STAGE JOTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 52, 2 March 1929, Page 2 (Supplement)

STAGE JOTTINGS.

The firm of J. C. Williamson announces that Miss Xellie Stewart is making] arrangements for a short season in Melbourne. She hopes to play in "Sweet Nell of Old Drury" and "Trilby." Both Sir Gerald du Maurier and Miss Gladys Cooper have new plays in hand. Sir Gerald's play is called "Change of Heart," and is by Miss Audry and Miss Waveney Carten, the first-named of whom made a hit with him in "The Dancers," the play in which Mies Tallulah Bankhead first appeared in London—in 1923, when she was 22. Miss Cooper's play is "The Sacred Flame" —it is not certain that this title will stand for the London production—by Mr. Somerset Maugham. There is a new play, "Burlesque," at the Queen's Theatre, London. It is a story of stage life and derives much of its interest from the return of Mr. Nelson Keyes. the famous comedian of revue. Having been playing in British films (among them "Tiptoes," "Madame Pompadour" and "Mumsee"), he now takes the part of an American comedian in a "road show" in the Western States. The stage scenes in "Burlesque" are photographically real and the depths of sentimentality are plumbed in those between th« down-and-out comedian of one-time Broadway magnitude and his leading lady wife, played by Miss Claire Luce.

For the first time in Australian theatrical history an artist of international importance is to open a tour of Australia at Townsville. On March 19 Anna Pavlova will arrive there from a visit to Java, and for three nights the inhabitants of this North Queensland town will have an opportunity of enjoying her ballets. From Townsville she will pass to Rockhainpton and Maryborough, giving a brief season in each place. Then on March 30 she will open the new His Majesty's Theatre in Brisbane. The journey to Sydney will be broken at Toowoomba, where several performance* will be given.

Earlier in the month a cable announced the successful debut of Miss Shelagh Nunn-Patrick as Elsa in Wagner's '"Lohengrin" at Rome. Miss Nunn-Patrick received her first training in Sydney in 1920 and following years from Mrs. Hugh Ward, who at the same time was bringing forward the more advanced soprano, Miss Gladys Cole. Later, Dame Nellie Melba advised Miss Nunn-Patrick to enter the class of Lapierre, a teacher of note in Paris. Lapierre regarded the voice as a high mezzo, and "placed" it as such for two years; after which (in 1924) the young singer gave an acceptable recital at the Steinway Hall in London. Since this recital she has remained at Milan, studying first under Signer de Falco, and then, at de Falco's death, under Delia Ponte. Both of these teachers pronounced her a soprano. As recently as last April, when Mr. Gerald Marr Thompson visited Milan, she was still going on determinedly with lier expensive education under Signor Villani, a long-retired baritone, who made gesture and dramatic dictiou his specialities. She had made no public appearances since her rectal in 1924. It was much against her will that Lily Langtry, whose death was recently announced under lier later and less known name of Lady de Bathe, went on the stage. She had made a dazzling success in London society; but the success had no financial backing, and, in order to find ready money for the swarm of duns who assailed her, she had been forced to sell her London house, with all its beautiful ornaments. It was small consolation that all fashionable London flocked to the sale. She had to consider the problem of making some sort of a living. At this crisis Mrs. Laboucliere, who had herself enjoyed a substantial reputation as an actress under the

name of Henrietta Hodson, descended upon her with a proposal that she adopt a theatrical career. Mrs. Langtry refused; Mrs. Labouehere insisted. At last the dominating personality of the older woman prevailed; and Mrs. Langtry consented to appear in some amateur theatricals

at Twi ckenha 111 (where the Laboueheres lived in a villa formerly occupied by Pope), as a preliminary step. Rehearsals were terribly painstaking. Mrs. Langtry found the right inflection of words an endless worry. At last the great evening came; the curtain went up on their little plav ("A Fair Encounter"), and Mrs. trv stepped on to the tiny stage. Then, as she said afterwards, her mind became a blank. Though, with the help of some agitated prompting from Mrs. Labouehere, she managed at length to proceed, by the time the curtain fell she had firmly decided never to appear behind the footlights again. Mrs. Laboucherc. however a,ws not to be thus thwarted! \\ itliout waste of time she set her protege to work to study the part of Kate Hardcastle in "She Stoops to Conquer." The purpose of these activities was a mvsterv to Mrs. Langtry; but at length Mr*. Laboucliere enlightened her bv remarkiii" that she was to play Kate at the Hav" market Theatre in London at a theatrical fund matinee, and that most 01 the leading dramatic artists of the city were to support her. She protested, but duly appeared. The rank and file of London waited for hours outside the theatre. The Prince and Princess of Wales occupied one box, and the Duchess of Manchester occupied another. The rain of bouquets at this performance in 1881, ushered in Mrs. Langtry's long and brilliant association with the English and American theatre.