STAGE FOLK

Evening Star, Issue 21138, 25 June 1932, Page 6

STAGE FOLK

On June 1, in Melbourne, the Gregan M'Mahon Players opened their second season for the year with Sil-Vara’s “ comedy of ideals,” ‘ Caprice,’ in which Harvey Adams was specially engaged for the leading part. After a week Pirandello’s “ comedy-in-the-making,” ‘ Six Characters in Search of an Author,’ was presented for four nights.

Miss Millicent Knight, who is well known in Auckland, is winning a name for herself in Great Britain. Following on her appearance at the British Legion concert held in the Pavilion at Dunoon, a fashionable Scottish water-ing-place, the Dunoon ‘ Herald ’ wrote:—“Miss Millicent Knight, the brilliant New Zealand mezzo soprano, captivated the audience by her charmingly rich, clear voice and fine style. She was a host in herself. ‘ Land of Hope and Glory ’ was particularly well rendered. This beautiful song, so ably sung by Miss Knight, found its way to the hearts of her audience. Possessed of a wonderful voice, she is as fine a mezzo-soprano as ever stood before the Pavilion footlights. The hope is expressed that she may bo heard again in Dunoon in the near future.”

Starting on June 2 tho Melbourne Little Theatre Company opened _ a four-night season of purely Australian plays at the Kiosk Little Theatre, South Yarra. These comprised four one-act plays by Australian authors, which were selected from fifty-five submitted, and included ‘ Traitors,’ a comedy by Gilbert R. Hillman; ‘Van Diemen’s Land,’ a drama by J. Ormiston Reid; a burlesque drama in rhyme by Isabel Handley; and ‘Morning,’ a dramatic episode by Mrs Betty M. Davies,

Mr Hugo Larson, the well-known entrepreneur, under whose aegis the Hamburg-Dawson concerts were given last year, was successful, when in Paris recently, in securing Joseph Szigeti for a tour of New Zealand and Australia. The New Zealand season will bo inaugurated at Auckland late in September. Szigeti is now one of the most sought after violinists. During 1931 bo played in exactly twenty countries in Europe, including Russia (tenth tour), besides America (bis seventh tour in seven years), and Japan, where he was acclaimed by the Press as the greatest violinist ever to have visited the Orient. His visit to New Zealand is certainly one of the most important since Kreisler’s.

At least two plays have been selected for production in the Lewis Eady Hall next month by a local company of players, headed by Mr Stanley Brogden, who has had considerable experience in both stage and managerial work in touring theatricals (says tho Auckland ‘Star’). One of the plays is ‘ Jesting Pilate,’ a one-act drama, by Brian Edwards. It may be added in passing that this is a pseudonym for a graduate of the University of New Zealand. It was first produced in Hastings in 1931, before it was actually published, by a local amateur body in a series of one-act plays, of which it was proclaimed by far the best. This play is the first of a group of three to bo offered in one programme for a two-night season. Tentative arrangements have also been made for staging another play of New Zealand origin—‘Cat!’ by Stanley Marcelle, an Aucklander. This venture was written specially for production along tho lines of the latest English theatrical oxperi-m.-t, that of having an entire cast of feminine characters. Temporary selections for the cast of ‘ Cat!’ a farcical experiment in femininity, include Misses Nina Scott, Olive Martin, and Joan Ross, all radio artists well known in Auckland.

Galli-Curci, the idol of all nations, well and truly described as “ the queen of song” (who is due here presently), is scoring such a phenomenal success that Messrs J. and N. Tait are at their wits’ end in their endeavours to meet the very urgent demands for the appearance of the diva. " As is generally known, the world-famous singer, when she departs from Now Zealand, will continue her world tour, so that it will he impossible for her to return to Australia. Therefore, it has been found imperative to arrange for additional concerts to be given in Australia, which will necessitate rearranging the itinerary of the dominion tour; consequently the New Zealand opening will be deferred for some weeks. Mr John Tait, one of the impressarios responsible for the appearance of this celebrated artiste in Australia and New Zealand, has received cable information to the effect that such unbounded enthusiasm as has been witnessed at Galli-Curci’s concerts is unparalleled in the musical history of the Commonwealth, and that vast audiences wildly cheer the gifted singer at the conclusion of every performance. After the extended season in Australia Galli-Curci will come over to New Zealand, and will give concerts in tho principal cities, in which she will bo assisted by her husband (Mr Homer Bomuols), an accomplished pianist and accompanist, and Mr Williams, flaut-

ist. In connection with the present visit of this celebrated singer Sir Tait states that the firm, in full realisation of the decreased earning powers of the people, lias decided on a. scale of charges in keeping with the altered times—a decision that has the warmest approval of Galli-Curci herself.

‘Turn to the Right,’ which had a very successful run in Australia and New Zealand some years ago, was cordially received when it was revived at the King’s Theatre, Melbourne, recently. It is a bright and witty American “ crook ” comedy, and jiulging by the latest examples of American crook comedy, American playwrights would bo all the better if the fifteen years that have elapsed since ‘ Turn to the Right ’ was written iiad not passed. A product of the war years, the whole play (says the dramatic critic of the ‘ Graphic ’) is liberally dosed with sentiment, but it is sentiment which forms the mainspring of the plot, and not a background for superficially witty sophistication. In itself it would be refreshing, if not satisfying, to_ the modern, but it is very cleverly pieced together with shrewd and, surprising as it may seem, wholesome wit, and that apparently lost art of the dramatist, amusing situations, and the audience just sat back and frankly enjoyed itself. John Junior anti Stapleton Kent reappeared in the roles of tho two lovable crooks, Mugs and Gilly, in which they first endeared themselves to Melbourne theatregoers, and extracted every ounce of fun nut of tho parts. Cecil Scott, as Joe Bascombe, added to the reputation bo has already made as a coming juvenile lead. The whole cast was admirable, and included John Fernside as Sam Martin, Tal Ordell as Deacon Tillinger, Lois Green, Donalda Warno, Esbel Saker, Agnes Green, Harvey Adams, George Kensington, Carelton Stcwait. and Maisie Swan. Tho company will bring the play back to New Zealand in the near future.-

Dame Sybil Thorndike and her husband (Mr Lewis Casson), who are coming to New Zealand under the J. C. Williamson regime, will bring with them across the Tasman a speciallyselected company of London actors and actresses, who will receive a warm welcome in this far-flung portion of the British Empire. Dame Sybil Thorndike’s amazing versatility and the extraordinary variety of the parts which she has performed with uniform success in England and on the Continent have placed her in an unequalled position in the theatrical world of the present century. She is quite as good a comedienne as a tragedienne. _ Her great part. Saint Joan, though it poignantly touches the deeper notes of the maid’s tragedy, is also notable for its lively shafts of humour and comedy; she presents a vividly-living girl as well as an inspired saint. The management is touring its own scenery and wardrobe of costumes, all of which were specially designed and executed by first-class English artists.

There is evidence aplenty that there is a strong revival coining as far as tho legitimate stage is concerned; The reaction is by no means local, as reports indicate this stage revival to be world wide. For quite a long period tho stage had a very lean time, and it is safe to say that the process of keeping tho theatre alive during this period was practically left in the bands of enterprising and enthusiastic amateurs. Repertory and little theatre societies sprang up everywhere, and operatic and dramatic companies again saw the light of day. Our own city was practically tho first to jump into the breach as' far as musical comedy is concerned, and the local society has nothing but credit to its name for the manner of its productions. Strange to say, the staging of straight plays has been left in the hands of various local enthusiasts, and it is good to learn that a movement is on foot to link up many of these isolated groups and individuals into a strong unit with the object of presenting tho plays of the best playwrights. Tho first presentation will take place at His Majesty's Theatre on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday next, when Frederick Lonsdale’s comedy ‘ Aren’t Wo All?’ will be enacted.