Left The Stage

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 678, 1 June 1929, Page 8 (Supplement)

Left The Stage

Arthur Stigant Takes a Rest in His Garden MAY HAVE PLAY PRODUCED Arthur Stigant, the comedian, has temporarily left the stage. After au almost continuous association with J. C. Williamson, Ltd., cf nearly 15 years, his contract ended in Melbourne with the fall of the curtain on “The Student Prince.” Mr. Stigant intends to spend the next few months, in his own words, ‘“pottering about.” But while he is indulging >n this holiday, he hopes to hear that his ambition—to have a play of his own produced—has been attained “I have written three musical comedies,” he said, “but it has been most difficult to induce Australian managers to consider any pieces that haven't the glamour of a New York or London success. My only hope for my best and latest effort, ‘Flyaway Peter'—is to get it produced in London. It was sent in February to Mark Strong, the composer, who collaborated with me in a revue which ran for nine months before I came to Australia, and I hope that after he has written the music the play will be accepted.”

Mr. Stigant sail that the acme of Uis ambition would nave been for his play to be Staged in Australia first.

Mr. Stigant has :io intention of returning to England. He says he has dug himself -well into the Australian soil. His investments are in Australia, and every morning from 3 o'clock till lunch time, when he has not been on tour, he has followed his gardening bobby at the home in Hawthorn which he purchased six years ago. If he goes to London it will be only to see his play produced. 'the comedian tvt-r first seen in Australia in the -Cinderella” pantomime in 1914. He then broke all records by appearing again as the dame during the four following years. He entered the musical comedy ranks in "Mr. Manhattan."

Lew Fields in “Hello, Daddy'” (New York) approaches a Hebrew for a loan. “I’ll let you have it," bargains the Hebrew, “if you can tell me which is my glass eye.” Mr. Fields points to it. "How did you know?” asks the Hebrew. “Because,” Mr. Fields replies, “it is the more sympathetic.” Though Natalie Moya has come to Australia with an English company, she is Australian by birth. Her earliest days were passed in Ballarat. Miss Moya, who is the leading woman in “Young Woodley,” toured South Africa in leading parts with Alaurice Moscovitch before he came to Australia. She will be seen in Auckland on June 11.

It is generally acclaimed that Marie Bremner, who plays the leading fentine role in “The Desert Song,” the big Drury Lane production which has been brought out by J. C. Williamson, Ltd., has scored the success of her lifetime in a part for which she is peculiarly suited. It is only five 3-ears ago that Marie Bremner was chosen by Dame Nellie Melba for the chorus of the Williamson-Melba Grand Opera Company, and her subsequent rapid progress in musical comedy is now history.

The Wanganui Little Theatre Society was inaugurated recently with three p vformances of "And So To Bed," a story of the doings of Samuel Pepys. Mr. J. W. Bailey was producer. The performance is said to have been very successful. W. H. Ward appeared as Pepys, Edith McXaught as Mrs. Pepys and Doris Symes as Mrs. Knight.

Nat Madison and the company sup. porting him will appear on June 1 at the Palace Theatre, Sydney, in a new thriller, “Dracula.” This is the story of a curious dual personality —a maa who is a polished count by day and a vampire by night. He is ever seeking to convert men and women into vampires, and when he is successful gloats over the crimes they commit. Nat Madison will play Kenwick, an extraordinary character, and Count Dracula will be played by Ashton Jarry. ,