THE ASCHE SEASON.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 215, 7 September 1912, Page 9

THE ASCHE SEASON.

IN THEIR HEIGHT OF THEIR FAME. "KISMET" AND SIiAKESEEARE.~ Last summer Mr. Oscar Aecne and hie wife, Miss Lily Brayton, were playing "Kismet" to. crowded houses in London: This year they are at the antipodes, and on Monday week we ' will see them in .' lekland. This dhows how close an unexpected set of circumstances sometimes brings the two opposite, sides of the theatrical world together. Coming bo soon after the visit of the Irvinge, it will he interesting to compare the styles ol two actors and two actresses who have an undisputed rank in their j profession. Both the Irving* and the Aeohes.play Shakespeare, but the great hit of the artists who are so soon to be our fluents has been in "lvismet,' a spectacular play, which will probably appeal to colonials even more than it did to London.

I Mr. Asche is an Australian by birth, having been born at Cteclmig juet forty years ago. Being of Norwegian descent, he wan sent a,t aj] early age to Norway to .study for the stage, but hie master told him ho was "pot cut out for a 'Norwegian actor; be was an English actor"; uud so young Asche w«nt across to England mi fa-mo. His first engagement was with Arthur JUacro in "Man and Woman - ' in 1833. and in the same year he joined ]•'. R. Benson's company, remaining with them until 1001. It was while on tour with this combination that he met and married Miss Brayton. Asche and his wife joined Beerbohm Tree at His .Majesty's, and played in all the most noteworthy Shakespearean revivals at His Majesty'?. Mr Asche joined the i I management of His Majesty's in 1907. j Miss Bray ton was born at Hindley, in I Lancashire, and is considered a perfect ; exponent of Shakespearean and romantic characters. This is their second tour to the Antipodes.' They were in Australia about three years ago. and the tour was so 'successful that they were induced to undertake another, and include New Zealand.

'•Kismet. the opening play of the season, is described by the author. Edward Knoblauch, as an "Arabian Night" in three nets. It. was produced with groat success in London last year with Oscar Asehe and Lily Brayton in the'roles they play here, ft is redolent of the famous book which has charmed so many people in Western Europe ever since it was translated by Richard Burton, to whose memory, by the way., Knoblauch has dedicated the piny. There is -the caliph, the vizier, the beggar, the bazaar, the harem, the h:immani, the muezzin, and all the familiar characters nnd scenes which have made the •''Thousand and one Nights" the delight of generation after generation. There are gorgeous scenes •if Bagdad, of pleasant, memory to most people ever since they could read, and even before that, when the wonderful tales were road out in the family circle. Incidentally there is some gorgeous dressing in the play, uud the scenes are all singularly fine. The very names breathe of the enchanted volume a street before the mosque of the carpentersthe bazaar street of the tailors the audience hall of the-Caliph's palace —the hammnm of Mansur's harem so on. Miss Rrayton is. of course, the lovely Marsinah. Apart from '•Kismet, the company's repertoire consists of "The Merchant of Vonipp." "Othello," "Taming of the Shrew." and "The Merry' Wives of Windsor." Everybody is familiar with the first-mentioned on the stage, anil most of us have semi "Othello." but the other two have not been piay hi Auckland for n considerable time, When Asdic wits in Australia on his previous visit hp departed from all precedents and wore, rod hair as the jew in "The Merchant of Venice." much to the consternation of the critics—so strong is stage tradition. No one could recall bavin , seen .a red-headed Jew of true descent", and great was the newspaper warfare over the new Shyloek.