Mimes and Music

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 104, 3 May 1924, Page 21

Mimes and Music

BY "ORPHEUS"

TEE SHOWS.

His Majesty's—Fuller's Vaudeville. -Ilie Tivoli—Musgrove Vaudeville King's Theatre—Pictures Artcraft Theatre—Pictures Uur Theatre—Pictures .Empress Theatre—Pictures. Shortfs Theatre—Pictures. Strand Theatre—Pictures Hritannia Theatre—Pictures. Princess Theatre—Pictures Queen's Theatre—Pictures.'

Austin Melford's "The Daiedevil" only lasted for two weeks at the Strand Theatre, London. It was. succeeded by a revival of "Beaucaire," with Gerald Lawrence and Madge Cbmpton in the leading parts.

A projected revival of "London Assurance", in London is of interest, in so far that it was written by the father of Dion Boucicault, who is now demonstrating his ability as Cayley Drummle, with his brilliant wife, Irene Vanbrugh, in "The Second Mrs. Tanqueray," at the Criterion Theatre, Sydney. "London -Assurance" made a good deal of money for Boucicault Senior, and a few years '.ago was chosen for an all-star revival in, .aid of King George's Actors' Benefit.Fund. It is interesting to note that Gertrude Elliott, who is now revealing ■her art in "Bluebeard's Eighth Wife" at the.King's Theatre, Melbourne, was very successful in "London' Assurance." . • :

- W. S-- Percy, the Australian comedian, 'broadcasted, a specially written song •entitled,'."The, Man ■• Who Would Sing in. His Bath/ -using a. 1000 guinea- bathroom .at'the Savoy Hotel, equipped .with a microphone,. enabling the transmission of realistic /■water splashing. He explained : that he was most anxious for his to:-be the first broadcast voice to reach. Australia. He took the opportun: ity of rehearsals to go into training, and shouted .into' the microphone., "The .engineers ..were alarmed and rushed in, .and. said.-that I would burst the machine unless-I .was more-careful," he added. "I" thereupon spoke from eight feet away. I: Slave heard of a man breaking a camera when he was photographed, but I..did not think it, possible to burst a broadcaster with a Voice."

The. utter futility of parental intention in the matter of determining a boy's career for him is illustrated in the case of Lionel Honckton, who died in London recently, as in that of nearly every other stage artist—playwright, actor or musician. A youth "home for the'holidays"" from ChaTterhouse, his father intended him for the law. In his early twenties he had become a professional accompanist, and soon after 30 he had established himself at the Gaiety Theatre as one of the leading purveyors of light-hearted melody to George Edwardes. • Though sole composer of ."The ''Quaker Girl," and "The Dancing Mistress," he was ' chiefly concerned in contributing a number of catchy dances and songs for the Gaiety and Daly's productions, and, among his many successes in that direction, perhaps the most memorable was Chck, Click, Ee's a Monkey on a Stick, the dance-song which 'brought the late Letty Lind so prominently forward in "The Geisha" at the Leicester bquare house. For his wife at the Gaiety, the famous Gertie Millar' he wrote song after song, which added'continually to her opportunities of enchant..mg the public. It is melancholy to reflect that during, the greater part of his career as a maker of light and cheery melody he, was:. the victim M indifferent health. Among familiar musical pieces which sparkled with the gay tunefulness of Lionel Monckton were "The Geisha " "The Greek Slave," "San Toy," "The Toreador," "The Orchid," "bur Miss Gibbs," and Robert Courtneidge's unforgettable production, "The Arcadians." At the end of the play at Wyndham's" Theatre, London, recently ("Not In Our Stars," by Dorothy Massingham, from Michael Maurice's novel), Sit- Gerald dv Maurier did a remarkable thing, He went forward to make a speech, and then—in the face of a certain amount' of. discontent,. of a restive gallery, of several other people who wished to make their voices-heard—he waited for silence. This was a bold thing to do. For rowdiness begets rowdiness, and once - a theatre audience is .talking it cannot be .inducedI 'to-'stop. Someone has a joka to crack—whereupon others shout : "Shut up"—whereupon others in turn begin talking to silence these, etc. it is, in short, a risky business to wait for a silence ' which may never come. Sir Gerald, however, waited .for, it. And in the end without any attempt on his part to shout the gallerw down, he got it And he made his speech, and the curtain tell. (Incidentally, . the row did not °<f ce"\ the play, which was well received, but the two-shilling, gallery seats. Ihe gallery wished them to be a shilling, and Sir Gerald conceded the point! The play was a thriller. It outlined a crime being committed, from the first "*" °.{ the Pities meeting till the moment the murderer was led forth from the condemned cell to die. It has however, one rare and peculiar, advantape- over other plays of the type. The -=^ e Vn-4ht- Sl^ dTmal^, re?T k^ momento!' o^and H,hß Idt? is sMfu% worked nTvsthVrf X t aud.l? nce remaius largely x'ffli t TZ^ mPietc]y attentive, filmt 11 ty all-British cinema films -mto English picture theatresf ap . ■pear to be.meeting with success.' JjVlr ,N lilmshe "British Trade Commissioner ■in jSiow Zea and, is advised that a recent .■wocts.exhibitiou of all-British-pictures mi .London theatres was successful •from • all reports. In many cases members of .the public.have stated that, they had no idea.that-pictures; of such'merit as those they had just seen could be produced in tho United Kingdom.'. Such expressions of opinion seem to show that Lntish films are likely in the future to become more popular in the Home market and it is 'to bo expected that a similar enlightenment as to the'"merits ol -..modern British, pictures will, take place over the-rest of the United Kingdom as the British film weeks cover th<different areas. Plans are on foot for holding British film weeks in certain of the Dominions, and there is little doubt that such a move would largely increase the overseas sales of British film pictures.

Lenghi Cellini., the noted Italian tenor, Michael Zacharewitsch, violinist, and Count P:erto Cimara, . accompanist are due to open in the Town Hall on the; 17th inst. Tiie combination is said to bb a remarkably fine one. .During the Williamsnu-Melba grand opera season in Australia opera lovers will'have the opportunity of hearing an Australian tenor .:.\vlio has done great things abroad, particularly in- England and/Italy. This is; Alfred O'Shea. Years ago this youug lyric tenor was a member of the-J. C. Williamson ehoruos in ber.of tho J. C. Williamson chorus in London to try liis fortune. Mr. No Via Tait advised him to go to Italy to study, and;6n returning to London Jiis,. voice — which has been described as of' tho purest quality of Italian colour, and remarkable >an£c—enchanted all who heard it. Mr. Tail, arranged a conceit season in London and the provinces, aad hja posilioa was sisaiu'cd. When the

opera company was being organised, one ot' the first engagements was that of Alfred O'Shea.

The sweet, soft voice of Anne M'Ewen has . a noticeable resemblance to that of her mother, Gertrude Elliott (Lady Forbes Robertson), says the Melbourne "Age." Miss M'Ewen has shown clever variation of character in her Melbourne parts. These have included the French, maid in "Woman to Woman," the sister in. "Bluebeard's Eighth Wife," and the mother (in the prologue), and the sister (in crinoline scenes) in "Smilin" Through." Following the-advice of her father, Sir Johnston Forbes Robertson, the youthful actress is giving attention to Shakespearean study—not necessarily for direct use, but fo"r its general enrichment of the acting art. Starting work at the age of seven for Is 3d a week, Mr. Henry Hibbert, who recently died at Chaldon, near Caterham, became one of the leading, figures in the cinema industry. He developed an interest in travel and pho-. tography, and, though he had much to learn in grammar, began giving lantern lectures. Soon he got in touch with the cinema picture industry. On one of his journeys to America his ship was in collision, and he took a film of the iucident. Mr. Hibbert became managing director of Wardour Films, Ltd., London, and was financially inerested in 40 cinema establishments. In 1921, as a director of Wardour Films, Ltd., he signed a £1,000,000 contract for certain film rights in the United Kingdom. "As I signed the contract," he said Inter. "I • couldn't help smiling at the thought that 50 years ago I earned Is 3d a week, and augmented it by selling newspapers." '

At present theatres happen to be almost unprocurable in London—which is. not^ at first sight easy to explain, •theatrical business for the last many months, says a writer in'the "Daily Chronicle," has been normal—neither disastrous nor brilliant. It has been almost completely ordinary. And yet there is so great a rush for the possession of theatres that some of them are booked production after production ahead. There is^a reason for this, and the reason is as follows: Theatrical speculation, risky to the last degree, is still extraordinarily attractive. The people it attracts nowadays are largely business men with many other interests, and a little capital to spare. It represents a "flutter"—and a 'flutter" that is not going to cost much compared with realty big financial dealings—and in which they stand to discover a gold mine. The running of a play at an average fairly economical theatre is £1000 a week.' An average theatre, filled to capacity, will draw iv £1500 a week. The entire expense ot starting a production (rent in advance, initial salaries, scenery, dresses, advertising, etc.) together with the initial capital required, is £3000.: That is ; to say, a big business man, to whom £3000. is a trifle, caxi for tins negligible sum, set liimself up in management. He think he has a play that will be a success. His "flutter" may go entirely wrong, and he may lose exactly £3000. But. if it goes right, for weeks, and months, and maybe for years, he may be drawing interest to the tune of about £500 a week—or 800 per cent, on his outlay ! The writer says: "I am talking of the quite inexpensive play, a comedy or a farce, without elaborate dresses or scenery, and with a fairly small cast. The theatre will not be His Majesty's or. Drury' Lane. The play will not be a vast spectacle like 'Chu Chin Chow.' But 'Tons of Money' is a such a play, and this ran for over two years. A 'Tons of Money' occurs once in a decade. , No one, not even the most experienced hand, can tell exactly what will be a success when it comes to be played. The £500 a week profit needs every seat in the theatre to be filled at all performances, practically an impossibility for many weeks together. And, as often as not, a play that seemed so brilliant in reading, and even in rehearsal, will not, when it comes to be produced, draw a sixpence. It is all immense fun, for the glamour of the theatre is on the business man; and a coup on the stock exchange seems dull in comparison. The only figure that doe's not occur to him is that, as 150 plays are produced a year, and as 'Tons of Money' occurs only once in ten years, the chances are more than a thousand to one against him But what does it matter? He himself knows it is only a flutter."