STAGE FOLK

Evening Star, Issue 22099, 20 April 1935, Page 9

STAGE FOLK

Sir Cedric Hardwicke, returned from New York, is soon to be presented m London by Mr Gilbert Miller, also just returned from New York, in the great Parisian success 1 Tovarisch, which has now passed its 550th performance. It deals with the life of Kussian refugee aristocrats in Paris. ~

The English and Australian company that proved so'successful here in ‘ lenminute Alibi ’ and ‘ The Wind and the Rain’ is to present a return season in Auckland. Commencing to-night, at His Majesty’s Theatre, with John Drinkwater’s delightful and clever comedy, ‘ Bird in Hand, the season will provide for .brief revivals of both the former productions.

Owing to arrangements made long ahead for other attractions at the Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, the season of the J. G. Williamson Ltd, New English Comedy Company lias to be re- • stricted, and other plays in the comS'a repertoire cannot be produced ig their present visit (states a Melbourne paper). ‘ Laburnum Grove,’ J, B. Priestley’s notable play, is the final production, and the company will open its season in Sydney in this piece Later, when this fine organisation re*. - turns to Melbourne, audiences will have the opportunity of enjoying such i outstanding London successes as ‘.Lit* ling Dangerously,’ ‘ The Shining ' Hour,’ 4 Eden End,* and 4 The Dominant Sex.’

It is not often that audiences in Australia ' and New Zealand have the opportunity of seeipg a famous artist in his original role. When Oskar Denes appears in Melbourne, at His Majesty’s Theatre, to-night in Viktoria and Her Hussar,’ J. C. Williamson Ltd. will present this famous comedy star in the part he created in the original production in Vienna, also in Berlin ana in London. Oskar Denes (the name is pronounced 44 Danish ) is one of* the most notable theatrical celebrities who has come to Australia in recent years. Born in Hungary, he is considered the most famous comedian in Europe. His rise to fame has been ■most romantic. In his earlier days lie was a chemist, or, rather, his parents started to have him trained for ■one. But his mind was bent on a stage career. He got his first chance with Paul Lukas in the silent films. Lukas is still bis greatest friend, and they have had several reunions in Hollywood.

' In, view of the forthcoming season of Gilbert and Sullivan opera, which J. C. Williamson Ltd; will present in Melbonfnp at the end of Mo v, it is interes/mg to note the romrakable success the D’Oyly Carte Company from Lor.don has achieved in New York.

Every performance has been packed to the doors, and thousands have been turned away. The Press, as well as the public, has been tremendously eulogistic and enthusiastic. .. The New York ‘ Times ’ recorded the fact that among the first-nighters was Mrs AdaLittlejohn, of London, who has attended every opening performance of the D’Oyley Carte Company in the past 30 years—she came all the way from London for this one. Dorothy Gill, the contralto of the last Gilbert and Sillivan Company of J. C. Williamson Ltd. is a member of the company. in New York. When the Dunedin Operatic Society rings up the curtain on its June production of 4 The Girl in the Taxi,’ that evergreen favourite will commence its third season in Dunedin in twenty years. It was first presented in this city by a strong professional company (including Will Everard, Frank Haining, Violet Collinson, and D. B. O’Connor) in 1915, and so great was the success of that memorable season that Messrs J. C. Williamson followed up five years later, in 1920. with an outstanding revival by the popular Madge Elliott, Cyril Richards, Alfred Frith team. The record-breaking business ‘ The Girl in the Taxi ’ enjoyed in Australia and New Zealand was consistent with the success it was attaining in England and elsewhere, and it is the more interesting that the_ forthcoming revival by the local Operatic Society has its parallel in the Old Country at the present time, where numerous parts of the land arc seeing productions of < The In foreign countries people are accustomed to the. idea of casting great clowns for classic comedy parts, but the assigning of the role of Falstaff in Shakespeare’s 1 King Kenry IV.’ to Mr. George Robey, the English comedian, was regarded as a bold experiment. That it was a success was the opinion of an English critic after seeing the performance. “It was a very remarkable piece of work,” he said. 41 Mr Robey was a very fine Falstaff. In a week or two he will probably be one of the best that our theatre has seen. He was slow, and not too certain of his words. More speed, less of the leisured pointing of lines which is the essence of his music-hall method, are necessary before this impersonation can be at its best. But with what a glorious richness of enjoyment he plays the character, and how well he suits himself to do it I It was astonishing to hear how many authentic Shakespearean lines come across the footlights with the familiar smack and -intonation. For the most part he could forget, and—more difficult stillmake the audience forget that this was George Robey playing Shakespeare, and remember only that this was Falstaff. It is seldom that Falstaff .has been more cleverly spoken. It might servo as a model in that respect to nine actors out of ten, for every syllable was clear without forcing.”