A New Zealander In Sydney Town

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 620, 23 March 1929, Page 19

A New Zealander In Sydney Town

| (THE SLAVS Special Correspondent J SYDNEY, March 15. | A new opera by Alfred Hill is an i event of considerable interest to New Zealanders, especially when the theme, as has been the case with so many of his other successes, is Maori. "Teora” is the narrative of a magic flute, quite Mozart immortalised. ‘"Teora,” the latest Jlill work, is to open the new Tur- < ret Theatre at Milson’s Point on March 23. Don Finlay, who is well known in Sydney for his scenic creations —he j is. in fact, the Australian Craig—is the j moving spirit behind the new theatre j New Turret Theatre Strangely enough, this Maori flute, said tu have been made by Tainui, a great lighting chief of his day, from the arm-bone of a rival, was the subject ol‘ a traveller’s tale in “Household Words," during the regime of Charles Dickens. Teora, the heroine, is the daughter of Tainui’s rival, Pomare. Tainui's son, Waipata, falls in love with her, and both are doomed to die jy the angry Tainui. As an alternative, a friendly tohunga suggests a test in which the magic flute figures prominently, and eventually ends in the death of Tainui. The enormity of utilising Pomare’s arm for the purpose of a flute will at once be appreciated by anyone who has given some thought to Maori customs: that is. from the viewpoint of Pomare’s relatives. Mr. Joseph M. Post, who will uiiect the new opera, is now busily conducting rehearsals. I Pavlova the Divine Additional information is now available concerning Madame Pavlova’s company, due in Sydney for Easter, and now on the way down the coast from Java. It has been decided that M. Pierre Vladimiroff will be Pavlova’s dancing partner in “The Fairy Doll," “Chopiniana,” “Autumn Leaves," Tchaikowsky’s “Snowflakes,” and other prominent ballets. Ruth French, a dancer new to Australia, will appear in “Walpurgis Nights ; ” and also in the “Magic Flute,” in the role previously filled by Thurza Rogers, the New' Zealander. Nina Kirsanova, another new member' of the cast, will appear in Spanish and Russian dances. Messrs. Planowski, Algeranoff, Domoslavski and Slavinski will again figure in the ballets. The Australian tour commences at Townsville on March 20. “The Patsy’s” 200th Curtain Even “Patsy” Hendren cannot equal “The Patsy’s” record. This human little comedy, which I am sure New Zealanders will thoroughly enjoy, was presented recently for the 200 th consecutive time at the Criterion Theatre. This is easily a record for a comedy run in Australia. Emma Gibbs deputised on one or two occasions for Irene Homer, George Bryant, at one performance only, replaced A. S. Byron as the father, and Vera Gerald’s role, that of the mother, was taken at single performances by Rosie La Varde, Leal Douglas and Marion Marcus Clarke. Brandon Peters, Sam Wren, and Eileen Sparks played the whole run without a break. Truly, tin* reward of the patient understudy is often a long time coming. Phvllis Fuller Returns Phyllis Fuller, the New Zealandborn daughter of John Fuller, of theatrical fame, returned from London during the week, after a three years’ absence from Sydney. Po,ssessing net a little of the family business ability, Miss Fuller proved herself extremely Liseful to her busy father while in the great metropolis, by visiting almost every type of theatrical entertainment and informing him of their respective Sydney’s Divided Italy. There was little indication, on the surface at any rate, at a delightfully served Italian luncheon at Wentwortu which I attended during the week, of the serious difference agitating Sydney sons of Italia. Commendatore Grossardi, who, despite his modern attire, might well have stepped out of one of Boccaccio’s tales (of course, one of the very nicest of them), gave no inkling as to his reasons for returning to Rome. It has been sriggested that Signor Mussolini lias demanded the return of the gallant Commendatore in order to explain several matters that Toti Dal Monte, the singer, is reported to have brought to the notice of II Duce. The Consul-General, it might be explained, did not attend Toti’s famous wedding. There was no doubting the popularity of Mussolini at the luncheon. The announcement that there had not been a strike or a lockout in Italy for the past seven years

was greeted with thunderous applause. My neighbour, a Dutchman, quietly suggested that a Dictator in Australia might not go amiss, and one could not but agree with him. Sailing for England Colonel and Mrs. Noel Adams, from i he Auckland Province, were passengers Iby the Nestor for England. During the | last few days the colonel has been re- | newing acquaintance with many New ! Zealanders who knew him as corn- ) mandant of Featherston Camp. New Zealand Law Criticised Sir Victor Wilson, the ex-politician head of the movie industry in Australia. had much to say on his return from the Dominion concerning New Zealand’s insistence upon visitors signing a declaration of loyalty, a vexatious stricture that has occasioned not 7i, little comment from travellers. Somewhat unexpectedly, a correspondent in the “Sydney Morning Herald.” Mr. W. If. Crawford, takes the cinema knight to task. He wrote: “Over 45 years ago I had considerable experience of tlio releasing of prisoners from Darlinghurst and Pentridge, who were shipped to New Zealand. Sir Truby King, then superintendent at Seaclilf, can easily vouch for the many derelicts roistered on the Government of New Zealand in the ‘eighties.’ . . . The pity is that Australia does not adopt the same policy as New Zealand. Were it so, strife as we see to-day would be non-existent, principally because of the oath demanded of every British subject.” He went on to say that only a spy would attempt subterfuge. No honest or straightforward man could refuse to sign. E RIC RAMS DE X.