THE DRAMA.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15017, 11 July 1914, Page 9

THE DRAMA.

(By Ctbaxo.) It is good news that "Bnmty Full* tho Strings," the delightful conxjdy. of Scottish middle-class lifo which had such a long run in London, was received with great enthusiasm in Sydney on Saturday week. Doubt has been expressed as to whether colonial audiences would appreciate the 7 local humour and colour of tho play, but tho reception of tho comedy in Sydney settles that point. Typhon," in which tho lato Laurence mado such, a'hit in London, is another play whoso prospects of success out here havo been questioned, owing to the antiJapanese feeling in tho colonies, but I notice that nowhere in Canada was it received more enthusiastically than in Vancouver, whero tho prejudice againstthe Japanese is at_its strongest. Perhaps British people in their theatregoing aro freer from such prejudices than most other nationalities. Tho succ-S- of "An Englishman's Home," with its temporary triumph of the Germans and its caricatures of English military methods, is a case in point.

With memories of "The Tyranny of Tears" and "Passers-by," I hail thought. Mr Haddon Chambers could not write a bad play, so the poor quality of "Tho Awakening" camo as a> disagreeable surprise. It was first produced by Goorgo Alexander at tho St. James's Theatre, ono of the homes of society comedy, and no doubt, tho polished performance it would got .thero made it a fairly pleasant entertainment. 'But it is beyond tho ability of average amateurs to mako such dry bones live - , and the attempt of tho Julius Kuight Club to do so failed. Tho performance was a disappointing falling-nwav from . the standard set in "You Never Can Tell," hut the difficulties of the task and" the loss of one or two capable members must bo taken into account. It is to bo hoped tho Club will not loso heart, but wilt, persevere, and cbooso for tho next production something"better-fitted, to members' abilities. .'

Tho abused London* ciilio is occasionally, cheered by. proofs that he ha* 4 somo power. Sir„Jonies Barrio listened to the critics atid mado alterations to "Tho Adored One." Now Mr Joromo K. Jerom-*"- 4 —- mado extensive altera- _ .ions to/his latest play, ".The Gamble. ' Tho playwright is as accommodatingas _c>.- J American politician who said: ','Gentlomen, them's my politics, and if they don't suit, they kip be -hanged.'' This year, .moreover, * -two London managers have withdrawn plays, oaten* sibly in deference to tho critics.

Ono of the best pieces of theatrical news -received lor a long time is that the company from tho Little Thosj-tre. Svdncy, is to visit Now Zealand next nionth. Mr Hugh Buckler, who head, the company, seems to havo firmly established the Littlo Theatre as a- re- _ portory house, and his success is one of tho most -hopeful things in, the dra- * . matic outlook in Australasia. The com- >- pony will play, among other pieces, . Pinero's -'His House in Order 1 ' (tang •.-, overdue here), Sheridan's "School for. ', Scandal," and Shaw's "Fanny's .First"Play." Hero is plenty of scope for. . display of vei-satility. In the meantime tho much-ncglectod Pinero is to be brought before tho pub- * lie next week by a now local organ.- 4 _ sation called The Plnyars, who are -pro- - - ducing "Preserving Mr Panroure. in, * aid of tho Canterbury College Library 4 ? ■ Fund. Tho play is ono of __nero< -5 later works, having been produced' i* i--1911.', Following op three sonotis ploys, - "His Hous-rvin Order," "Tho-Thunder- _, bolt," -and '-d-d^an-el,"" \\l wo* a' * ; return to his earlier farce-comedy '-\ method, with a difference. ''P-iaServitift "; Sir Panrntrre," which is desenbod as 4 :_, comic play," is a studyin weai_o_» an* -, its results. ..-Tho plot, thoogb. -shglu, >*. lends itself to complications, and' 1 in- J ero's cleverness in tliis kmd of stage _; archit-cture is well-known. ~ A ' peats deal of trouble has been taken with the ,*•_£ production, ,as regards both reht-arsals __ and mise-en-sceno, and those' who go ; to see it should enjoy thoms-lvos, bt 4 - . v sides helping a very worthy cause. The most brilliant performanc© which * - "Tho"Silver King" has ever had wan riven a few weeks ago in London in aid of. the' King George Penswn Func* J. ' for Actoraantl Actresses. Tie King to - lected tho famoj-s play, and ho an, . the' Queen;attended tho is-rfoTip-ttKe* _- The long' cast was 'filled from be_jnninf ( , to end by "-tars." •Mr H. B. JfvrM j; was Wilfred Denver; 'Miss Ldlah Mp- -- Carthy—who - before she went in to* ■ Shaw and other .intollectnals, t .toyed _• ___*.* -wait with Wilson \ „, .-SuiS-mrl Mr E a>W_J_rd came out of retirement to,play.i_»-;t'a|K«_t , t. of'whom he'was the-ori&ftAl JllStofAm- , brose manning was Elijah„Coamt>o_ 4 Mr- , Henry Aihley was f 'Mi Gerald dv M_vuner.t-io?*S_nd_x tf - *• dnpe.r Sir Georgo' » - railway in_po-*t_r, J 3 ™ 1 * Beerbohm Tree's t_*imb-nail sketch -of Gaffer'Po-tlo was. ono, of-the rams ol -; the afternoon ."Not i only did the players take tho drama seriou-iy, says , the "Westminster Gazette," "but co, , alsoirdid"the-audience, and many ami _ large were the'teara shed in somo part. :. of ;the houso as the innocent chilclJ-U - prattled, arid the too-too-faithful butler . declined to desert his mistress, and Mias , Uliah 1 McCarthy queened it in poverty, t and •■ strenuous, tragic Mr- Irving » * canio into his own again. There was oven app-uise ready at tho psychoiogical moment when Denver makes the mild request: *Oh, God, put back lay universe and give roe ye-terday. .... In all respects, then, it was a fine.performance, a memory to bo Uierished.

7 Apropos of this revival, a.writer 'to \ 4 tho ''Morning Post" gives somo inter- > csting information about tho .piay....=-, ?i It Avas produced by W Uspn Barrett at tho Princess's on November 16th 1882, and was described -as aa original _Ve-act-drama by Henry A- ; Jones and Henry Herman. As a-»»*-;.■'■.: tor of fact the central idea had bee tt used in a two-act melodrama 1 in the - 'thirties, which was based on a cause :, celobre, in which a man caught literally red-handed beside the body of a murdered man was actually innocent , of the crime. Though 4th-is never been seriously questioned that *£* Silver King" is mainly tho work of *« Jones, the authorship is still somctJ_n_ of a mystery. Herman subsequent. 4 -" denied participation in the Arriting o» the'plav, and his name was remoA-cc from the bills... Later Mr Jones» to . also removed. "The success of the play was immediato, and deservedly so, lor, as tho "Morning Post" says, "&w «£ of the landmarks of modem £ngll-h melodrama. "At the tWof.its production. mel->drama, taken in the bnlK, was too' much a chamber o- horror* re* lievcd by horse-play. & . lo^r " desien-d for" a public that.ignites at al-w moral and inteUectual tempera-,--. ture. Mr Jones raised the.^f£>.>. as in a measure Mr G. R. Sims had. don£ shortly before in The Lights o' London.' Melodrama from that became more civilised, . might almost say spiritualisod* T* l6 stoiy had wo longer to bo outrageous, the charra-tore and their emotions Avero ; such" as the ordinary man couM rmatch and follow from his oavii experience. The merely physical was no longer allowed to have things all its own way. And so tho thirty-year-old play is stil* going strong. Who will predict as long a life for any dn_m«. of to-day?."