THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2515, 17 July 1915, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

« IBt Srtfiuß.] Tho World's a theatre; the Earth' a stage.—Heywood. A Ccrman Spy. "It is just as well that I 'liavo a souse of humour, or I would bo feeling very upset," remarked .Cyril Mackay the other day, who is playing Carl Sanileison, tlio Germany spy, in "The Man Who Stayed at Home," at Melbourne Theatre Royal. "Strango as it may seem, there are peoplo w'ho imagine that I must like tlie part because I play it and that if I had not felt sympathetic to some extent towards the Germans I would have refused to undertake such a role. This suggestion is so ridiculous as to be unworthy of answering. A rather humorous incident happened to me the other afternoon,' at afternoon tea in town. Someone at an adjoining table whisperer]—it was a 'stage' whisper that went right across the large room —'there's the German spy.' Immediately all heads wore turned in my direction, and something of a sensation was caused until one of .the party explained, to the intense amusement of my friends." "The Man Who Stayed at Home" will ho seen in New Zealand next month. A Play of Jewish Character. _ A striking feature about the people in "Potash and Perlmutter,". now being staged by an American company at Melbourne, is that there is nothing in the characters or the play that gives the slightest cause for; offence to Jewish playgoers. As a matter of fact, Montague Glass, -who wroto the stories upon which the play is based, and Charles Klein, who collaborated, with him in its. adaptation for the stage, are both Jews, and were therefore able to present true character types devoid of the exaggeration and grotesqueness that the stage Jew as well as the stage Irishman have had to suffer. The sense of humour, possessed by tho average Jew is In New York, with its enormous Jewish population, the play proved one of the greatest moneymakers staged in many years, and it'is still running. t In place of resenting tho portrayals of the types taken from life, the Jowish play-goers howl with gleo at them. The Tivoli Follies. Following the Plimmer-Hall Company at the Grand Opera House will come The Tivoli Follies, a'kind of vaudeville review show which 'employs a number of very bright vaudeville artists, and a bevy of pretty dancing girls to amuse and allure.' There are at least two outstandingly good performers connected with the Follies. Pre-eminent is Mr. Robert Parker, tho grand opera baritone, who is said to bo a fine artist in the hey-day of his powers. He will sing such excerpts from the operas as '.'The Toreador" from "Carmen," 'The Calf of Gold," from "Faust," and examples from the Wagnerian icperas. The other performer of note is Mr. Jack Cannot, a really good natural comecran, whom wg liavc seen and appreciated in musical comedy. Mr. Cannot is inclined to go a little too far with his cvcr-rcady tongue, but there is no denying his capacity to amuse on broad lines. The company also includes Frank Greene, the comic opera hero; Isabelle d'Araiond, billed as the Tedheadedi queen of comedy; Alex Yaldovenko, a very talented Russian dancer; Alfredo, the vagabond violinist; and Vera Pearce,' who is known more as a beauty than for any artistic talent she may possess. These names, in' combination, represent a strong company, and as they are bound to have a fresh stock of new songs and possibly some now jokes, Wellington audiences should be largo and appreciative. The season commences,on Monday evening next. Margaret Anglin In Comedy. Mr. Paul Kester, the author of ■'Sweet Nell" and "Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall" (typical Nellie Stewart plays) has produced a comedy entitled "Beverley's Balance," which in New York was honoured by the presence of Margaret Anglin, who does not as a rule venture into the giddy walks of comedy. Tho "New York Theatre" states that "Beverley's Balanco" is rather a satirical farce, based upon a novel hypothesis and worked out with admirable technical skill and embellished with dialogue that is apt, illustrative and sopliistically witty. It is really a better composition than it appeared to be on the opening night, albeit it's conception was a most flattering one, because on that occasion the tempo at times was exasperatingly slow, undue attention was given to unimportant details while two of the five principal characters- were not realised. The Centle Art of Discouragement. There is very apparent in nearly every movement promoted for the beinefrt or this or that patriotic fund a desire on the part of certain members of the community to bring into play a cloud or. suspicion where nothing suspicious is intended, or even remotely dreamt of. tt i, -° arr i' t'limmer, if the 1 PlimmerHall Company,. states that ho and his partner did not escape from this poisonous influence, and though thoy were able to hand over a sum of £3520 to various funds as the result of theii recent patriotic tour of the Dominion— an uncommonly praiseworthy, and altogether meritorious effort—tliere wero some attenuated minds who formed the suspicion that thoy were doing something .-they ought not to do, and--thereby lining their pockets. In Sydney tho same pernicious influence had been at work in the caso of Mr. Hugh AVard, leading to his regrettablo retirement from the Australia Day movement, and here in Wellington people were imputing all sorts of motives to Professor Gardston and the members of tho Patriotic Society's executive, after what he believed had been a really magnificent effort. He belioved that it was the existence of such baleful and unjust suspicions which prevented many, worthy people doing more than they were for the patriotic funds, aiid was, in his cpinion, an influence to bo deprecated strongly at such a time as the. prosent, : when peoplo were being moved to deeds | of. the greatest generosity. ' A Notable Picturo. "With the Fighting Forces of Europe" is tho title of a very line kinemacolour picture to bo seen shortly ill New Zealand. The picture, which deals with the whole of the forces now engaged in the Titanic struggle that is shaking the world, lias been shown with immense success ill Australia, the fact of every i picture being shown in national colours (the latest process) giving a new zest to' war pictures, inasmuch as it brings out in a forciblo manner the individuality of tho armies of the various nations engaged. The tour of tho Dominion is to commence at Christchurch on July 22, and the picture will be ceen at tho Town Hall from August 18 to 2S. Mr. Roland Staveley is the manager, and Mr. Paul Latham the advance representative. Maud Allan, tho dancer, famed for impersonation of Salome, is posing for the moving pictures at Los Angelos.