THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 473, 3 April 1909, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

"The world's a theatre, the earth a since.''— Heyivooil. (Hv Sylvius.) Tho Eastor Attraction. It is doubtful whether the Royal Comic Opera Company was ever stronger in personnel than it will he for tho New Zealand tour, upon which it enters at Wellington on Easter Saturday. I'or "Tho Merry Widow" it will liavo Miss Florence Voting as Sonia, tho music of which part should receive full justice at lior hands, while, during tho recent season in Sydney, sho has demonstrated her ability to deal more than effectively witli any dramatic demands mado upon her. Then two important additions to tile company liavo been made in tho poisons of Miss Fanny Dango, who returns to her first love to play Fi-li, and Miss Marietta Nash, that excellent comedicnne, who is t-o play Praskovia in ''The Merry Widow," Cleinentino in "The Girls of Gottenbcrg," and Miss Pycchase in "Tho Dairymaids." Mr. Victor Gourict and Mr. W. S. I'eroy will in turn figure in tho principal comedy"parts, and, of course, Mr. Andrew Higginson and Mr. Reg. Roberts will both bo very much to the fore.

"An Englishman's Home." • Great interest is being manifested in tho production of tho startling "England Awake" drama entitled "An Englishman's Home," to bo staged in Sydney 011 Saturday next. Tho following is tho cast: — Mr. Brown Eardley Turner Reggie Brown )\ infird Hunter Sydney Brown Diinmie Soaton Geoffrey Smith 1 , Cyril Mackay Paul Robinson Henry KdkeV Maggie Brown Ola Hum] hrey Amy Brown Florenco Kelly Ada Jones Florence Gleeson Prince Yoland . Hirry Plimmer Lieut. KiairHobart A. E. Greenawav Sergeant Thol . U alter Vincent .Sergeant Gorth F rank Noblo Captain Finch ~ F.'Cambcuriio Lieut. Jacksnu Dion Titherndgo Color-Sgt. Harris Boyd Jrwin Harry Overton Adjutant Lindsay Keppet Stephenson Telephone Orderly r. M . Leod Vnii} 10 ( ir" s '• - O'Shannessy Yo in eer Han,, r Charles Horse olunteer M llks Percival Galz New Theatrical Companies. Mr. Clyde Moynell, of tho Meynell-Gunn hrm, who returned from England last week, brings news of the company which is to support Ml- Oscar Ascho and Miss Lily Brayton in thoir Australian tour. It will includo Mr. Herbert Grimwood, a character actor, who has hlled many important ongagoments 111 London and tho provinces in fahakespeare and other drama, and is tho lago to Mr. Ascho's Othello; Mr. Athol loso Slr To V 1501011 "Twelfth Night and Adam in "As You Like It," during the tour in this part of the world of tho ALusgrovo Shakespearean Company is well remembered; Mr. Caleb Porter, another artist well known in Australia, especially tor his 'Nero ' in the first company headed by Mr. Julius Knight' Messrs. Gerald K. bouper, J ripp Edgar, Reginald Peiincv, and Anson (son of Mr G. W. Alison, wlio attained such popularity in Australia, and is now in London). Altogether Mr. Ascho will bring a company of 26 with him from England, and all his scenery. In "Tho Taming or tho Shrew —the play wherein 110 appears as letnichio and his wifo (Miss Brayton) as Itatliorine the induction will bo retained and the reportory will also contain "As' You Like It," and probably others of Shakespeare ; a now play by Stanley Woyman, entitled Count Hannibal," due in Ivondon iust now and Rudolf Bezicr's "Tho Virgin Goddess, written of in terms of high praise as a play of power and imagination when it was produced at tho London Adelphi, where Mr. Oscar Aselie played Hephestion and Miss Lily Brayton Althea, whilst Miss Madge M'lntosh, farewell to Australia ere her return to London next month, was also 111 the. cast. Tho play is a Greek tragedy,written in blank verso, and tho story is laid in the city of Artis, besieged by an enemy.- Mr. Asche and Miss Biaytoii will arnvo here in Julv.

. Meanwhile Meynoll and Gunu arc preparing for their new, dramatic company, which is to begin its tour of Australia in a month. ® P 1 Arthur Jones's piece IJio Hypocrites." One of the new English "'lio will come out for this tour, is Miss Gladys Harvey, a young actress whom Mr. lUeynell saw in a performance of. "The Hypocrites" at Harrogate. Air. Becrbohm iree, who was down tliero holiday-making, was sitting next him, and said, "I must go and congratulate that girl." Ho went round and. did so after the performance, but later on when the London manager tried to engage her for his theatre, Her Majesty's, ho found that-Mr. Mcynell had been ahead of him, ami had secured her for a tour of Australia. Miss Fitzroy, Mr. Charles Randall (who will comC out to Australia from Mr. H. B. Irving's cast of "The Lyons Mail"), and Mr. Deverell (who will act with Mr. Gaston Mervale in producing the plays) are also coming out, and tho company will bo reinforced hero by Messrs. Harcourt Beatty, Gaston Mervale, and James Lindsay, and Misses Mortyne andWinifret} Gunn. Notes. Mrs. Fiske, the talented American actress, has brought the work of the Salvation Army vividly before the New York public in a play called "Salvation Nell," a drama of tho slums of New York. Nell is a poor, degraded tiling. She lives with a man who is arrested for killing another in a bar-room. Whilst he rs incarcerated for the crime. Nell is' rescued by the Army, of which she bcconies an enthusiastic member, and is offering her testimony iii an open-air meeting when her "man" Jim (the father of her son) reappears; At this time sho is being honestly wooed by a major in tho Army, but stiil loves the other, but when lie returns, tho same callous; mocking creature, sho sees that their paths must divide. Finally, howover, Jim sees the error of his wild ways, and all ends happily but iuartistically. Tho laws which govern theatrical enterprise are, indeed, of so complex and almost unintelligible a character as to be practically impossible of definition. The line of cleavage separating success from failure is so thin as to be well-nigh indistinguishable until tho final fall of the curtain reveals it to our eyes.—London "Daily Telegraph." Luxuries may bo considorcd to ho of two kinds, public and private. Amongst the public luxuries may bo reckoned the production of tho labour of the dramatist and composer, together with tho performances of public singers, dancers, and actors. Sincc tho labour of a few men on such subjects is sufficient to produce a great deal of pleasure to a multitude of'people, these are luxuries most deserving of public encouragement — H. Mattino. Of tho original members of the company now at tho Sydney Theatre iloval (says the "Daily Telegraph"), only two of those who came from England with Mr. Julius Knight remain—Mr. Leslie Victor and Mr. Reynolds Denniston. Mr. Victor first visited Australia in 139 D, with "Tho Brouglis," and has always been popular with Australian audiences. His performance as Chauvelin in "Tho Scarlet Pimpernel," was 0110 of his most recent successes. Mr. Denniston, who is a Now Zealander, with experience in London, is a capablo and painstaking young actor, whose work in "Monsieur Boaueairc," "Tho Scarlet Pimpernel," "The Prisoner of JJcnda," exhibited many points of merit. Mr. Harry Glimmer has also been with the company since it was organised, and has shown talent in marked degree in a round of characters. Twenty-six gentlemen of wealth agreed to erect a theatre in New York,, at which the best plays could bo seen, performed by the best antors. There are only 54 boxes, ami these have been subscribed for at tho rate of £50(10 each. The subscription entitles tho owner to but two performances a wcol;. On the oilier nights the boxes may be sold for the benefit of the fhratre. ft is proposed to give at least two Shakespearean performances in a season, with old Knglisli comedy, French classics, and on two nights of the week opera comique.