THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 657, 6 November 1909, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

♦ ——,; ■ "■ , "The-world's a theatre, the oarth a stage."— v fieywood. - f> ' .-;--. * .: ' ■■-■■ ' -■■•'■ 8 i •.'.," (By Silvidb.) 8 ".Tho Cheat." '.. --, ; ...:'■-. .. .' Mr. Edward Ferris.and b;. P. Matthews'! S play "The Cheat,", was staged in Sydney for .the. first ..tinio in Australasia... Inst -Saturday: .1 evening. !The production is of interest to local > playgoers,'; as. the company commences a tour ] of New Zealand at the Opera House on Boxing : Night. The following, whilst giving the cast , of. tho now play, supplies tho. personnel ofi.the ~ new company to 1 visit Wellington next"' wbek; : \ The cast is as follows:—General Sir Christopher , Blanchard, G.C.8., Mr. George S.,,Titheradge;. Stephen -Blanchard, ■ .Mr.' Harry Plimiher; Captain James'Blanchard, Mr. King-, s ston; Dr. John Vorland, R.M.C.S;, Mr;. : £arilley ' Turner; Colonel Paget, Mr. A; E; Greenav'ny; 1 Captain . Philip Rivers, . Mr.. .Cyril MacKay; ' Captain Frascr, .Mr. Rolar.'n: Stavely; Lieut in- ■'} ant ■'■ - Chisholm, Mr. . • Lawrence'. Haruinge;' J Lieutenant Brabazon, Mr. Lewis Waller, ' Lieutenant Neyland,, Mr 1 .- Dion Titheiradge; < Larry O'Brien,' Mt. Fred.- Canibourno; Native ' Hospital ..Orderly,'. Mr.. Prank ■: Harcourt; Izra 1 Mahomet Khan, Mr. Boyd. Irwin;? Abdul 1 Hamud, Mr; Henry Wilton; Ali Khari, Mr. " Leonard Willey; Ynssif Beg, Mr. T.'.W. Lloyd; < Mrs. Vanstart, Miss Maud Wirigfield; Marjorie < Vorland, Miss Nellie; Calvin; Joan Fielding, : Miss Dorothy Grimstoii; Ethel...Hardy,-. Mi«s i Ethel. Warwick.;*,■;.: ::■:. ■] \:v'':h,;..;.:, ; the Late.Mr. John <iunn. : /:f/'''''\J-y/.i^'- x ':"'.-y' The late : Mr. John" Gunn, of ,tho theatrical '. firm of Clarke, Meyrioll, : and Gunn, who ■> succumbed to pneumonia in- Melbourne a few.: '. days ago, : was tho sou,of John Gunn, a Wellknown theatrical entrepreneur ' in tho: Old Country, and the nephew of Michael Gunn, of ; Dublin,_ who. originated the'firm of Gunns.- : He decided at an early ago to embrace tho stage as a profession,' and he was not ashamed to admit that-he had done everything', from "supering". up. ■. He first appeared with the late J. L. Toole' in 1889" nt 30s. per week; and he came .to Australia with him in 1890. Ho remained in Australia, and later appeared with Charles Cartwright. Then he joined ..Fred, i Leslie ,'ancl''Nellio: Farren . as assistant, stage manager to Walter Rayriham,: who was .with his uncle,in'Dublin for 19 years.. After a;tonr. with.this.management he returned Home and . joined the. D'Oyley Carte Company as stage manager, and remained for over two years. In London he ' stage-managed "His " Excellency," 'by W. S.Gilbort,-which rah' for six months. Then the banner of■ Mr. .George- Edwardes attracted the'deceased, and.with him he stayed until-he, went, to' America, in 1905 to produce, "His for After ?ight month's : ho returned to Dublin/'and; managed for Kis:.;iincle"at the Gaiety _there. He next nroceeded'ti. the .-London Gaiety to produco "Kitty Grey" for George Edwardes. A tour to India followed.-.On his return to' London he decided to come, to'.Australia, where he met Mr. Meynell for'the first time; rind'the result was the establishment-of:'the.'present i firm.', It seems'to'. be'' the fate'of-fortune ..that just as \ the firm is'in-.the'midst, of one of'tho'most successful theatrical ventures yet in these parts, that, one of the leading-spirits should be cut : off, and in the.prime of life. Tho Insistence/of the. Nick Name. ....' It is rin oft-repeated question of. the general public why artists, do not retain their own names Vb-en 'they go on 'the stage. But the reasons';'afo.many,- and do not' require recapitulation., In.\V case of. Miss Fanny Bnngo she •was'christened -Fan by Miss Jenny Lind, for when a' child she was always dancing, and "Pan. Dango,-' therefore, seemed to ho ;a natural thing to call her.; She has, however, only been "Fanny" .since 1 she co.rao to Australia. Now Miss Dango has:received intimatiori'that- her- sister, Miss \Lydia Flopp,' has started on her •-way from' England to join her while she remains under Mr.-J. C. Williamson's; management.'. :Like';Miss Dango, Miss Floppirjwe's her;stage '.name : to' Jenny.Liiid's ; -propei)3ity'lor.-,conferring nick-names. What •childish ..Trfoperisity gave rise to tho. name of ,El.opb' stated, .but Plopp,she: was named,: aria lias remnined to playgoers to the present day.: ■' '■"; ;'■ • • ~- - Retirement'.of ths Kendals. ' ' Thefr'etiretnent from', the ' stage .of' Mr. arid Mrs".' Kendal—whoso 'daughter, . Miss.. Dorothy Grimston, iasnow in Sydney, appearing at the ~Theatre.lJpyftl—is- foreshadowed in, the English "'papers;,'anduno hews will be received with greater rpgret'by, playgoers. "No' modern,actress". says, a writer in "M.A.P..V "is'more popularjthau. JJlr's.{Kendall,,arid.she,caniill he spared ln'th'is'age of-mediocrity in art.' 'MiHarid Mrs.: Kendal-have'iiractica'liy decided -riot to' make'".a', farewolly tour/before "leaving the stage..' Mr. Kendal recently-wrote to .kcorre'iipoudpnt. in. reply, _.to a • letter asking for- in.fprmation:;Concerni'ng. their future plans:—We do not intend.ito tour or .appear in London this year; and it is very improbable that we'shall do so ,next year, if ever again. We had certainly, contemplated a "farewell tour" in the autummof ,1910.'but.-are strongly disposed to abandon it.; ."Farewell," after all, <in these ; days, is rOnly"a_ form of self-advertisement. . It .is our desire to. leave, the profession as , quietly vond.iiuobtrnsively as wo have all our livos -endeavoured to follow it. ~ Oscar Asche's-Phoenix-like Rise. .• ' ; , "I iiave' had iiany difficulties ia starting oii my professional career,', but things R-ere all right when; I was an ama.tour, beoluse I used to boss thewhole show in the latter caso," rc■marked Mr OscaT Asche, the well-known Shakespearean actor, during :the/course of an inter- • .view,in Sydney.-VI have seen'it stated that my' path was :strewn with roses, but that was not : so. lou don't j-ave such a; rosy time in London whea you have no money.' Before I.gob.my foot in London I slept on the embankment more than once. Yes. that is a facti I am pleased to say that is a good many years ago, probably seventeen.. London is a most cheerful place when you. have no cash," he added, in I anything hut fond reminiscent mood; "But tho last nine years have been all right, and I return there and open in October next year in 'Count Hannibal,' under \iy own management. No,-I don't; intend to go under: any other body s management again if I can help it; . 'When I'was nineteen I left Sydney./; Two and a half "years before'then' I had left the ! Melbournfe Gram.nar School. I was in an of J ■flee somewhere, for about two .weeks; that was a^ ut aHjhe T wmk I did.. ,1 soon gave up tho oihee. Then :I was supposed to study for an architect and civil engineer. My people then lot' me go to' Norway to' study for the'stage . I always had stage aspirations. I did some amateur work with my sisters at home, and 1 : gave a performance of .'Othello' at the old 'Koyalty Theatre, Sydney, nineteen years ago. After eighteen months' study in Norway, durwhich" time I had opportunities of practice with a company as a. pupil, I went .to London, inere I was : three months bofore I got anything, to do. I went to the late Walter Lacey who was supposed-to, be a. great elocution mas' ' ter and an old friend of Sir Henry Irving Most of his time with me was'spent in telling anecdotes; for, which ho charged very liberally , Then I presented myself to. the late Arthur Dacre, whose tragic suicide is remembered, who was then presenting a new play. He gave me a walking-on part for 30s. per week, but during the rehearsal someone dropped out and I got ; seven lines to speak, but this ended in a month.. I went to Benson's. I secured a year's engagement at,3ss. per week to, walk on,> but 1 think the first part I had was as thewrestler in 'As You Like It.' Eight and a half years , I spent with Benson's Co. I got several offers to go with other companies, but after the first two years it. was an all-the-year-round engagement, and that was something to me. I plaved ■ well over 200 parts with Benson's, arid for the ' last four or five- years'w|th, them-I was playing the leads. At the time of Oueen Victoria's death we were at the Comedy Theatre, London, arid the attendance fell away "so much that ' Benson came a cropper, and we went 'out of shop.' Miss Braytou (Mrs. Asche) had been engaged previously, and'* made; her: first big- suc--1 cess in London as T iola in • 'Twelfth Night' just nine'years ago. Sir Beerbohm Tree then .• engaged me for three years. For the first year my;salary was double what:"l received from Benson's, arid I remained two and a half years . giving.up;the'last six.months. For the last year I was with Sir Beerbohm Tree I produced 'Richard ll,' and .played Bolingbroke 'The Merry Wives of and • 'Flodderi'l'ield,' by Austin, the poet laureate J I also played all tho leading parts with- him!" After.that-I.managed myself,,and am still at _' it.".;' ; .-•; - ■ • :■; -" '- . ■ . "■ -.- - '. Notes../ ;.'..' - . ■,:-■ .... , The Scarlet Troubadours have been enjoying a large'measure of public support throughout • their return Australian tour, tho novef, refined character of the , programmes being to ' the .taste of colonial theatre-goers. The type • of. performance given by the • Troubadours Is somewhat (UfScult, to describe, being a most t. happy combination : of; musical comedy and concert work, with some highly artistic dis- . plays;.in the way: of coloured chalk cartoons . thrown-; in. One .of secrets of-the success" ■.- of those versatile;arti.<is is the excellent stage 3 management, which ;hl!ows of no waits between . tho various nmnbers.'''.'.The.'Wellington season commences on December 10. - , . ..-'-■ ■ ,will:'accoiupariy. "The/King of'.Cadohia" Com-' , pany.;.W)-M«x , '-^idudi'"- v -H9';hjs ibMn::in-.-BUcJj-

poor health for some lime ;ast that.ho has not been 'alii© to/appear, it is most probable that Mr. W. S. Percy will be the- laughtormaker •in chief of the company,-.which commences its Now Zealand tour on Boxing night. ' The Hugli Ward Comedy Company, .which gave so much genuine pleasure in .Wellington, appears in Mnrton this evening, at Wanganui on Monday and Tuesday, Hawera on Wednesday, and New-Plymouth on Thursday next, i The company is to open at the Palaco Theatre, Sydney, on Boxing ..night., Mr. Mylcs Clifton, not long since in Australia under the J. C. Williamson management, is playing the bailiff, Loustot, in Mr. George Dance's production of "Vcronioue," at' the London Coronet. The Flo'rpstah of' tbo same ..cast is. Mr.- Roland Bottomley, the bandmastor, when . and. Gunn 'first staged "Miss Hook, of Holland" in Australia. Miss. Ruth Vincent is Veronique, and Miss Lena Mait. land the, Countess de Champ d'Azur. ,'.- Miss '■■ Margaret' Anglin's visit to • Australia seems to have, caused her to miss an unrivalled opportunity of making an immense hit-" in London, whore "The Great Divide," -played by her in the- United States,, with Mr; Henry ;.Millor as her partner and lending man, ha's just been most produced at the Adclphi Theatre.' 'Originally these .artists secured this powerfully tragic story of life in Arizona from the author, Willhini Vaughn Moody, a professor of literature .'at a Chicago University, produced it ultimately in that city, and after a;groat season in Now Xork played it in other centres. During t hcr absence in Australia, however, Miss Anglin accepted an engagement in New' York, which she is.now .filling, and thus it comes .-.about, that-Mr. Miller has made his 1 first appearance in .England, with Miss Edith Wyun'Mathison as-leading lady. Mr. Millet is favourably reviewed by i the London press, and seems to bo an artist of virilo power; Miss Mathison was already well known. It is-be-cause Australia is so far removed .from, the English and '_ American vrtagc centres "(says tho "Sydney Daily Telegraph") that managers here find.it so difficult to persuade eminent actresses to visit us< There'can be little doubt, indeed, that Miss Anglin's cherished: ambition to play a strong.part in London was burked by her brilliant seasons in Sydney and Melbourne. ' ' : ; ; " . ' "Shackleton's Dash for"the ','. Pole'" and a "Dr. Nikola" , series, are the latest, kiriematograph pictures 'being exhibited in Sydney. Mr. Claude' Bantock, who left -the Royal Comic Opera Company.when it was in NewZealand,' in order to proceed to Englaud, has returned to Australia.-