A DRAMATIST OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 269, 6 August 1908, Page 8

A DRAMATIST OF THE DAY

MAN WHO HAS FOUR PLAYS RUNNING IN LONDON. Mr. W. Somerset Maugham, the dramatic author whoso plays were recently providing the attraction at four London theatres every night, and whose name appears to be the synonym for success, was almost unknown to the public of the theatres a year ago (writes James Waters in tho "Daily Mail").

To-day the New Theatre displays on its frontage many advertisements of "Lady Frederick," by.W: Somerset, Maugham. The Vaudeville Theatre-calls attention to ; the fact that it has a play by W. Somerset Maugham, called "Jack Straw." Tho Comedy Theatre, after a tussle and struggle, luckily got possession of a play by W. Somerset Maugham —so now "Mrs. Dot"- is his representative in Panton Street, while two or three hundred yards away Mr. Lewis Waller, at the Lyric Theatre, is playing tho name part in Mr. W. Somerset Maugham's play, "The Explorer." A year ago, unknown except to a few critics, the members of tho Stage Society, and to the managers (practically: all the managers in London) who had received -plays .from him to read—and to be refused—Mr Maugham had no reason, to. expect. ihe "boom" that has since occurred in his stock. The public had forgotten that a serious play of his called "A Man of Honour" had been produced by the Incorporated Stage Society on a Sunday night in 1903, and a year later put on for fourteen performances at the Avenue Theatre; so when' Mr. Otho,Stuart produced "Lady Frederick" at the Court Theatre on October 26 last the majority of those who heard of its success were astonished to learn that the author was not a stranger to tho stage. Those who saw it were delighted with its naturalness, freshness; and humour. • Why His Novels Wore Written.,... Curiously enough, the first play >Mr. Maugham ever ■ had - staged was •a. serious- one-act piece called "Marriages are: made iii Heaven," written in German, which was produced in Berlin six years ago, but never acted in this country. That little success gave him. a great deal of pleasure, for play-writing appealed .to him more, than ..anything -else. He wrote ; novels mainly' with the object of,, making - a reputation, bo that he.could more easily, get. the ear of the managers. 'He • was'a- medical student when ho wrote'his-first story,' "Liza of Lambeth"—a study of slum life—and with each now-book he published .he hoped he waa being brought nearer to the theatresActing on the advico of friends, he wrote a-play in 1902, with the object of having it produced-by the Incorporated Stage Sooiety. It was a very serious play, with a not wholly! happy ending, and, instead of its having the desired effect—namely, inducing managers to see in him a likely dramatist—it put him back, he says, at least a couple of years." Tho public did not want sombre plays, con-, soquontly managers were not desirous of producing what. the. public did not desire. So he went on writing novels. "I thought,said Mr. Maugham, when referring to that period, "that it would oventually assist me to get my plays produced. I' am inclined to - think now that the writing: of novels had not the desired effect. . Play-writing is much, easier' than' tho writing of novels. . The labour asso-ciated-with the latter work- is infinitely greater. To the novel you must bring more knowledge of. many things, and bo prepared to give to it much more thought and very much more- timo than writing for the' stage requires." Such, at all events, is Mr. Maugham's opinion," based "on "his. own ex-

pericnco. Since •-th9 •:'production of ' "A ' Man of Honour"—which was very favourably criticised, but brought no profit—Mr. Maugham has written'six plays: "Lady. Frederick," produced October 26, ' 1907; "Jack Straw;" March 26, 1908; "Mrs. Dot," April 27,1908; and "The Explorer," on Saturday evening. The remaining two have never been performed. Although "The Explorer" was the last of tho four-to be produced, it was the first of the batch to be sold. It was written in 1903, rewritten in 1906, and accepted for production by Mr. Lewis Waller in 1907. "Lady. Frederick" was written in 1901, "Mrs; Dot" in 1905, and "Jack Straw" in 1907. All of. them were, submitted to various managers before they, were eventually accepted by their present producers, but from the moment that "Lady \ Frederick" became a, wellrrecognised success the difficulties in ' the way of placing' the others were considerably lessened.

Doctor to Playwright, \ It is a very'curious fact about Mr.- Maugham's four plays that they, are the only plays —with one exception—in London that aro at present being performed eight times a week. : Only one other piece is given at two matinees' each week. Roughly calculated, .the gross number of people they draw to the theatres is 35,000 per week, and the gross receipts will vary between five and six thousand pounds for the same period. What tbe : weekly returns will be like when, they aro all running ,in America is hard to say—that is, if they hit off the taste of the American public as successfully as they have done here. Mr. ; Charles Frohman is' Congratulating himself already because he has got three, of them to produce on the other side ; and takes the British and American rights, in the next two that' Mr. Maugham writes.

On the whole, it cannot be said that Mr. Maiigham'has had to wait very long for success. Ho is only thirty-four years of ape, and does not look'more. He is a fullvaunli. fied doctor, but does not practise. "With his well-knit'figure, of medium height, his strong ohin, his easy manner and reserve, lie gives the impression of one who will got what hp works for and what ho wants. Just at the moment he'thinks he wants a villa in the neightmurhood 'of the Italian Lakes; 1 as; a reward for .writing successful .plays lie will nrobably present himself with one. The following quotation from one of his own works may be apropos: "A millionaire in want of ready money is always an affecting sight." •