ON BUYING PLAYS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 620, 23 March 1929, Page 24

ON BUYING PLAYS

Sir George Tallis Searches the World WHAT AUSTRALIA AND N.Z. WANT Sir George Tallis, who is busily scouring the world for new plays for Australia has been explaining his views on what Australian and New Zealand playgoers prefer. Sir George, who embarked on an annual 55,000-mile pilgrimage in search of plays and players, has been doing it for 20 years. He controls 20 theatres and 100 cinemas, and in the words of his friend, "as he searches the theatrical markets of London, New York, Paris, Berlin and Vienna to find attractions suitable for the ‘hardboiled’ super-critical audiences of Melbourne, Sydney and New Zealand, he ought to know exactly what’s what.” "For five months every year,” Sir George said, “I’m scouring the world for plays. I usually come to London, via America, calling in at all the promising shows from the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast. Recently I flew from ’Frisco to Los Angeles to see a play and flew back after the performance. "Then I went on to New York, saw 80 plays in three weeks, bought three and sailed for England. “One has to be careful in catering for Australian and Now Zealand audiences. They’re neither English nor American in their tastes just 50 per cent, of each. They like sex plays, but they mustn’t be too sexy; they like musical comedies, but not unless they are well done. The Australian and New Zealand theatre-goer won’t tolerate cheap or tawdry productions. For instance, I’ve bought ‘The Squeaker,’ and I want Owen Nares to go out and play the detective. “In New York and London there are precious few plays which would succeed in Australia and New Zealand. The Australian and New Zealander likes comedy. Frederick Lonsdale is all right; Edgar Wallace is popular; but other shows which run in London for months wouldn’t last over there for weeks.