STAGE JOTTINGS

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 179, 30 July 1932, Page 2 (Supplement)

STAGE JOTTINGS

THE BANANA.

The Navy League will present a play by A. A. Milne, "The Fourth Wall," in His Majesty's Theatre on August 19 and 20, which offers a departure from the usual style of that author. While the inevitable humour is there, "The Fourth Wall" is essentially a mystery thriller, possessing a fine natural plot and giving plenty of scope for characterisation. A strong cast has been collected, the leading roles of Jimmy Ludgrove and Susan Cunningham being taken by Mr. A. H. Fryer-Raisher, of 'Varsity play fame, and Miss Althea Parker respectively. Other important parts are given to Messrs. Jack Mackle, Mackail Geddes, Hamish Henderson, Lees Bullot, Jack Gordon, Alan Leonard, Mrs. Hugh Fenton and Misses Burgee Watson and Joan Hudson.

A company of Spanish-American players will stage in the Lewis Eady Hall on August 2 and 3, a Cuban mystery drama, "El Besa de la Muerta" ("The Kiss of Death.") A one-act production, the play deals with General Lester's tragic passing during the Cuban war of liberation from Spain. Senor T. A. Carle, the producer, will be seen as the villain of the piece. Other players will be Nola Casselli, a well-known Aucklander, Ernest Pooley, Egbert Watson and Miss Parker. Incidentals will be supplied by St. Thomas' Orchestra. On the same programme will b<; presented a short farce, "Doomed at Dawn." The Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society will benefit by the first night's proceeds.

"The Barretts of Wimpole Street," which set London talking when it was firet presented, will be played in New Zealand by a company headed by the brilliant young English actress, Margaret Rawlings. It was in this play that Miss Rawlings scored her greatest success. For over twelve months the discriminating theatre-goers of London flocked in their thousands to witness this splendid drama, which presents the sensational love story and elopement of Robert Browning with the sorelyafflicted Elizabeth Barrett.

The opening performance of the delightful musical comedy "Blue Roses," coming to New Zealand shortly, will be at the Grand Opera House, Wellington, and the date will be July 27. There are thousands in the Dominion who will be delighted to have the opportunity of not only witnessing an outstanding musical production, but of welcoming two very capable and popular artists, viz., Madge Elliott and Cyril Ritchard, after an absence of several years, during which they have both scored successes in London. They appeared in many big musical-comedy successes in the great capital.

"Jimmie's Women," one of the best comedies the Nellie Bramley company has given Melbourne, is brimful of humour, and the culminating point is withheld right up to the final curtain (says "The Graphic"). As the erstwhile actreee, whose ancestors happened to be the foremost in the United States, Miss Nellie Bramley had a role to revel in, while William Raymond, the artist whose peccadilloes with women brought untold trouble, was at his best. The remainder of the cast was well placed, each member having a role which suited him and her down to the ground. Of the minor characters, Austen Milroy made his a masterpiece of hen-pecked humanity.

Florenz Ziegfeld, whose death was announced during the week, was born at Chicago in March, 1809, and was manager and lessee of the Ziegfeld Cosmopolitan Theatre and the Ziegfeld Theatre, and joint manager of the New Amsterdam Theatre, New York, and Colonial Theatre, Boston. He entered the theatrical business at Chicago in 1892. He imported military bands from Europe for the World's Fair in that city in the following year, and was manager and organiser of Hie Chicago Troeadero during the fair. He acted as manager also for Eugene Sandow, the famotie strong man. Mr. Ziegfeld had presented Ziegfeld's Follies in New York every year since 1907, introducing them in many spectacular productions. He was first married to Miss Anna Held, actress, and hie second wife was another aetrese, Miss Billie Burke.

A Sinn Fein play by Noel Scott and Dudley Sturrock, called "Ourselves Alone," was recently staged at the Globe Theatre, London. This was no political argument, but a sound and stirring piece of melodrama in the modern manner, according to the "Daily Telegraph." Practically every male member of the cast carried a gun, and was allowed to fire it off during the proceedings. There were any number of hair-breadth escapes, one pitched battle, and some highly-exciting reversals of fortune. The plot hinged round a beauteous maiden whose brother was a notorious Sinn Feiner, and whose two fiances were the leaders of the force detailed to capture him. In this difficult position everybody behaved according to the best traditions of stage romance and brought the story to a highly effective finish. Frank Harvey could hardly be; bettered as the nobly self-abnegatory commanding officer of the police forces,, and Arthur Pusey, Griffith Jones, Natalie Moya, Harry Hutchiuson, Christopher Steele and Charles Wade all did good work.

Sir Nigel Playfair, who recently severed his active connection with the Lyric, Hammersmith, after 14 years, is to be succeeded there in management by the young actor-manager, Alfred Farrel'l. Mr. Farrell, who has run many tours of his own in the provinces and has acted in London, but is now making his first London presentation, has taken the theatre for a summer season of three months, with the option of extending that period. He proposes to carry on the traditions of Sir Nigel—who is giving him all possible assistance—opening with a series of revivals of famous plays of 40 or 50 years ago, with a production of Sir Arthur Pinero's "Sweet Lavender" (first presented in 1888, when it ran for 684 performances). Baliol Holloway was to produce the piece and play the part of Dick Phenyl, while the "Lavender" was to have been Vera French, sister of Leslie French. Miss French only recently returned from America, where she has been acting. Alfred Farrell himself was to have appeared as Clement, and others in the company wore listed as Fewlass Llewellyn as Dr. Delaney, Gwen Llewellyn as Ruth and Horace Sequeira as Bulger.

A Japanese boy, who was learning English, wae told to write a short thesi' on the banana. It went as follows: — "The banana are great romarkabh fruit. He are constructed in the sam< architectual style as sausage, different being skin of eausage are habituallj consumed, while it is not advisable tc eat wrapping of banana. "The banana are held aloft while consuming; sausage are usually left *°- re ' dining position. Sausage depend foi creation on human being or stuffing machine, while banana are pristine product of honourable Mother Nature. In case of sausage, both conclusions are attached to other sausage; banana, on other hands, are attached on one end to stem and opposite termination entirely loose. Finally, banana are strictly of vegetable kingdom, while affiliation oi sausage often undecided." THE MASTER'S QUESTION. Master: I asked you what are the last two letters of the alphabet. Why don't you anewer? Cockney Boy: Please, sir, father says a still tongue means a YZ. A DOUBLE HANDICAP. Employer: You are always rushing in at the last moment. Why don't you get a bike to come on? Workman: I should, but yer see, sur, it's downhill t'work an' uphill 'ome. LEARNED HIS LESSON. Teacher: How do you spell "little"? Johnny: L-i-t-t-1-e. Teacher: You should say "L-i double t-l-e." Next day Johnny had to recite the verse beginning, "tip, up, my love, the sun is shining," but lie was not to be caught again, and this is what he said: "Double up, my love, the sun is shining." A TWISTER. It isn't only the ladies who can do their bit of reputation wrecking, and the talk in the bar parlour had taken a personal turn. "There are times," said Jones, "when I think Bill Smith isn't as straight as he might be." "Straight!" exclaimed Robinson. "Why, he's that crooked that if he held a corkscrew in his hand it would look like a knitting needle." VERY OBLIGING. A small girl entered a grocer's shop. "Please, sir," she said to the shopkeeper, in a shrill voice, "I wants 'arf a pound of lard, an' a pennorth of cheese, an' muvver ses she'll send a shilling when father comes home." "All right," replied the man, ■who was used to this kind of request. "But," continued the child, "muvver wants the change now, 'cos she's got to put a penny in the gas meter." HOW SHE KNEW. "Yes, my dear," said the old lady, "there's one thing I'm thankful for, and that is that my daughter married a gentleman." "And how do you know he was a gentleman?" said her friend. "Because I put him to the test," reI plied the old lady. "The first time my daughter brought him home, I gave him a hot drink, and when he poured it out into his saucer lie didn't blow on it like , any ordinary fellow, lie fanned it with ! his hat." BUSINESS. The carpenter's son was making out his father's weekly accounts. "What g>all we charge Mr, Newrich for that little job?" asked the youth. "I've got ten hours' work down to him." "Ten hours," replied his father, "that will be twenty-eight bob." The boy was about to enter the figure when his father stopped him. "On second thoughts," said the parent, "I think we'd better make it a- round figurj. Put down thirty bob." He paused and added, "No, wait a minute, lad.' Make it thirty-two bob, so that it doesn't look as if we've been making a round figure of it."

Wife (during argument): I think you are most unreasonable, John. John: I certainly am—that is why I expected you to be reasonable, Bingle: When you found that you had not got your fare, did the conductor of the tram make you get off and walk? Mowls: Only get off. Hβ didn't seem to care whether I walked or sat down. Mrs. Thompson (learning to drive): Henry, that little mirror up there isn't set right. Thompson: Isn't itt "No, I can't see anything but the car behind." "Allow me to tell you," eaid the fiery general, "that you are a puppy." "Are you aware, eir," roared the last of the ancient house, "that I come from a long , line of " "When I want your pedigree, I'll drop in at the Kennel Club." In a cathedral city t he annual dinner of a charitable organisation was beinj]; arranged. When it came to making out, the toast list the new secretary asked: "Is it customary to toast the bishop?" "Oh, yes," replied one of the committee. "The bishop is always drunk at this dinner."

Customer (hopelessly): I should think I've tried twenty different remedies, and yet I don't seem to get rid of this cold. Chemist: Don't get despondent, sir—there are any number of other remedies on the market! ' —"London Opinion." "Is your husband in, Mrs. Gossip?" asked the caller. "Yes, he's in," replied the lady. "Good! They perhaps 111 get the money he owes me." "You're a bit of an optimist. If my husband had any money he wouldn't be in." Wholesaler: Your farmer employer tells me you were the quickest bookkeeper in the place." Applicant (dubiouely): He doeeT Wholesaler: Yes. He says you could throw the books in the safe, lock up, and get ready to go home in exactly one minute and ten eeconds. At a country fete a conjurer was performing the old trick of producing eggs from a hat, when he eaid to a youngster who was looking on: "I say, my boy, your mother can't get eggs without hens, can ehe?" "Oh, yea, ehe can," replied the boy. "Why, how does ehe do it?" asked the conjurer. "She keeps ducke," was the answer. It was at the weekly "hop." During the refreshment interval the widow coyly asked her young partner if he could guess her age. "You must have some idea," she eaid, smiling archly. "I have several ideas," he admitted, with a sigh. "The only trouble- is that I hesitate whether to make you ten years younger on account of your looke, or ten years older on account of your brains."