LONDON GOSSIP

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 188, 7 May 1931, Page 4

LONDON GOSSIP

New Zealanders’ Doings

Dominion Special Service. (By Nellie M. Scanlan.)

The New Zealand Women’s Association, which means most of those New Zealand women now resident in London, gave its members a tea party at the British Empire Rooms on Tuesday last. So many of them have lived on this side of the world for five, ten or twenty years that they have become detached from contemporary New Zealanders. And as the season is yet early (and in face of financial conditions out there, the usual holiday crowd is not expected this year), there were none of those late arrivals, full of the latest news, to give us Home gossip. Still, it was a very friendly little party, though the shadow of the Hawke’s Bay disaster still hung over it, for newspapers with pictures had just come to , hand. Lady Wilford received the guests, among whom were Mrs. Hal Williams, Mrs. McNaughton Christie, Mrs. Richie, Mrs. Bernard Myers, Mrs. Llvesey, Mrs. Corliss, Mrs. Lindo Levin, Mrs. Matthew Holmes and her daughter, Lady Salmond, Miss Violet Russell and a host more. Miss Marie Ney (Mrs. Thomas Menzies) is now fitting up a new flat in Kensington. I • went to see her play lead in Bernard Shaw’s “Arms and the Man” at Sadler’s Wells Theatre last week, and it was one of the best performances I have ever seen her give. The play had been revived for three weeks and was packed out every night. Marie gave me an amusing account of how Bernard Shaw came along to the dress rehearsal, criticised everything—actors, costumes, scenery, production—hectored and badgered them, got everyone into a state of nerves, upset everything, then, smiling blandly, put on his hat and went out again. 'Shaw and Shakespeare, at cheap prices, can be revived and repeated continually, and they are, at the Old Vic and Sadler’s Wells, where the gallery is ninepence. But one West End play after another—extravagant productions, elaborate costumes, high-priced, over-rated stars—flops. Now Cochran's new revue, which has cost thousands, is to be withdrawn lifter nine nights, though his previous ones were crowded out every night for nearly a year. The stars have offered to forgo their salaries to keep it alive for another two weeks, but Cochran never believes in flogging a dead horse. He Admits that it is a failure; his two star American comedians didn't get a laugh. It joins the vast army e-f theatrical dead —killed by high prices, for one thing. They were paying £2 each for stalls for the first night. Now Sybil Thorndyke is reviving another Shaw play, “St. Joan." for a limited run. That is sure of success.

Jan Caryl and his partner Colette have been making such rapid changes as from Aberdeen to Paris, and the contrast between such audiences is naturally quite astounding. His star turn now is a burlesque of the old Cart-Clan dance, reminiscent of the Naughty ’Nineties—scarlet satin and black lace, oxide frizzed hair, feather hat, and clouds of frilly petticoats, in fact, the beauty of the 'old cigarette picture, which was then so saucy. The reaction of a sophisticated citv audience who see the satire and the suburbanite or provincial who do not, he assures me, is not without its humour.

Miss Leila Boddam, of Wellington, who has been studying singing in London for several years, leaves on Sunday for Berlin, where she will perfect herself in the language and study German leider.

Miss Gladys Seifert, of Palmerston North, and Afiss Hilda Jones, of Christchurch. are leaving on Saturday with n group of students for a tour of Spain. They will be away about three weeks. Afterward they intend spending a week or two walking in Brittany. Dr. Pauline Withero, of Auckland, who is studying for her degree of bacteriology in London, expects to sit for her examination about midsummer. Aiiss Eileen Driscoll is going to spend the summer with relatives in Ireland. Her residence outside Dublin was a great convenience to her friends on this side during the Irish sweep. She became our private post office. Aiiss Eleanor Pbnrazyn. of Wellington, and Mrs. Robertson, of Hastings, are busy furnishing themselves a flat in Bloomsbury at the moment. Aiiss Stella Murray has arrived back nfter her tour of recitals hi New. Zealand and a round of welcome home parties awaited her. She was at home in her little Alews the day after her arrival, and she seemed to be beating-up cakes with one hand and shaking hands with the other; glad to have been out to Now Zealand, but glad to be home once more. Now she is trying to get rid of a coat of sunburn and an extra two stone and eager to be at work again.