A THEATRICAL PRODUCER.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17222, 12 August 1921, Page 10

A THEATRICAL PRODUCER.

—• • £ MR ROBERT GREIG. , * Some idea of tl;c difficulties which ntttt - the theatrical producer of to-day <IW ' given n representative of "The Plt»" ; last evening by Mr Robert Greig, prt> duccr of "Clm Chin Chow." Sir Gf9is is well known to the theatre-going pub-'. i lie as a very fine nctor, his last appear- . nnoe here having been three jeer* ago •* with his wife, Miss Beatrice Hollew.iy, 1 in "Seven Keys to BuHpatfl" and 1 "Baby Mine." For'aome time now, hj» ■ interests (have been transferred from , speaking parts to the onerous dutiea of producing. He went to England prhv ll cipally to confer with Mr Oscar Ascoe, f the author and producer of "C'htt Chit 1 Chow," and he speaks in the highest" terms of the consideration wbtsfc war** shown him by the eminent lbtgUt s actor-manager. ' While in England, Mr' Greig saw "Chu Cnin Chow' aoraelß times in order to become thorough!* familiar with every detail of the p!0» duction, and the subsequently brought the big "spectacle" out to AustrsJift 4 for J. C.. Williamson, Ltd. . • The "Chu Chin Chow" company H tho biggest which, has ever been in'AW Zoalnnd, and comprised in the cant Ml SO coloured people, including negroes «■{ Portuguese. A camel is carried on teWjr* among the other "props," and in "*■*!' course of conversation Air Greig «*&•£.- if it would be possible to bring. t&s* animal through tho tunnel. When » ' sured that arrangements had been to truck tho camel from Lyttettony Mri Greig said that the man in charge ef | the "ship of the desert" would no deafer* be pleased, as he had bad to ride i*j, from one town to another in t&e NorUt.i Island, and, though he was A "diggef"-j with, experience in the Camel Corps, | he still walked bow-legged as the of his riding. ■ *■ -S Referring more particularly to tJnfl production, Air Greig said that an exact replica of the "CJiu" CtSm Ohpw" which had just concluded » pM| nomenal run of five years in London"-*! in fact, Air Oscar Ascho made it i .M|§ dition that it was not to be in any way. The sceneryj' wMcaplS': such a big feature, is by the Marinl brothers, whose work is so liljfftj; lifflllffll that thpy were coniiiihaioried to P«Sk| all the scenery for tlbe American jilfif duction. The staging of such '»■ BflMl piece, naturally entails n trenwiklotisil amount of work, and for somo aays »M large number of mechanics and carpes-ll tors have been engaged -it* pteparioftjl tho Theatre Royal. Mr Greig siridthefff stage lighting was a hobby of his, Bttfl& lie. took a special pride, in the cflocts gamed ,in his latest In this connexion he paid a tribute tifs the genius of Oscar Asclie, considered the greatest and boldert'Mglff ducer m tho world. The story of Chiri Chow," which is anad»pltaiofrl||| "The Forty Thieves." was written !§§§. tho author on a wet Saturday afteraosWf* in Manchester, said Mr Greig, cop Si estimated that it had Asclie something in the rkimtfr «■» .£400,000. as he received the auttWlfl. fees from the ten companies- whJcfelffijy been plaving the pieco in of England and America. <§,% The choosing of the types of gbJS the coloured, people for the KftimSm scenes took Air Greig three-. Some two nnd a. half- years BgOwtßiiflME dition was made to the ihrpo extra scenes being introduced, eluding the famous oasis scene. Asij|pj instance of the inflation of prices tho last five years, Mr Greig Ww ■•vhen Oscar Asclie produced the jj first in. London, canvas cost Is fl yard. A'ow material of similar cost 7s 4d a yard. Owing to thVj jWm; crease in freights, tho present tion cost exactly double that of itinl ♦' t ' Sneaking of conditions itt the cal profession in England, Air I said that wher. he left *x>ndo»j3fl|l? months ago everything WM-.booq|Bff| ' I hut since then England had esperiram some big industrial upheaval»,jwd 1m theatrical business had BM » ere *'B severe slump. There had been an ***ra mous number of theatrical faitnra t|| Jiondon since "Chu Chin Chow" *M f firsi produced. %\ jS I Afr Greig returned to Australia wg : America, and while in the met Air Harry Plimmcr, a New w§| f innder, who was appearing in "Wk p 'Jlasse" with Ethel Barrymore. JB| > Harry S>veeney, another actor fMN ". known in the Dominion, who went m t - America with Cyril Maude, was appogl ing in "Scandal," and Clyde CootK ; who was last seen here in the "Bw Bays."- was doing exceptionally weflH the pictures and in revue. Sir Gm| had made arrangements to visit UM ; picture studios at Lbs Angeles, wway all the prin.-ipal film stars in Atnam are to be found, l»ut an attack of paw** I inonia prevented thetrip. I