STAGE JOTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 233, 1 October 1932, Page 2 (Supplement)

STAGE JOTTINGS.

. The long-delayed initial production of the Auckland Catholic Repertory Society, which was formed last July under the guidance of Mr. Gaston Mervale, will be delivered in the Town Hall Concert Chamber on October 14 and 15. A quadruple programme is to be presented, the plays being "The Marriage of St. Francis , (by Gheon), "The Golden Doom" (Lord Duneany), "Cathleen ni Houlihan" (W. B. Yeats) and "The Coffee Stall" (Forwood). "The Golden Doom" is the only costume play in the series.

Rudolph Beeier's record-breaking play, "The Barretts of Wimpole Street," which will shortly be presented to New Zealand audiences, will familiarise Dominion theatregoers with the sensational love story of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett. In her characterisation of Elizabeth, Margaret Rawlings, the talented young English, actress, has satisfied critics everywhere. Barry K. Barnee, an accomplished young London actor, is eeen as Robert Browning, and he plays well the part of the ardent, tempestuous lover, a fighter and a, man. Another actor from London, E. Bellenden Clarke, gives a study of Barrett that for perversion of mind and inhumanity towards his family is brutal and faithful to the last degree.

The J. C. Williimeon Imperial Grand Opera Company, which has just concluded a triumphal Australian tour, will visit Auckland next week. Some difficulty had been caused in Melbourne by a. diepute regarding the terms under which the musicians were to be engaged for the Dominion tour, but a satisfactory agreement was arranged, and October 5 has been set down for the opening of the season in Auckland. The repertoire of the company promises an unexpected

CESARINA VALOBRA, the Italian lyrical soprano who makes her first Auckland appearance with the Imperial Grand Opera Company on Wednesday in the initial performance of " Madame Butterfly."

treat for Auckland audfencee. The company proposes to play 16 nights here, and over this season the following famous operas will be given:—"ll Troviitoro," "La Traviata," "Rigoletto," "La Boheme," "Madame Butterfly," "La Toeca," "Cavalleria. Rusticana," and "I Pagliacci" (bracketed), "Carmen," "Faust," "Lucia di Lammermoor," "The Barber of Seville," "Tales of Hoffmann" and "Don Pasquale."

"The London Repertory Play ere" is the name of a new amateur dramatic society recently formed under the presidency of Sir Nigel Playfair. Its. aim is an excellent one—the production of original wor x k by British playwrights. There are dozens of good plays which, for one reason or another, never see the light, and this society means to encourage their unknown authors—a work of real importance.

I Mr. Sydney Carroll, the London proi ducer, lately delighted playgoers by giving some open-air .performances, of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" in the Botanical Gardens in Regent's Park, the effort being greatly appreciated. Some short time later, in the village of Whitestaunton, in Somersetshire, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was charmingly presented by a group of actors and actresses calling themselves the MidThey were amateurs, but, according to St. John Brvine, of the "Observer," their acting and stage settings displayed quite as much talent as the West End, with its elaborate details and huge salaries.

John Masefield, the Poet Laureate, is. organising a Poetry Festival to give young British poets "eome much-needed encouragement." It is to be> held in Mr. Maeefield's theatre at his house on Boar's Hill, near Oxford, starting October 5, and the appeal is issued by the poet and. his wife. Prizes are to be offered for narratival poems suitable for performance. They must be original in verse, in English, not less than 4000 words, in length, not yet published or performed, and suitable for narration by from one to four speakers. They must be stories? that is, tales told of deeds done; not playe, or actings of deeds, T'he authors must be of British birth, and , not more than 40 years of age on September 1, 1932.

Mr. C. B. Cochran, the English theatrical veteran known eo well to Americans as the "Ziegfeld of London," has received an offer from Chicago to take charge of a series of theatrical, musical and variety productions in connection with the impending World's Fair. If the project appears to be promising- it is rumoured that he might accept, even if it means absenting himself from 49, Old Bond Street for the better part'of a- year. Mr. Cocbran attended the Chicago World's Fair 39 years ago, but then as an out-of-work "actor eellrojr fountain pens. New York is hoping that his latest London success, "Helen." may yet be done on Broadway, with Evelyn Laye and George Eobey headin* the cast. " ' '. »

The death in Lancashire last month of Mr. Vallance, brother-in-law of Sir Harry Lauder, was a tragic blow to the famous Scottish comedian. The Palace Variety Theatre at Blackpool was packed with an audience of gay holiday-nlakens, who were demanding song after s<sng of Sir Harry, who had been informed that Mr. Vallance had collapsed and died in a dressing-room behind the etage. Under the stress of great emotion, the great entertainer performed for three-quarters of an hour, and, after bowing his acknowledgments, went off the stage, sat down and eobbed like a'child. Only once did he betray during hie turn a sijni of oppressive eadness, and that when he reached his concluding item, "Keep Right On to the End of the Road." Mr. ValTawe was not only a brother-in-law arid confidant, but bad been Sir Harry's manager for Sβ years. Sir Harry said that the deceased had been with him since hie struggling days, accompanying hm in all Ms pterseae tours,