The Stage and Concert Hall

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 180, 14 July 1928, Page 14

The Stage and Concert Hall

HIGHLY DIVERTING COMEDY. COMING EVENTS FOR HASTINGS. “Rookery Nook’' a comedy by Ben Travers, coming to Hastings on August 21 and 22, is highly diverting, and concerns a husband who has to shelter a fugitive ghl in devastating pink pyjamas. This innocent young lady is the cause of hilarious complications, with particularly humorous dialogue that will be a change from the suggestiveness of some alleged comedies. Don -/.’a Warne, a sixteen year old gin. jumped into fame in Australia ‘in one night, through her clever work as Rhoda Marley, the girl who flees from her step-father’s anger into a series of compromising situations. Miss Warne stepped into stardom from the chords; she brings beauty, youth and brains into the role of Rhoda, and will win many friends with the freshness of her interpretation, and the youthful exuberance that is'hers. Miss Warne was in the ballet of “The Girl Friend’’ in Sydney when George Highland, who has “discovered” many J. C. Williamson stars, saw her and wanted her for the chief role with the new English Comedy Company. Other plays in the company’s repertoire are “Cuckoo in the Nest” and “Thark.” ♦ * ♦ * PROMISING YOUNG ACTRESS. Miss Beth Mackey, the charming daughter of Lady Mackey, and the late Sir John Mackey, now playing parts in J. C. Williamson stage productions, is making rapid strides in the profession she has chosen. Last year she appeared with the Muriel Starr Company, and now she is playing in “Rookery Nook.” Miss Mackey possesses beauty, charm and ability and promises to go far in her stage career. » # * ♦ LEON CORDON RETURNING. Playing juvenile lead in the Leon Gordon Company presenting “The Trial of Mary Dugan” is Brandon Peters, who has figured in many successes in America, and who played with Mr. Gordon in New York. Mr. Peters was a lieutenant in the American army in France, and already in Australia he has renewed acquaintance with several “Diggers.” Mr. Gordon himself will be seen in the role of district attorney who directs the prosecution to its sensational denouement. The part it an unsympathetic one, for Mr. Gordon is nothing if not thorough, and he is likely to be most unpopular in his merciless hounding of the poor girl charged with murder. He is, however, too good an actor to worry about that. Other plays in the repertoire in Australia included “The Night Stick,” “Interference.” “Escape,” and “The Man Upstairs.” “Escape” is a new Galsworthy play in which Sir Gerald du Maurier played lead in London; Mr. Gordon himself wrote “The Man Upstairs” and “The Night Stick” is a thrilling drama of most unusual developments. The season of this talented company commences soon at Hastings. ♦ * ♦ ♦ ALFRED O'SHEA. GREAT IRISH TENOR. Alfred O’Shea, the great Irish tenor, who is to give one concert in the Municipal Theatre, Hastings,

on Thursday next, the box plan for which is to be Opened at hail’s on Monday morning, is soon to leave these shores for America, where big contracts await him from grand opera and concert tours. After eight years’ absence in England and the Continent, Mr O’Shea was engaged to return to Australia as one of the principal tenors of the Melba-Wil-liamson Grand Opera Company, appearing with Melba os Rudlopho in “La Boheme,” and with Signorina Toti Del Monte in “Rigoletto” and “Madame Butterfily. Mr O’Shea was also the principal tenor in the Gonzalez Opera Company, and is likely to be associated with Madame Galli Curci in America. To sing in such company is indeed an achievement for one so young. But nature has been extremely generous to Mr O’Shea, for besides giving him a voice of golden purity and rare quality. she has given him personality, good looks and a tall, graceful presence. An Italian critic described him as the Mario type, and said he would undoubtedly develop on Mario lines. He has a fine repertoire of operas in French and Italian, and speaks both languages fluently. His favourite parts are Romeo in Gounod’s opera, and Des Grieux in Mas- | senet’s “Manon.” The latter he studied with Lapiere, the distinguished French coach. In Mr O’Shea’s rendition of Irish ballads there is an uncanny resemblance to Mr McCormack, with whom he is universally compared. Mr O'Shea’s associate artists are Miss Claire Hartge, violinist, and Miss Kathleen Fitzgerald, solo pianist and accompanists.