THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 508, 15 May 1909, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

"The world's.a theatre, tho earth a stage."— Hey wood.- - ( "

(By Si'Lvioa.)

"The Man from OutbaoU." Albert and Edmund (Albert Baillio and Ed'mund' Duggan), who wrote ' 'Tho Squatter's Daughter" has achieved another success in "The Man from Outback," which (tho "Australasian" says) simply recks with local colour. "Tho authors have fairly ransacked the annals of tho'.bush for established incident, local situations, and, above all, local .speech. If tho dialects are often more suggestive of Smith Street than of 'Outback' —well, this oomprehensivo drama drags everything info its net. The chief'characters are Australian, not only in sentiment and in occupation, but also in name. The Lachlari and tho Goulburn Rivers provide surnames for tho comedian and the hero. Nobody is called William in the play, becauso art is long and life is fleeting. So they call him Bill. The authors havo missed little that could reasonably bo brought in without carrying the drama into next day. As a variation upon bushrangers, wo have a gang of cattle-duffers, who' aro raiding the horci3 of Panimbla Station, the manager of which works in with the thieves." "The Man from Outback" (played by re-imported Roy Redgrave, who will be remembered for his Sergt. Flambeau in "L'Aiglon," with tho Tittell Brune Co.), is - tho gentleman wlio interferes with tho gang, determining to set things straight. "In order to be in touch with his work (continues the "Australasian"), Dave Goulburn lives for the companionship of an invaluable dog and equally useful horso—in tho boundary hut 1 , and the leader of the cattle-duffers (who : lias encountered Mr. Goulburn before to his personal disadvantage) sets to work to remove tho man who combines closo knowledge of tho bush with the daring of a Bayard and the meiital alertness in criminal matters of a Sherlock Holmes. Here you have it—plot and counterplot/ all the ingenious machinations that inevitably fail, in this case not so much through tho intervention of tho hero, tlie heToino or tho comedian — though all throe do their share—as through the devorness and devotion of an Australian dog and an Australian horse. These are new characters in an Australian drama, for which Albert and Edmund-can claim absolute originality. They have never, so far as wo know, appeared before, excepting, like barnyard fowls, as local colour or convincing ornamental feathers. .' . . Albert and> Edmund have without any doubt achieved another "Squatter's Daughter," and as long as the dog and the horse aro content to play their parts, and enter into the spirit of the story, there will be neither winter chills nor empty seats in the auditorium of the King's Theatre. Chung Ling Soo. : The magician, Chung Ling Soo, to tour New Zealand shortly, under tho management of Mr. Harry Itickards, produces evidence to prove himself tho original performer in England of tho present style of'business—a style particularly his own, which, has received many feeble imitations. Soo states: "I never worked for Foo in my life. I was doing my own original show in London when he came over. To advertise himself, ho commenced talking adversely about nie. I didn't mind that; hut when lie. started to run down my show, I waded in, and sent him back to China under even time. I loved my life, and spend, about 14 houi'3. in every 24 at tho theatre, practising and inventing new material. I am 48 years of. ago, and havo been in the business all my life. My wife and I havo been married for more years than wo caro to count; but I was about 22 at the time of marriage.-, For many years I worked for practically nothing,'and when I did. get in tho boom I dropped out once, with a dull thud aild. lost many thousands of pounds. Now I've got tho-biggest one-man show in the ; world. It embraces 12 people, all of whom havo been with mo for some considerable time. So .many different versions of my lifo.'liaye been'given by the various newspapers that I hardly know, myself which is correct. If you aro in Liverpool, i they will show you the house-in which I was "bom. The samo .in."Birmingham -and Manchester, and the same in ''riiaft'v. other counties and countries."—"Bulletin." Dramatic Wave In England. A noteworthy dramatic movement seems to bo under way in villages and towns in England, says a London dispatch to the "New York Times." In a number, of instances village folk, even country rustics, ■havo _tak(>n in hand the production of a morality' or Shakesperean play. The. inspiration of tho,movement is probably, to be found in tho numerous pageants which havo bccome the vojue. , ~ . , The latest .village to undertake.a l Shakesperean performance is Sompling, a Sussex hamlet. . Tho.children of'tho village schools had been giving Morris dances and concerts of old folk songs during tho winter, and the farmers of the country round were so interested that, under' the direction of the school mistress, they havo prepared "Julius Caesar,"'to bo given in tho near future. F, R. Benson, tho Shakesperean actor-manager, this week, witnessed a rehearsal, and 'is enthusiastic over tho keen dramatic' instinct displayed by the impersonator of Mark Antony,and tho other leading performers. Tho most interesting of all is a performance being given in 1 the'village of Hildonsborough, Kent. This is an original folk play of such dignity and general merit that it is attracting visitors from London. The London "Times" gives the performance a critical, npticd. ' The Hildeiisborough players are now in their seventh season. Farewoll to Coquelln. ' The funeral, of Constant Coquelin, the great French comedian, took placo on January 29 last in the grounds of the Retreat for Aged Playersj which Coquelin himself founded at Pont-aux-Dames, near Paris. Some of the most illustrious men and women in France followed tho famous comedian to his last resting place, Jeau Coquelin, son of the actor, Airing chief mourner. It was 'generally believed that 51. Rostand would not make an address, but to everybody's surprise he appeared on the stops overlooking the bier, and delivered a remarkable eulogy on his late interpreter, in the course of which ho said that tho rights of his new play "Chant-! went to Jean Coquelin to do-with as ho wished. The poet's words of farewell to 'the actor were as follow.—

. "Ah I How- keenly I regret to-day not being-trained in the noble and cruel calling of journalism, so that at onco when confronted by misfortune. I might bo able to find tho words that are necessary. But I am .capable only ''of being a broken-hearted friend, one who knows not how to discipline his sorrow. Besides, all those who are weeping, hero, and who know in what tragic circumstances I have seen snatched away the best of friendfe- and the greatest of interpreters, understand that 1 would be unable tjo bid him too. long a.farewell. \es, Cflquelin was' an artist. of dazzling genius. At this moment, 'Moliero and Bcautnarchais aro saying so to him. Hugo and do Banvillo arc thanking him for having bpen Don Cesar de Bazan and Gririgoire. But what was still more marvellous than tho art of his voico was tho faith of his soul—the heroic conviction _ which Coquelin put into all his wqrk. When from among our poor contemporary plays he selected one, lie served it with enthusiasm. He "could not tolorato that anyone should doubt it; lie imposed it with passion.' Who bettor than I know works which you admired too much, Coquelin, works which your splendid friendship refused to placo at a snfo enough distance from masterpieces? But I have no longer the courage to reproach you with that now.' I feel suro that wo shall never find again domedians whose one fault was that they admirer] too much what they hail to say. Ah! Brave friend that you wore! Statesmen, tho greatest of them, have loved you. Well, I know why—bccauso thoywero moved, charmed, dazzled, by all that vou incessantly exacted from thorn— never for yourself, always for. others—and at all the good and just things which your imperious and good-natured voice made them do. Thoso who wielded_ power loved you bccause they recognised, in all that you asked of them I your magnificent, unselfishness. ' I "Ah I If this man were only livingj He is there! Let him sleep in this beautiful garden. His old comedinns gnp.rd him, Ami tho poots lmvo atretohod besido liirn in tiio

coffin more tliaQ 0110 personage of their fancy which they now renounco ever seeing livo again. "Adieu, my friend 1 I shall not bo consoled for your loss. Tho pages of the poem which I had given you, deeply moved to sco you attach so high n prico to them—these pages which you wore still handling iho morning of your death, and which you have done mo the supremo honour of milking your last joy—theso pages are yours; they cro yours, that is to say, they belong now to your son Jean. When, weeping, ,ho finds them among your papers, ho alone shall decide their destiny. "Adieu, my friend to whom I owe so much! A fe\y days ago, in that beautiful theatre'to which you restored its splendour, I saw your young comrades rehearsing, grouping themselves round an empty space which was waiting for you. And towards that empty space, which changed mysteriously, from placo to-placo according to the progress of the action, towards that empty space which our ' imagination already filletl with your dear and glorious silhouette, looks and lines intermingled. Now, tho life of thoso who have'loved you resembles this sad rehearsal: we movo about', and there in the midst of us is an empty space to which wo shall never cease to turn." Moynell and Curiri v. Williamson. • . A battle royal will bo fought at' Auckland between tho rival managements, Meynell and Gunn and J. C. Williamson, during tlie week commencing May 24. Both managenwnts are playing their strongest cards. -Tho itoyal Comic Opera Company in "Tho Merry Widow" will represent Sir. Williamson, and Meynell and Gunn's Pantomime and Musical Comedy Company in "Cinderella" will fight for Meynell and Gunn. It will ljo an "interesting struggle for returns." Mr. Geo v H. Smith, manager of tho "Royal Comics," has scnted the fray from afar, and hasl made preparations to outflank the enemy. As tho former company starts a week before tho latter, the Opera Company is fill it in with "The Dairymaids (which is only the. "Royal. Comic's" second best bill, as all know down this. way), reserving its broadside, "The Merry Widow,"/ for the battle royal. Both shows are so good that one cannot conceive either of them playing to anything but full houses. Mr. Harry Rickards's Vaudeville Company, now re-introducing to the Dominion that famous conjurer, Chung Ling Soo, will consist of Steward and Lorraine, musical act: the two Bells, two English vocalists and dancers; Miss Cornwell, soprano; Mr.. Ted ICalman, comedian; the t Australian Dartosj Australia's Little Tich,'and Tho Wheelers. Tho company opens at Dunedin on May 31. The Wellington season-commences on June 14. " . ' ■ < Notes. "Sweet Nell of Old Drury" has revived by Miss Nellie Stewart'in Melbourne. . "An Englishman's Home" will ho produced in Melbourne this evening.. The company; headed by Julius Knight, is to play it- in Western Australia and New Zealand. . It will not be produced in tho Dominion until September. • .

Albert Norman, .''after long service as a gentlemanly villain on. tho Australian stage, has struck very bad luck/ in Melbourne, and is temporarily down .and out. Recovering from a bad spell of sickness a couplo of;ycars ago, ho got : back to"-business for a short time, and then the disbanding, of Bland Holt's Company saw him- out of harness again. - Meanwhile all his savings had been swamped in a, misfortimate hotel venture. An ailment, which renders it impossible for him to.'memoriso a part keeps him off the boarfis in his hour of adversity. A benefit for Norman would be only ,a fair thing.