PLAYS AND PICTURES.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17976, 22 March 1930, Page 5 (Supplement)

PLAYS AND PICTURES.

Theatre Royal. April 15—E. J. Gravestock (Alexander Watson). Victoria Hall. April 2—John Dunn, Violinist. Aloxandor Watson Coming. Alexander Watson, the English elocutionist, who has been delighting large audiences all over New Zealand, will come to Hamilton on April 15, under the direction of Mr E. J. Gravestock. Mr Watson is well known as an entertainer, having visited New Zealand on several ocoasions. His programmes include many of the gems of literature, and humour is not forgotten. Leon Gordon for New Zealand. When Leon Gordon comes to New Zealand shortly his repertoire will probably include “Murder on the Second Floor,” “The Land of Promise,” “Brewster's Millions,” Flying Squad,” and his own play, “The Poppy God.”

William Faversham In Australia. William Faversham, in “The Prince and the Pauper,” to open in Sydney to-night, will have a kind of Rohm Hood role, for which he has the physique. He stands 6ft lin in his socks, and is slim to boot. With William Faversham in The Prince and the Pauper” is Edith Campbell, who made her first bid for popularity with Robert Mantell in Shakespeare. She got on to Broadway with Blanche Yates, and became well established as a star when engaged to play Olivia with Phyllis Neilson Terryin “Twelfth Night.” The second production will probably be “The -Hawk," and Mr Favershaw may also revive “The SquawMan,” in which he starred in the original production in New York.

New Zealand Dancer In England. Thurza Rogers, the New Zealand (Wellington) girl who was last here as premiere danseuse with the Pavlova Ballet, is dancing at the English music halls with her partner, Edward Lasoelles, who was also a member of the Pavlova Ballet. Allan Wilkie In Melbourne.

Such enthusiasm has been aroused by Mr Allan Wilkie’s production of famous old English plays—“ The Sohool for Scandal,” “She Stoops to Conquer," and “The Rivals” —that the Melbourne season is to be extended, and the King’s Theatre is proving all too small for “first-night” audiences. The witty dialogue and fascinating apparel in the Sheridan plays delight both ear and eye. “Maid of the Mountains” Revival. Gladys Monorieff opened in “The Maid of the Mountains” at Melbourne last Saturday. „ Gladys Monorieff first appeared as “The Maid" in 1921. The original cast in Australia included Frank Freeman (who came out to play in hilly in Bloomsbury”), Phil Smith, Mione Stewart, Gladys Monorieff, Leslie Holland Robert Chisholm (now a star in New York), Myra Kenham (who is married to a New Zealand sheep farmer) and Flossie Lusk. George Gee In “Rio Rita.” A twice-nightly musical comedy venture is to be tried in London next month. The first production will be a revival of “Rio Rita,” with George Gee (well remembered in New Zealand) m the chief comedy part. Danced fop 161 Hours.

Cieve Kerger, of Manly, established a world’s endurance dance record at Katoomba, New South Wales, last week, when he completed a session of 151 hours 4 minutes. He danced with 14 different partners, and doctors expressed surprise at his vitality. V.C.’s at “journey’s End.”

Last Wednesday evening the V.C. winners living in New South Wales were the guests of J. C. Williamson, Ltd., at the performance of "Journey s Ell After the performance they were let into the secret how the extraordinary and realistic war effects used in the play are produced. Frank Harvey’s Play Draws.

“The Last Enemy,” Mr Frank Harvey’s play, which has been making a remarkable fight for existence at the Fortune Theatre, has been acquired for production in the United States (says a London paper). Mr J. J. Shubert, a member of the biggest American theatrical firm, who is in London, said that he has taken options on this play and on Mr Ivor Noyello’s “Symphony in Two Flats.” Mr Tom Walls, who presents "The Last Enemy," said: “It has been running for four weeks and the loss is already about £3OOO. But the receipts have risen from £2OO a week to more than £BOO. The play will certainly take more than £IOOO this week.” Frank Harvey was for 12 years a most popular leading man in Austialia and New Zealand. ' Since going to England lie has appeared in several London successes. London’s Busiest Actor. Mr Robert Loraine became London’s busiest actor yesterday, says a London paper. . , In addition to playing the two parts of Pew and Long John Silver at the matinee performances of “Treasure island,” he resumed his former part of the artist in “Art and Mrs Bottle at the Royalty. Mr Loraine is also lessee of tne Apollo Theatre and is occupied with business matters in this connection. Cast All M©n. Mr Maurice Browne, the producer, is to follow “Journey’s End” with a Battle of Jutland play (says a London paper). The author is Commander Stephen King-Hall, R.N., who served at Jutland, and who is part-author of the naval play “The Middle Watch,” and it is called “B.J. 1.”

•‘B.J. 1” stands for a naval signaj.. and, translated,’ means “Station all hands at action stations throughout the day and the night.” The play is in a prologue—laid in Kiel before the war—and three acts. The main action occurs in a light iruiser, and the cast is gn all-foea. MS.

Actor Gets £6OO per Week. Terms have been arranged for Mr Dennis King to be the next star at Drury Lane, London. About nine years ago Dennis King was at the Birmingham . Theatre. He had a fine singing voice, and he went to London to find work, but no manager showed much interest in him. So he went to America. Now- he holds a unique position. He is a sort of “singing Lewis Waller” —a young man of flambuoyant personality and immense verve, who earns about £6OO a week in musical plays. When he goes back to London it will be at a very big salary, and as D'Artagnan in a musical version of “The Three Musketeers,” a role in which he made a big success in New York. Actors Given Cocktail Party. The all-women cast of 16 actresses in “Nine-till-Six" gave a cocktail party to the all-men cast of “Journey’s End” on the stage of the Apollo Theatre after matinee performances of these plays (says a London paper).

Woman In Man’s Part. In Holland the role of Raleigh in “Journey’s End” (the part taken in New Zealand by Lewis Shaw) is played by a woman. In London “Journey’s End” has celebrated its first anniversary, and it is expected that it will run for another year. Footllght Flashes. Wirths’ Circus sailed from Auckland for Sydney yesterday. Jim Gerald and his revue companyappeared at Invercargill for five nights this week. The much-talked-of “Gold Diggers of Broadway” is having an extended season in Napier. “The Belle of New York” was revived successfully in Sydney last Saturday night. Marie Bremner was the Belle. The Fuller Musical Comedy Company headed by Freddie Forbes, after playing “Lady, Be Good,” all the week, wili be seen at Auckland to-night in “ Sunny.” Ann Davis, from the United States, is the actual leading lady for Faversham, but the Australian girl, Mary MacGregor has the real lead in “ The Prince and the Pauper.” Karvl Norman, the female impersonator, billed as “The Creole Fashionplate,” who appeared in Auckland with the Ernie Lotinga company, left on Tuesday by the Aorangi on his return to America. The Stratford-on-Avon Shakespearean Company will return to England next month, after touring Canada and the United States for six months. Eric Maxon, who was in New Zealand some years ago as juvenile lead with the Guy Bates Post company, is a member of the company.. Another actress to achieve “talkie fame is Miss Ellaline Terriss, who appears with Franklin Dyall }n 1 Atlantic,” the British shipwreck film. Miss Terriss is the wife of Seymour Hicks, and visited New Zealand with her husband and daughter some years ago.