STAGE JOTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 177, 26 July 1913, Page 14

STAGE JOTTINGS.

HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. August -1 to IK—Hamilton TMimmer Co. August 2$ to September 27—Branncombe Co. September 8 to 29—Royal Comic Opera Co. October 22 to November I—"Milestones" and "Bella Donna." PICTURES. King's Theatre. Royal Albert Hall. Lyric Theatre. King George—Dnrham Street. Newton Picture Palace (Continuous). Queen's Theatre (Continuous). Globe Theatre—Queen Street (Continuous). VAUDEVILLE. Opera House—Nightly. TOWN HALL. "Tiie Dandies"—Nightly. Among the coming attractions to be seen in New Zealand thus year, under tbe ,1. C. Williamson banner, will bc Julius Knight, the new American company in "Within the Law," the Royal Comics, Lewis Waller and his English company (which includes Miss Madge Titheradgei, and the Qiiinlan Opera Company, the Auckland dales for which arc December 22 to January 12. Mr. George Marlow. governing director of Messrs. George Marlow, Ltd.. has been compelled, on the advice of his medical attendants, to retire from active part in business. Mr. Marlow for the past couple of years nas been in very indifTerent health, and last year, acting on medical advice, lie took a trip to England. The sea voyage, rest, and change of scene seemed to greatly benefit him, but bis iilnc.-s has again intervened, 1 and. acting upon Lie doctor'* advice. and with tiie concurrence of his friends, lie has decided to absolutely relinquish business and take a prolonged holiday. 'Air. George Marlow. jim.. who has been managing director of Messrs. George Marlow. Ltd.. for the past is months, will [carry on the business of the company upon Mr. Marlow'-. retirement. No Australian girl in recent years has come lo -.he front so rapidly or with as great a certainty of staying there a--Mi-s Dorothy Brunton, says the Sydney "Referee." Th,- clever young artiest is now appearing in "Autumn Manoeuvres" at Her Majesty's, and both iu acting and singing ber sucs-.-s, i- ol the most pronounced order. For tile pas; two years Miss Kruntuii has been winnim.? her wa .' steadily in public favour. Her voice is one of her best assets. 1| is not a bg voice, bin i, well placed, and of a fresh. girlish quality. Into her songs Miss Brunton manage- to get plenty of expression. Mis, Brunton is the daughter of Mr. Bland Holt's one-time scenic artist. .Sh,. w ]|] |„, starring in Australia liefore long. This is a prophecy, but there is something certainly behind it. England has not in years sent a musical comedy ingenue to Australia her equal in intelligence or attractiveness." Somebody worked a cruel JOKe on one of the members of the Banvard troupe before they came to Sydney. The victim was the lady who hangs by her teeth to a strap hooked on to a. trap_e. She was practising the trick, and the joker, to demonstrate that a woman will always answer back, suddenly exclaimed to her. "You're holding on* with your hands." "1 am not," replied the lady. ami at once came flying to the floor iu a heap. She had released the hold of her teeth in order to speak, and disaster followed at oneei What she said to the joker when she got on her feet made him feel that the demonstration had. after all. been a failure. When the .1. ('. Williamson Royal Comic Opera Company returns to Sydney to present "The Dancing Mistress," a new English artist. Miss Hilda Vining. ! will make her lirst appearance in Australia. Miss Vining has a fine record. While Constance Drover (who created in London the role of Nadina in "The Chocolate Soldier", wa s enjoying a holiday. Miss Vining took that prima donna's: place m "Nightbirds." and achieved a great sin-cos-. She has also appeared as Nadina, the notices of her performance being most laudatory. An important role played by Mis- Vining was Claudia it m "The Pink Lady." Most of the critics ol Miss \ ,mug's performances agree re- I gaiuing her possession of hoth acting -nidi singmg ability, together with a pleaein" stage appearance, and natural charm. Although I", months have elapsed since ! it was first produced, "Milestones" eon- ' tinues to boom in The success '• ol the play is the more remarkable mas'- ■ much as it. was preceded bv very little! in the way ot "booming." On the first | night of the comedy in Undon the! theatre was by no means crowded, and I the audience i s said to have been unusu- ! ally apathetic until the charm of the! thing commenced to make itself felt' across the footlights. | Miss Madge Titheradge, the accom-! phshed Australian actress, who is lead-1 ing lady in tMr. l>.wi.s Waller's eompanv ', shortly to visit New Zealand, gave souie I account of her theatrical career in an 1 interview with a Sydnev pressman. "1 : wont away from Australia." she said ' "when I was 10 years old—that's 12 years ago." "Then," remarked the interviewer, "you're " "iluodness gracious!" she exclaimed, in well simulated dismay. "] have told you mv age. and, really, I'm posing as only 17. I went to school in England, but when I was 13 1 said 'Good-bye' to my schoolmates and went straight to the stage. Tluit is where 1 derived my education. I played six years in London right away, starting in a child's fairy play of the nature of 'Peter Pan.' in which I played the fairy's part—a dancing fairy, too. Then 1 was with Air. Cyril Mamie for five years, where I really received mv training. Next I joined Sir Herbert Tree's company, and after 12 months 1 became associated with Mr. Waller. I adore Shakespeare, but I would rather play modern pieces, and the second piece we produce—"The Butterfly on the Wheel," in which 1 play Peggy, is the best of all. I have to stand for 40 minutes in the witness-box in a duologue with the prosecuting counsel, and it is a nerve-racking performance. I have to devote my whole time to it. * It means eschewing parties, .because 1 sleep all the afternoon to fit myself for it. I'm not in love with Lady Mary in 'Beaucaire,' because too great a demand is made for haughtiness." Many playgoers have been eagerly looking forward to the day when " the opening date of the long-promised season of Gilbert and Sullivan's comic operas will he announced". When questioned in Sydney regarding the prospects of an immediate fulfilment of that, promise. Air. Hugh J. Ward replied: —"It. is the intention of .1. C. Williamson, Ltd., to give the theatre-going public of Australia a season of Gilbert and Sullivan some time next year. 1 am firmly convinced of the everlasting drawingpower of these wonderful works, and I intend to revive them on the earliest possible occasion, with specially engaged artists, new dresses aaid scenery; and, in fact, to present ea.e.h comic opera in a way that will exceed in lavishness and perfection anything that has yet been seen in this country.'"

Eight performances of Alfred Hill's opera. "A Moorish Maid," are to be given this month in Melbourne, on behalf of the Repertory Theatre fund. The composer w ill direct the production. Mr George Marlow mentions that among the new plays he has secured—and which will shortly be seen in Sydney and Melbourne—are: "The Pride of the Prairies." "Her Road to Ruin," "A Princess of Patches," "The Race for Life," and "Nobody's Darling." "A Princess of Patches" is an American play, with a special part in it for .Miss Buckley. Miss Nellie Wilson, for many years tbe chief "figure" of the Royal Comic Opera Co., left by the Sonoma for America on June 28 from Sydney. A few years ago her sister. Aliss Elsie Wilson, and mother-in-law. Airs Rupert Julian, decided to try the Cnited States for the parts they could not find in Australia. Miss Olive Lenton. who used to be with the Pollards, is in South. Africa. She was lately appearing at the Palladium Music Hall, Johannesburg, billed as "The Star of Australasia." The present Mrs J. C. Williamson was formerly Miss Mary Weir, of Melbourne. A dancer of striking grace and ability, Mir-s Weir made her first appearance as a child actress in Pollard's Juvenile "Pinafore."" As she grew up she became file foremost of Australian dancers, and held tiiat position until her marriage with the late Mi- WilL>.inson. As the re-ull of a plebiscite taken in Birmingham, Miss Irene Dillon, the pretty Australian, was elected as the most popular actress in the city. Miss Dillon is appearing in pantomime. Artists arc already being engaged in London for this year's Williamson pantomime. The services of .Miss Dolly Harmer and Mr. Harry Lupino have been secured for the principal parts. j The newly-formed Wellington Amateur Operatic Society has pencilled in dates at the Opera House from October ti tu 11. for its initial production of "The Geisha." Rehearsals began this week under Mr. I). A. Kenny. The late Mr -I. C Williamson had a keen sense of humour. When Miss Tittell ISritne was appearing in "Peter Pan" at the Theatre Royal, in MOB. Harries fairv plav did not draw large audiences. A friend asked Mr Williamson why the charming piece was not popular h"re as in England and the Cnited Stales. \\ till a iia If-amused and half-annoyed look on his face, the big manager replied: "No one is born young in Australia. They don't believe in fairies ill this country'. I have made a mistake. The people of Sydnev want football—not fairies!*' ' -sir John Hare, at the dinner of the Royal General Theatrical Kuml. in some interesting reminiscences, told of a time, fifty vears ago, when his wife and he sought lodgings in Manchester. He found, on the outskirts of the town, a little house with a garden ill front, and everything very cosy. Entrance to the rooms was arranged, and then the young actor mentioned something nbout "a little supper about eleven o'clock." The landlady was startled into a horrid suspicion. "What are you?" she inquired. "An actor," replied Sir John. "Oh." replied the landlady, "thank you," and he was shown out of the house. Tom Wells, the comedian who made a hit with "The Arcadians" as Peter Doody, the melancholy jockey with a motto, is in the cast of '"The Marriage Market." at Daly's Theatre. 'London. His character acting in an American part. Baldfaeed Sandy, is roundly praised. Miss Ada Ferrar. well remembered for her Mercia nnd Princess Flavin, with "The vSign of the Cross." and "The Prisoner oi* Zenda." respectively, was at latest with a "Charley's Aunt" company placing Donna Lucia. Mr Lewis Waller celebrated bis first night in Sydney by attending the Tivoli Theatre with Mr William Devereux and a few friends, and making an astounding discovery. They were all Englishmen accustomed to the London music halls. With large cigars well alight they strolled into the stalls, puffing vigorously. Tbe alt cud-ants were horrified, but scared v like to appro-ach Mr Waller in the same brusque fashion they would have adopted towards any ordinary person.' The house manager was called, and the smoke spirals pointed out to him. lie promptly informed Mr Waller and his friends that in music halls in Australia the law prohibited smoking. The Englishmen were vastly surprised, and marvelled that Australia should be so far behind tho times in such an important aspect. In every Ixurdon music hall smoking is permitted, the corollary to that being that the theatre has to be constructed of fire-proof material. Since all the artists at the Tivoli come from either Great Britain or America, they are accustomed to corworniity with the regulations of music halls where smoking is allowed, and all their scenery and properties are made of fire-proof material. Tests are frequcrtly made in other countries, and most scene cloths have a wide border, which enables the testing inspector to fray the canvas out and test it without damaging the scene. On nearly all the scenery used at the Tivoli is branded in huge letters, "Fire Proof." It may be that, some day the law governing theatres in New South Wales will ibe amended so that smoking may be per- ' raitted, and at the same time all risk of I fire completely eliminated. Talking of Che cost of big theatrical I productions nowadays compared with the j expense involved some years ago, Mr | Bert Royle, the representative of ,1. C. | Williamson, Ltd.. in New Zealand, said: j "Take the Royal Comic Opera Company. |Mr Mrisgrove has told me himself that | twenty-five years ago it was possible to make ends meet on £COQ a week. Nowadays we must, take at least double that amount Ixd'ore we can look for profits, and dramatic companies which might fight along on between £300 and £400 a week lrave now to face charges whicli means that more than double the sum I mentioned has to be found to make ihe j filing pay. Bland Holt could not, live I playing to :!/', 2/. and 1/ and producing ! the plays he did twenty years 'ago, and Iso it is with everything. In those days salaries were at least a third what they I are to-day. If anyone were to lrave I talked of a performer getting £j0 or | even £30 oer week, they would have j been considered mad. Now such salaries | are far from uucoramon. The salaries of ' minor performers have also increased | proportionately. Tbe stage hands and I members of the orchestra have their j unions, and are paid award wages, greatly 'in excess of what was once the case. Overtime has lo be paid for at certain i rates, and there are restrictions a«i to the ! timo for which members of orchestras ure j available for rehearsals. The whole ! aspect of the business has clianged. Con--1 sidcr what it costs for fares compared I with wlral it was twenty-live years ago ; —double, at least, everywhere. The rent of theatres has gone up. so has the cast ]of advertising and printing, the cost of ' labour to make the wardrobes and pro- | perties, the cost of carting—everything j has gone up roundly about 100 per cent. j and yet there are those who cannot conceive why the price of a seat in the dress circle in now 6/ instead ot - . , ihink the reason is most obvious, don't you?"' ! THE DEADHEAD.