ZB's PRESENT FAMOUS OLD MELODRAMA
HE presentation over the ZB stations of "The Silver King" as a radio serial, will. revive pleasant memories for many theatregoers of a generation or two ago. Written and produced by Henry Hermand and Henry Arthur Jones, it was originally produced in London at the Princess Theatre in 1882, where it ran for twelve months, and brought considerable theatrical prestige to Jones. It was brought to New Zealand three years later by that enterprising actor-man-ager, George Leitch.
As frequently happened in those days, the tour started in Dunedin, and after playing there and in Christchurch for four weeks, "The Silver King" was presented in the old Theatre Royal on the site of the present Police Headquarters in Johnston Street. The play was also presented on the occasion of the opening of the old Opera House in Manners Street, where the Regent Theatre is now.
It was in Wellington, too, that "The Silver King" was produced for the last time in 1915. In the meantime, of course, it has been played frequently by amateur companies. The radio serial is a faithful adaptation of the stage play, and the principal roles are filled by artists who have starred in many well known radio plays. Harvey Adams.plays the. part of Wilfred
Danver, Queenie Ashton is Nell Danver, Ronald Morse is "Tha Spider," Lou Vernon is Crips, and Arundel Nixon is Geoffrey Ware, The story, of course, is melodrama in the good old Victorian style. Pretty Nell Hathaway is the purest, prettiest young woman that was ever pursued by a villain, and by the same token Geoffrey Ware is the blackest villain that was ever hissed by the gallery. "The Silver King" is Will Denver, who, falsely accused of murdering the rascally Geoffrey Ware (he had plenty of cause to), escapes from England to America, and after many hardships, finally strikes it lucky in the mines of Nevada, where he discovers a fabulous silver lode. His wife, the ex-Nell Hathaway.
suffers all his vicissitudes with him in true melodrama tradition, and how the two make good, and how wrong is finally made right, makes a thrilling and often amusing tale. "The Silver King" starts at 1ZB on February 26, at 2ZB on March 5, at 3ZB on March 12, and at 4ZB on March 19,
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19410221.2.26
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 87, 21 February 1941, Page 13
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386ZB's PRESENT FAMOUS OLD MELODRAMA New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 87, 21 February 1941, Page 13
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Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
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