THE THEATRE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2938, 25 November 1916, Page 13

THE THEATRE

£By Sylvius.]

"Are You a Mason?" The Royal Dramatio and Comedy Company is to change its vcnuo this ovening from strong drama to farcical comedy, reviving that old-timo success "Aro You a Mason?" which was played here _ about fourteen years ago by an English company headed by Mr. George Giddeus. It will he interesting to note how time has dealt with this very good laugh-promoter, which was wont to set the liouso in a roar. "So Long, Letty," at Christmas. Mr. Charles Berkeley, who arrived from Sydney this week, informs mo that the Williamson people have definitely decided on tho Christmas dates at Wellington being filled with tha firm's musical comedy company playing "So Long, Letty," and "To-Niglit's the Night." This is the company which tickled us all in "The Girl in the Taxi" and "High Jinks" last year, and has as its bright particular star Miss Dorothy Brunton, whose popularity waxes with tho years. With her are associated Miss Connie Ediss (an old Gaiety favourite in London), Mr. W. H. Workman, Mr. Field Fisher, and a host of other clever performers. Wellington has cause to congratulate itself on tho Christmas-box J. C. Williamson, Ltd., is sending along. I New Play for the Talts. Mr. John Taifc, now in Wellington, informs mo that his brother, Mr. E. J. Tait, has secured the Australasian rights of Winchell Smith and John E. Hazzard's new comedy-drama "Turn to the Right," which is marked down as a winner on Broadway, Now York. The plot, in brief, is as follows :— Job Bascom serves a year in prison. The fact is unknown to his sainted mother and sister. He returns to their peach.farm only to find they are about to lose it through the rapacity of a skinflint deacon. Two of Joe's prison mates turn tip, arid by their professional skill relievo tho. situation. Their moral regeneration is worked out through tho-sainted mother, the fortunes of all are established by tho business sonso of a- shrewd country youth who finds a profitable market for tho jams the sainted mother turns out. Joe gets a wife, ho was never guilty of the crime he was charged with, and the two regenerated crooks find bucolic spouses. This roads as something fairly conventional, but in reality it is not so, tho humour in particular being very refreshing. Chaplin in China. It is very amusing to attend a theatre in China -where a Chaplin exhibition is in progress (writes Mr. A. Bell in the New York "Theatre"). I' did so first, in the weird and almost unbelievable 'city of Canton. It was a rather imposing structure, and Canton's "best people" were said to bo in attendance. Tho first glance at them, however, was rather shocking. Here was "full dress" with ,a vengeance, "full dress" that quito put in the shade any similar effort.at undress in the Metropolitan horseshoe. Every Chinaman was stripped to tho waist, and wore either a pair of bathing trunks—the idea was borrowed from America—or tho long- baggy Chinese trousers.that aie tied round the ankles with ribbons. But as I looked out over the audience, the bathing trunks, trousers, and ribbons were invisible. All I could see was an ocean of bare backs and shoulders. I ; took a seat among this strangely costumed multitude and finally' recovered sufficiently to note that a Charlie Chaplin comedy was being showih Bang I Something came down and hit him on the head. Zip! He tripped his too and fell headlong. The audience laughed as I have never seen Chinese laugh before or since. Cantonoso are usually quito plump specimens of manhood—there were few ladies present, because it is not yet considered quito the "propor" thing.for a Chinese matron and her daughters to attend a kinema exhibition—aid I carefully observed the perspiring specimens close to me. They seemed to be having the time of their lives. Sometimes laughing so hard that it seemed to pain them,' doubtless because it pained them to realise that they were so forgetting themselves. Whenever "our Charlie" took a particularly heavy fall, or whenever something fell onhis head; apparently causing iiim great suffering, the Chineso closed' their eyes, sat back on the benches, and laughed facially and in 7 wardly_. It was a typical Cantonese July night, and it was very warm. Tho perspiration flowed' down their backs in streams as they literally undulated, with glee. "Tom Jones" at Wanganui. A correspondent, "Call Boy," has been pleased to assail me for .my published impressions of a dress rehearsal by amateurs of Edward German's opera, "Tom Jones," in Wanganui. The remarks were written at tho request of several people in Wanganui not unin-. terested in tho performance, and were based only on dress rehearsal form, as was made abundantly clear, I think it quite possible to gain fairly accurate impressions of a performance at a. dross rehearsal, when duo allowances are_mado for "try-backs," etc., for, in justice to tbo producer and conductor, it is the daity of everyone to do their best on such an occasion. Tho fact that the treasurer smiles does not alter my, opinion of tho opera. 1 am really glad tho amateurs- came well out of it. As to tho honour of being the first to stage the opera in New Zealand, thero are lots inoro of the same commodity t'hey could have for tho asking. Had "Tom Jones", been tho splendid work that "Call Boy" believes it is, I hardly think tho honour would have been theirs. I leavo my judgment of "Tom Jones," tha" opera, to the greatest of all arbiters and critics —Time. If it, as "Call Boy" believes it to be, we should hear of it being frequently performed all over tho Empire, shouldn't we? _ After all it is such differences of opinion that makes horse-racing. Believe mo, I wish tho Wanganui amateurs every success, and hope to have tho pleasure of attending their next dress rehearsal—and performance. I would like to mention that the lively jig danced in the second act was tatight tho pretty girls who danced it by Mrs. CI eland, formerly of Wellington, whoso eleventh-hour work deserved commendation. ; Death of John Clendinning. The death is reported from London of John Glendiuning, an actor who came to Australia from America with Nanco O'Neil, on her last visit, as Ingoniar and the' Earl of Essex in 1905, playhjg those and other leading parts exceedingly well. He was a nephew of the late John Thompson, for many years editor of the Maitland "Mercury," Maitland (N.S.W.). Mr. Glendinning was a native of Whitehaven, Cumberland (England), and in his early career was successively loading man to Walter Bentloy, F. It. Benson, and the Kendals. Ho visited America with tho last-named in 1889, and, remaining behind on their return, becamo a recognised leading actor in the 'United States during a period of 25 yoars. After leaving Sydney (N.S.W.).'Mr. Glendinniiig married in New York the wellknown English actress, Jessio Milward. They were touring England in 'Tho Rosary," in which ho played Father Kelly, to within a short time of his death at Cheltenham.