VISIT OF OLD VIC COMPANY

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25552, 21 July 1948, Page 3

VISIT OF OLD VIC COMPANY

CHRISTCHURCH SEASON IN OCTOBER ••Richard III” tind “School for Scandal” would probably be played in Christchurch some time in October by the company, said Mr D. D. O’Connor, who is associated with the management of the Old Vic Company in Australia and New Zealand, yesterday. The Christchurch season would probably be for about two weeks, he said. There was still a possibility that the company, with Sir Laurence and Lady Olivier, would leave Brisbane for Auckland in a chartered Skymaster aircraft as planned, added Mr O’Connor. Both the Australian and New Zealand Governments had approved the flights and the petrol difficulty might yet be overcome. If it were necessary for the company to travel from Brisbane to Sydney and cross the Tasman by flying-boat, the season in New Zealand would have to be shortened by three days. The Australian season bad been most successful, said Mr O’Connor. At Melbourne and Adelaide, queues formed at box offices on Saturday before the sale of tickets on Monday. In Sydney this had been avoided by a system of postal booking, but this was not satisfactory. It was not yet known what system would be adopted in New Zealand. Prices for seats had not yet been fixed.

Mr O’Connor said that the wrong impression about Sir Laurence Olivier’s attitude to newspaper reporters had been conveyed in an article written by a New Zealand Press Association correspondent in London. “Sir Laurence Olivier thought the New Zealand reporters in London were very rude,” said Mr O’Connor. “They persisted in attempts to interview him when he was so busy that he could not spare the time to see them.” Sir Laurence Olivier was a busy nian with little time to spare, but he gave press conferences on his arrival in each city. The story sent from London stating that he was unapproachable was all nonsense, said Mr O’Connor.