THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 996, 10 December 1910, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

Tlio World's a theatre; the Earth a stage.-lloyn-ood. (Bγ Sylvius.) Lawrence CatniJball Coming. Wellington may with assurance- anticipate a rare treat in the visit to Wellington of Mr. Lawrence Campbell, tho very well-known elocutionist and monologue entertainer, who has decided to vary his holiday in New Zealand by giving a few recitals. Mr. Campbell is from the London Polytechnic originally, but has been for , some years located in Sydney, where ho teaches elocution and the dramatic art. His connection is tho finest in Sydney, and his recitals in that city arc always well attended. Mr. Campbell does not conmo ' his efforts to any ono particular line—ho is said to be equally as effective in Dickens as ho is in Shakespeare, and is as acceptable in a lighter yem as when "soaring tho Heights. His repertoire is wonderfully varied. It includes such pieces as JJickcns's "Christmas Carol," Tennyson s "Enoch Arden" and "Tho Re-ven-c, "Tho Ballad of Splendid <V,, rho • Dream, of Eugene Aram i "Gunga Din," "Fuzzy WuzZ.V, Not Understood,". "The Ballad ?, t r , iast and West," "Shnmus O'Brien;" Uow Rubinstein Played," "The.Pied iv PC m ?! P amelin >" "The Way of the U oriel Lovo in a Balloon," numerous selections from Shakespeare, and many charming musical monologues, including "A Broken Web," "A Bunch or Koses, "Crossing the Bar," "Butterfiies," "Whisper.Low," and "Twenty Gallons of Sleep." Associated with Mr. Campbell, will bo-M. Eu'geno Ossipoir, a Russian operatic baritone, who lias made.a big success in Sydney. "Mr. Preody and the Countess." r 't'»g of Mr. Gcorgo Willoughbv's wodlitaon of "Mr. Prcedy and the Countess," _thq-Auckland "Star" says: It is satirical—not screaming ■ farce. « attacks your risalilo faculties with the- rapier rather than tbo single-stick, and it it demands more of you than a capacity to laugh boisterously at bnftoouory, ..it sends you homo "able to chuckle over half a score of delicate j thrusts _or humour, which ono could' but half enjoy at tho time in the quick give-and-tako of tho dialogue. It is, or course, farce, not comedy. Carton, not Barrio; but of its typo it is en-1 tirely excellent, and a decided feather in the playwright's cap. Mr. Carton onco more introduces us into tho "smart set —loose of morals, slangy of tongVe, and with a splendid audacity of staggering selfishness, redeemed "and made human, however, by a nonchalance, a colossal calm, and sublime "cheek," which rob the characters of all offer.ee. and even givo us a sort of sympathy with them. And again Mr. Carton relies tor his fun'on introducing to this class another—tho ultra-respectable, ultra-conventional upper tradesman set —and invites our amused attention to the frantic, futile, endeavours, of tho two to mix satisfactorily." "Loving, Yet Leaving." At the close , of his season of farce comedy in- Perth, - W.A., Mr. Hugh \N aid .spoke of his retirement from the stage. Tho,. aeW-mariager, - who will Play a season in' Sydney at Christmas time, will disband his company- towards the end of May, 1911.. Juno of next year will seo him-in what may bo called a cold commercial light as' the Sydney managing partner , of J. C. Williamson, Limited. In tho nature of things, Mr. Ward had to screw his courage to Hhc v sticking,'.point:, before ;signnig his own death warrant as an actor.;,.At-tho ago of -dO—39 to speak by: Ward is in ''the morn.nig of tho times/ , aml-thero will be a good, deal of ,• tho loving yet leavin" .sentiment when he says "farewell to the •lootlights. Starting his stage career in America at the 'ago of 17, Mr. Ward has a record', of 22 years on "the boards. ,Tho greater part of the past 11 years tho comedian and character actor has passed in Australia. '■'In leaving the footlights and- in surrendering the joys of acting and of counterfeiting.the.pathos and humour ot life/'-said--Mr. Ward-in I'drth, "one naturally feels many regrets because it is to the actual playing 'I: attribute whatever success.l have had. Kme alter time I havo been fortunate in being able to execute little bits'of humanity limned by authors with ; wonderful imagination, and they have led me into the hearts of 'characters., to give life and speech and thought to whom was a real delight. ' Tho sensation of playing a part is tho same joyous thing as that felt by a little girl in mothering a doll, or a boy in winning decisive battles with regiments of tin soldiers. .. The actor lives in a great world of. make-believe, and tho characters of his creation are mentally his friends and associates always. This, is tho perfume -of the actor's existence. Yet I realise that in going into management there is still great play for one's imagination, and for one's knowledge of theatrical technique. To mould a production into proper form, to sco in prospective the ensemble, to imbuo the members of the company with your own artistic perceptions of what is necessary, to see that each character is first complete in., itself and then dovetails accurately with the others—in that work there 'is the fullest scoho for theatrical knowledge and artistic enthusiasm."

Cyril Koightloy's Sucmss. Mr. Cyril Keightley, the well-known Australian actor, has.been assigned the principal part in "The Little Damozel" in i\ew \ork. Ho has made a decideu hit in the part, and it will (so says an English paper) bo long before London sees him again. .Mr. Keightley is a caso pt the actor who gains little honour in his own country. Ho was considered an adequate exponent of gentlemanly vil.lains in Australia, being tall and handsome, with clear-cut features, and an incisive manner of. speaking, but ho nover betrayed the makings of a brilliant comedian in any of the work tho writer has ever seen him do. His going to England was an accident.- He was travelling with one of Williamson's dramatic companies, when Mr. Harry Slir'TJV rosi S llcd -irom the Nance OJveil Company, at tho termination of Us.second Melbourne season (first visit of the. star), to proceed to America. As Air. l'limmer had been doing a deal of .responsible work with that company it was impossible- to replace him from ;withm tho company, so Mr. Keightlov ;\vas ordered to join the Nancq O'Ncil .Company for the Adelaide season, and in the space of a few days'had to get fluent in such parts as Von Keller in Magda,' Mario in "La Tosca,". Mac- »» '''Macbeth," . Pomander in Pretty Peg Wofiiugton," and Do Varvillo.m "Camille." It was a Hcrcu--ean task, but the actor got'through with iair credit-how was' a complete mystery _to • everyone in the company. Air. Al'lvec Rankin was so pleased with him that he induced him to "o to Africa,. Egypt, and London, (where the company failed . sensationally). Mr lieishtley then went in for a'schooling witli.Jlr. Benson, rose to leads and subsequently,left provincial Shakespeare for London drama, and made a, success as tho. villain.in "The Whip " Last year bn supported Miss. Billee Burke m "Love. Watches" in Now York-. and now ho is starring in one of. the' prettiest comedies of the decade.

Goorgo Darroll Still Going. Mr. Gco Darroll, now nttachod . to Mr. Gco. Marlow's staff, recently had something to say about the produciu" or plays. la- the course of tho inter-

view ho' said:—"There aro producers, and soi-distant producers. The soidistanfc producer deceives no ono save himself. Again, thero aro so-called producers who are simply . purveyors. Ihcso gentlemen sit in the front of a theatre and witness the performance of an original production—say, in London or New York—for a fortnight or so, and then, furnislied with the models of the scenes, a description of the oliccts, the light plots, the music, the prompter's marked manuscript with every bit of 'business' in the piece carehilly noted down, proceed abroad, and in the now land liavo probably a month s rehearsal for tbe reproduction or their stored knowledge. They-stage the play and dub themselves 'producers. Ibey aro nothing of. tho kind. Anpy ana simply purveyors of the work, and results of another man's brains."

Tlio Christmas Attraction, The revival of "The Dollar- Princess at tho Melbourne Princess's -theatre on November 26 met with a .'deservedly warm reception from the large audience which assembled to renew acquaintance with the dainty and melodious musical comedy. In addition to tho charms which accruo to tho attraction itself, an additional interest was iclt in tho reproduction on account of the simultaneous appearance in the piece of two leading Australian, artists who have come to the fore durin" recent years. For the first time Miss -I'lorcnco Young made her appearance with this company in file,'part of 01"a Labmska (tho part, by tlio *\vay, In which Miss Olive Godwin appeared to such advantage when the piece was first staged in Melbourne). Miss Godwin herself on this occasion appears as Alice - Condor, and there is- no doubt that she appears to far better advantage in the part than anv of her predecessors. She has a fine voice, a very attractive personality, and a-fund' of comedy, and, with all these acquirements combined, makes a really cxccellent study of tho millionaire's sister. Miss Lottie Sargent in her original part ot Daisy adds considerably to the success of the piece, as far'as tho ladies ot tho east are concerned, while, of course, with Mi\ Bert Gilbert as the. multi-millionaire, Mr. Herbert Clayton ■ as Freddy Fairfax, Mr. Frank Green as the Earl of Quorn, Mr. W. S. Percy as Bulger, and Mr. Victor Prince as Xartaroff, it may confidently bo assumed that the balance of the 'cast is' periectly adequate. "The Dollar Princess" will ' bo the Christmas attraction in Wellington. . Cupid en the Aeroplane. Robert Loraine, the beauty actor who had the courage to soar into worldwide popularity and into the heart of pretty, prosperous Mario Lohr- on an aeroplane, intends going into management on his own account when ho has married Miss Lohr.. His fiancee, although not 21 till July next—when tho wedding happens—is' one of tho most desirable and most desired actresses in Jingland. Loraine himself is doing well on tho boards, and to-day is the best-advertised-niumnicr on earth and in tho air. Of course, with an aeronaut there's always a chance of things not falling out. according to programme; but, all going well, Rbbert will certainly scoop both the Lohr and the profits.—"Bui-let-in." Notos. •. •. ' ■:'.'. '.'Our Miss Gibbs" has now been running nine weeks in Sydney, and is still going as -strong as ever. ' Miss Bessie ■ Major (Mrs. Robert' Brougli s sister) is supporting Mr. Oscar Asche in London. It is impossible to forget Miss Major's delightful comedy performance in "Beauty and the Barge." Mr. Hugh "Ward was the first to entertain in a theatre tho officers of the now Australian Navy. Tho torpedo destroyers, Yarra and Parramatta. happened to be in Fremantlo,. and the officers were invited to witness the performance of the new coined'.', "Glittering Gloria." It was a night of great enthusiasm—Mr. Ward seems to have tho power of creating enthusiasm—and at tlio conclusion Mr. Ward had to make a speech, and Miss Graco Palotta was brought forward to receive what scorned to bo almost a cart-load of flowers.

_■ Mr. Geo. Portus writo3 that ho has joined- Mr. Max Maxwell as manager, the latter having severed connection with Mr. Allan Hamilton. 'He ha 3 booked a two years' tour, commencing in Brisbane on Boxing Night, working through the Australian centres, and commencing a tour in New Zealand in Auckland in September next. They will be in Wellington exactly twelve months hence, and will play the Christmas dates of 1911 in "Christchurch. Miss Bcatrico Holloway and Mr. Arthur -Styan. will bo included in tho company which promises to be. a strong one. "The Bad Girl of the Family" is tho title of the melodrama with which a George. Marlow Company is to commence a tolir of Now Zealand in March' next. It has _ proved a good moneymaker on tour in Australia. Mr. Hugh Ward has produced "Glittering Gloria" with groat success in Perth (W.A.). . .