THEATRICAL GOSSIP. (From our London Correspondent.) London, March 27.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 50, 17 May 1884, Page 5

THEATRICAL GOSSIP. (From our London Correspondent.) London, March 27.

The past week has not brought to light any very startling theatrical novelties, the fact being that the majority of managers are reserving their new pieces for Easter Monday. At the Surrey Theatre, last Saturday night, an old Olympic melodrama which used to be called the " Worship of Bacchus," but is now re-named " The Breadwinner, "was produced. It seems a heavy play, of much the same sort as " L'Assomoir," and did not altogether satisfy even the easy-going Southenders. At the Olympic itself, "The Two Orphans"

has been staged, but without reviving any of the interest which the piece created whon it ran so long here ten years ago. Presently, perhaps, theatrical managers will begin to sco the folly of the revival mania. Not one piece in ten that pleased playgoers a dozen years ago pleases them now. Certain stock comedies like " She Stoops to Conquer," " The Rivals," and " The School for Scandal," are always safe cards at any first-class London theatre, if carefully cast ; but modern successes like " Peril " and " Our Boys " often seem antiquated and dull when remounted. Mary Andoi'&on makes way for Mr Lawrence Barrett at the Lyceum Theatre next week, the popular American actor appearing in a play entitled " Yorick'g Lovo," by W. D. Howell. A " special company " has been gob together to support Mr Barrett, and Mr Hawes Crayon is busy painting new scenery for the opening piece. The Easter novelty at the St. James's Theatre will be an English version of Ohnet's famous comedy, "Le Maitre do Forges," entitled, "The Ironmaster." Mr and Mrs Kendall and Mr Hare play the principal parts. The Lord Chamberlain refused to sanction the production at the Globe Theatre of Clement's burlesquo on " Dan'l Bruce," entitled "Dan'l Traduced," it having leaked out that Mr Shine and Miss Lottie Venne meant to make up in the principal parts in imitation of Lord Garmoyle and Miss Fortoseue. The latter, as of course you know, plays Dorothy Druce in Gilbert's piece at the Court. " Cainaralzaman " has piwed a semifailure at the Gaiety Theatre, and baa been roplaced with the evergreen "Blue Beard," which will on Monday next give way in its turn to a new extravaganza on "La Belle Helene," by Reeee, in which most of Offenbach's music is to be retained. Nellie Farrow plays Helen, and Terry Paris. Connie Gilchrist was cast for Calchas, but she won't play "boys" now, so the part has been given to pretty Phyllis Broughton. Your old friend Chizzola, who is now j managing for Salvini, has made Kate Vaughan a splendid offer for a two years' I tour through America, Australia, and possibly India. Unless her Colonel accompanies her, Kate will not, of course, risk leaving England, A burlesque of "Lallah Rookh," by Horace Lennard and Augustus Harris, with music by Bucalossi (of waltz fame), will follow " Nitas First " at the Novelty Theatre on Easter Monday. Kate Vaughan plays Lallah, and Minnie Mario Prince Feramoz. Harry Nicholls, Fred Storey and Dot Mario will also be in the cast. Miss Lingard will not appear in the next piece produced at the Princes Theatre. Edgar Bruce attributes the failure of " Breaking a Butterfly " to her persistence in claiming (as leading lady) a part for which both physically and morally she was wholly unsuited. Clement Scott, the theatrical critic of tho "London Daily Telegraph," and Miss Braddon aro collaborating on a new play. Botli have tried their hands as dramatists before, but without success. Mr Scott was one of tho adapts of " Nos Intimes " and " Dora" for the old Prince of Wales Company. Henry Irving s stay at the Lyceum when he comes back from America is to be limited to ten weeks. After that not the deluge, but Mary Anderson again. "Our Mary" means to renew operations with "Romeo and Juliet," in which she will be supported by that handsomest of all jcune premiere? (Ten is), whom Abbey (Miss Anderson? manager) has seduced from Irving's company. W. G. Gilbert feels so pleased with the pretty Americans acting as Galatea and the heroine of " Comedy and Tragedy " that he is v/riting a new play specially for her, which will also be a feature of the autumn campaign at tho Lyceum. The papers, arc talking about a special matinee, performance of "Ingomar," with Salvini (playing in Italian) as the barbarian, and Mary Anderson in her popular role of Parthenia. This will, I think it highly probablo, come oft. Mrs Langtry returns to England in July, and will open her tour of the provinces at Newcastle on August llth in "She Stoops to Conquer." At Christmas she re-appears in London. The Bancrofts have resolved to follow up "Peril" at the Hay market with a revival of " The Rivals " on a specially splendid scale. It may be remembered that they scored agreatsuccesswith " The School for Scandal " at the old Prince of Wales Theatre. I can well recall how all London flocked to see the tea-room scone and the minuet, and how the feminine play-goers " Oh'ed !" and " Ah'ed !" at the wondrous lace and diamonds worn by Mrs Bancroft as Lady Teazle. In "The Rivals," Lionel Brough will be Bab Acres ; Brookfield, Sir Anthony Absolute ; Conway, Captain Absolute ; and Mrs Sterling, Mrs Malaprop. In the present revival Mrs Bancroft will give a somewhat novel reading of the character of Mrs Malaprop, who has hitherto been made an unnecessarily repulsive old Harridan ; Mr Lionel Brough, a genuine comedian, far too long wasted on burlesque and operati? buffooneries, will play Acres ; Mrs Bernard-Beere and Mr Bancroft will do their best to lighten the gloomy loves of Julia and Falkland. I have heard of the possibility of a veteran actor being induced to emerge temporarily from his retirement to play Sir Anthony Absolute, and I suppose Mr Conway or Mr Forbes Robertson will be the Captain. Miss Julia Gwynne is mentioned as the probable Lydia Languish. The sensational musician of the coming London season will, in all probability, be Anton, whoso " Stabat Mater" was performed with considerable eclat at the Albert Hall the other day, and who is in great demand at the best soirees musicales. Colonel Mapleson finds he achieved the reverse of a good bargain when he agreed to give Madame Patti £1,000 per night for singing at the New York Opera House. Instead of making money,the impressario loses it every time his champion prima donna appears. Moreover, she is a very " hard nail" to deal with, for not a note will she warble till the Colonel's notes for the current thousand are safe in her secretary's pocket. Sims Reeves has well nigh wholly lost his voice. Again and again lately managers have announced that ho would appear, l)ut on each occasion an excuse has been made instead. Audiences are now becoming wily, and demand their moneys back when a disappointment occurs. This is very bad for the impressario, and the popularity of Sims Reeves with professionals seems on the wane. They now demand heavy forfeit if he fails to put in an appearance. In addition to the regular round of French plays at the Gaiety this season, we may, perhaps, have the Historic Company of the Comodie Francaise over at a London theatre for a few weeks. The only thing is they require a guarantee of £240 a performance, and it seems doubtful whether any of our managers will care to risk as much, Drury Lane Theatre closes this evening, as the stage is wanted by the Carl Rosa Opera Company, who open there on Easter Monday. No pantomime has ever had such a success as " Cinderella," which, when all expenses have been cleared up, will yield Gus Harris a profit of over £18,000. Preparations for next year's annual, "Dick Whittington," have already commenced,

Notwithstanding the clever acting of Kyrle Bellew and Beerbohm Tree, " Breaking a Butterfly" is not drawing good houses at the Princes, and a dramatic version of Hugh Conway's sensational " Called Back" lias already been put in rehearsal. The present programme was strengthened last week with a capital little farce, or rather, dialogue. "6s 8d " is called "a plagiarism in twenty minutes," and the sketch turns upon the troubles of > a Lolish couple who have been married but six months. One smokeß too many cigarettes, the other devotes all her time to the solution of double acrostics— hence the incompatibility. The husband seeks the lawyer to obtain a divorce, and while ho is waiting his wife comes for the same purpose. The mutual recognition is delayed for a few minutes, and when it does come a lively scene of wrangling and recrimination naturally follows between this ill-matched pair. If Kuch scenes do occur anywhere off the stage, 1 can only say that divorce is a happy contrivance. In this case the lawyer —a mute, strange to say— is the dmis ex machina who effects the reconciliation, for which he well deserves his "six and eightpence." Mr and Mrs Tree, as the husband and wife, infuse much spirit into their work, and their unflagging efforts are received with much favour.