THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1019, 7 January 1911, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

Tlio World's a theatre; . tho Earth .a stage.—Heyivood. (Br Stivius.) "A Knight for a Day." "A Knight for a''Day," Mo newq'st arrival in musical. farcc comedy, will bo staged by tho New Comic Opera Company on Monday next: The. plot is a simple 0110. , It covers attractivo and pretty ballots, catchy ballads, brisk and sparkling dialogue, clever bur-' lesquo business—these, wedded to a setting of pantomimic proportions and tho best of vaudevillo environment, form (tho management state) tho principal ingredients that compose a very humorous farce-comedy from America. Mr. Bert. Gilbert, arch funmnker, has a part ill Jeremy .Toy, tho soi-disnnt waiter, tho better of which he _ has never played in Australia. One item, his misadventure with' a caso of champaguo which he pushes over. into a well—is said to bo indescribably diverting. Miss Lottio Sargent is to bo Tilly Day, tho sweetheart, helpmate, coadjutor of Jeremy Joy. , Theso clover eccentric comedians arc also associated in a novel specialty , called "Entertainments," in which a number.of wellknown plays arc travestied. Mis 3 Olive Godwiu will, as Muriel Oliver, sing 011 c of tho great song hits of America, "Tlio Little .Girl in Blue." Mr. Herbert Clayton, as Marco, has a fine number in "Onco in a Blue. Moon, ' Mr. Frank Greene as Eroile another m ''Dainty Elaina," whilo Mr.. W. S., Percy, as Marcelin, an extraordinary effervescent French chef, has a good number in "Tho Boulevard Cafe."

Actors and Journalists. ■Mr. H. B. Irving, who with his wife, Miss Dorothea Baird, is to 'visit Australia, under the J.. C. Williamson management next June, had some interesting remarks to make at" a dinner of the journalists in London a. short time ago. The .eminent actor spoke of the affinity which'existed between journalists aiid actors, both being,servants or the' public and botlr.-being in duty bound upon-to do their best to uphold tlio honour and dignity of their calling, and still-another was tho fact'that "English drama is tho drama of tho Empire,, even as the .press is the press of tho Empire. "So far," said Mr. Irving, "tho colonics have not had a drama of their own, but we look forward to the day when Australia. Canada, and all the fireat colonies will have a drama of their own. The colonies have a 'great' future, and _ a part of tho future will be the foundation of a drama worthy of tho drama of the Mother Country.. In referring to dramatic criticism Mr. Irving remarked that "if tho critics really said what they felt about tho actors, and tlio actors said wli.it- they felt about : the, critics, the Palaco of Truth would not be iii it." ,

Rates on 'Melbourne Theatres. Some interesting figures havo .just comb out'in consequence, of Ml'. J. C. Williamson's appeal - against the ' proposed rating of Her Majesty's, Melbourne. Judge -Eagleson heard,tho case. The house- was : rated at"£looU a year for years, and'then the figure suddenly jumped to £25(J0 this year, Mr. Williamson leased it in 1803 for 12 years,' at £1252 for tho lirst seven years, and £1500 for the next live; so Jio holds it till 1915. Tho executors of .G. E. l'orter own it; they pay rates and taxes, and tho insurance is £387 a year on £10,000. Tho question was whether the valuation 'Alight to' be ou Mr. Wil* liamson's rent or on what others would pay. It was.; agreed that -the theatre was in the gutter when Mr. Williamson took it in . 1800. On the other hand, anyone would pay more than £1500 for it now. Thus the Theatre Royal is let to Meyncll <uu! Clarlco for 10 years from 1903 at £105 a-week.; ''Mr. Anderson has .the King's for seven years at £4420 a year. Incidentally, tlio advertising drop-curtain at the Royal brings £30 a week, at the King's £25. Mr. Williamson won't have one. The rent of tho Princess's is £100 a week; and this house is assessed at £2400, though often! 'closed.,. The,Royal.is-assessed at £2500, King's at £2100, 'and; tho -Opera Houso at' £2400;: The assessment all round is , thus .-about- half the rental. In 1900, •when Mr,.; Williamson started at Her Majesty's, the. assessment was only i£742. • The' assessors." pleaded that, 'through, inadvertence, .'the 'amount had ■ been left.at £1000 from 1903 onwards. Judge Eagleson, after elaborato calculations, cut down th'o valuation to £830, with 30 guineas costs. There is certain to be a municipal appeal against that, because it means ,n heavy loss to the City Council, since, if this valuation stood, the other houses would certainly .come at tho fathers for a reduction at tho earliest, moment. —"Bulletin."

Somerset Maugham's "Crace." It is a 'little difficult to believe, though possibly Somerset Maugham may know of such a case, that there can be. ail estate in England to-day en'cumbered "with a' law so barbaric as that .which holds -good on-Claud. Insole's property. 'Margaret Garni, the daughter of Mr. Insole's gamekeeper, has got into troublo in London, and is given in: conseqiicnco 2-1 hours' notico to clear off tho estate. It is the law of tho estate, and apparently of a .neighbouring estate, too. Tho father of tho unhappy girl pleads hard, for his daughter; if slio goes, he must go too,, and ho and his father before him have served.tho family faithfully many years. Tho Insoles arcs not a bad sort of people, that is, Claud and his brothoiy the. Rev. Archibald. They bclicve, however, in tho divine right-of landlordism, the peculiar' privileges of county families, and are most likely patrons of tho society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, and upholders of tho ethics of sport. Claud Insole s marriage, therefore, to a young lady of no family and 110 money must have been a- shock to his relations, and nothing less than a calamity to his mo.lier, who combines evangelicanism ci a severe order with worldliness of a most pronounced type. Giace, Mrs. Claud Insole, is only too conscious of the failure sho has 'mado of her life. Tho country bores her to ..oars, the people also,' and finally her husband as much as either. ' For Claud though, very much in loi'o with his wile, and not a bad fellow in his way, is nevertheless a tircsomo prig. So trace, .finding herself with nothing to occupy her mind, takes a lover by way °/ excitement, .without having tli'o doubtful excuso of even being in lovo with Jnm. She appears in tlie first act as a restless, irritable, and easily irritated young woman, without interests, iinci without much breeding, without any restraint, and savinn- out" rageoits tilings. This last defect is characteristic of all Mr. Somerset Maugham's characters. Not content with stripping truth to tho skin, they simply flay her alive.

When the history 'of Margaret Gann and her imminent fate come to Grace's ears, her conscience, which had been resting for somo timo past, becomes abnormally active. The cruel in.iustico of turning the girl away, rouses iior to vigorous though unavailing remonstrance; but tho sense that she, wantonly, had placed herself in tho samo position as Margaret, and Ihe .fact that her husband was not carrying out tho law of tho estate, but was following his Inclination, on tlio ground that it was horrible to him to think of his wife and this woman meeting in the samo village, becomes nothing lesstlmn anguish (o her. Then, when the family aro at breakfast, the .news of Marsrar"t's fate is brought to them. Old Mrs. Insole is the only one who has suffi-

cient appetite to finish her meal. If all this fuss is made over a milkmaid, she asks, what would one do ill tlio case of a duchess? So blatantly vulvar, indeed, is this old lady, who is supposed'to represent a stately femalo dragon' of a past generation,' that it required all Lady Tree's excellent acting to 'make her seem possiblo at all. In this act Grace experiences a complete revulsion of feeling toward her husband. This is brought .about partly by her admiration for his Quixotic courage in the face of On nil rather melodramatically threatening to shoot him, and mostly because sho discovers another woman,, Miss Vernon of Foley, has always been very much in lovo with him. The last act is certainly the most interesting in the play, for the moral obligation of confession is discussed and everyone in . the audience feels tlio problem for tlio time being his own. Grace's inclination is to make reparation by confession to her'husbnml; the Rev. Archibald, with texts at his command, ileclarcs this to. be her only courso; but Miss Vernon takes tho viow that nothing is to bo gained by her disillusioning her husband who is devotedly fond of her, but that such an . act would be nothing less than criminal folly. Claud returns from tho inquest on Margaret Gann' miserable aiul angry. Ho lias been severely reprimanded by tho coroner, and had been hissed by bis own people 011 leaving the' court. Conscious of having tried' to do. right by his tenants, ho felt bitterly tho ingratitude of their resentment. Ho wanted the sympathy and love; of his wife, and Grace, passionately in lovo with tho man she had so long been indifferent to, keeps her sccret. . The secret is to be for her its own punishment.

Ccnca's Farewell. Miss Adeline Genec (Mrs. Frank Isitt) began .what is announced as her final engagement in New York on November 9 at tho Globe, appearing in "The Bachelor Belies," a musical entertainment by Smith and Hubbell. Tho piece enables Miss Gcneo to present several of the dances she does so famously. Tho first, was entitled "The Good Old Days." Tho second was a ballet entitled "Rosea and Buttcrflies," with music, by Gounod from "Philemon and .Baucis," arranged- by C. Glaser. -In this number she ' was assisted by M. Shercr-Bekefi and the ballet from the Empiro .Theatre, London. Her third dance was a.Hungardance, assisted by M. SliererBekofi.

Bcmhardt's American Tour. Advices -received in loiidon from Chicago toll of tho amazingly cordial reception accorded to Sarah Bernhardt, who started her American tour there a little more than six weeks ago. Of her a fervid interviewer declared: "Madamo Bernhardt may be within three years of the Psalmist's 'three 'score and ten,' but that is merely an . accident of tho calendar. She is not a bit older than sho was fifty years ago, and it is hardly possible that sho has ever been younger." Tlio famous French actress has explained .the reason. "I owe my .figure, complexion, and bright eyes to something cheap and within tho reach of tho' poorest. Hot water 1 I think I should bavo been dead by now had I neglected my rejuvenating hot bath.'-'

Notes. During a recent performance of "Carmen" iii'Bavonne ono of tlio singers, Mile.- Luoy Sternel, wont out of her mind,, and hurled insults and curses at the audienec, who retorted vigorously. Finally tho curtaiu wan rung down.

Miss Edna May (Mrs. Oscar LciviBolin) is .to make a brief 'return to the stage in. January, i when she will' appear for three;nights' wifli the; London Steel; Amateurs'in- "The 80110 of New York, taking licr!old part of, tho Salvation Army Lass. Tlio performances aro' for charity.