The Silver King.” In his will Mr. Jones left a message on the future of the English theatre. He said: “On several occasion when I have felt encouraged to offer to the public my best work regardless of popular success, I have been so unfortunate as to meet with the condemnation alike of the Press and the public. “I say this in no spirit of bitterness or disappointment, but as an excuse for sometimes offering to the public plays which have been below the level of my aspirations and of their expectations.

“I have done this in the hope of capturing that wide and popular approbation without which no dramatist can hope for influence and authority.

“X am convinced that England cannot have a modern drama worthy of her place among the nations until our theatre is brought into relation with our literature and until the great body of English men of letters take a diligent and understanding interest in the theatre.” Mr. Jones said that he had tried to draw English men of letters to the theatre and to persuade playgoers to read and study modern plays. He added: —

“I am conscious that I have largely failed in both these aims. It is with some hope that the causes I have advocated may yet succeed that I ask English men of letters and English playgoers to accept from me in a spirit of forbearance and friendliness this legacy of a few last words.”