THE THEATRE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17263, 2 September 1916, Page 12

THE THEATRE.

4—. (By GRITICUS.) The writer of “ A Woman’s Letter ” in tho "Sydney Morning Herald,", says, under date London, June 29: "The Riddle," a play of more than ordinary interest, written by Anthony Wharton and Mcrlcy Roberts (novelist). It is a drama of murder by poison. and the unravelling of the mystery • is the solution of the riddle. The fouu.dation of the plot is as follows : A murder had been committed presumably bv the widow of the murdered man—one Leadbitter. The jury’ declared a verdict in favour of the prisoner, .who soon afterwards changed her name from Leadbitter to Lytton. And it is as. Mrs Lytton, a handsome, dashing widow, that we find her in an Irish golfing hotel some years afterwards. In this hotel are the usual types of golfing people, a celebrated barrister, Mr James Stronach, K.C., Professor William Beveridge, a. blackmailing gentleman called Rigg, and a young man engaged to a Miss Beatrico Abbot. Beatrice complains to her guardian, tho K.G., that the widow is endeavouring to fascinate and enmesh her own engaged lover. Stronnch-retaliates in her interests by telling one wet summer’s afternoon before the fire the story of the murder, and how Mrs Leadbitter tried the poison first upon her dog. His object was, to frighten the culprit from the hotel. Mr Dio.i Boucicault put all his rich, experience of the stago into tho telling of tho story in a perfectly natural way, the time watching without undue pene- > tration its effect upon his chief listener. Misa Iren© Vanbrugh played the part of Mrs Lytton, audhas done nothing finer than the nervous tension during the long speech. It was in a measure like the putting on of the play to " catch the conscience of the King” in " Hamlet.” The comedy ends with the widow going away alone. The barrister had promised to see that her financial, needs were placed upon a more satisfactory footing. She had been bleeding the men visitors pretty heavily, but she was not a woman without a heart, and into the drawing of this character fisc authors had put much insight, and cleverness. It has a resemblance to' "Mrs Dane’s Defence,” and 1 could have pictured Lena Ashwell in the part.

Paul Default and bis concert party, who left Sydney to travel north by way of the Clarence and Richmond Rivers, are now hundreds of mile's beyond Brisbane, where the Frnnco-Canadinn tenor enjoyed a marvellous season. Four crowded concerts were supplrtncnlod by a fifth at His Majesty’s on July 29, of which Frederic Shipman (manager) forwards a flashlight picture, testifying to the packed condition of the theatre. Not only was every seat occupied, but a temporary platform was built over tho footlights, accommodating 200 moro people, and oiglity more were crowded into the orchestra-pit, " establishing. remarks the Brisbane " Daily Mail. " a record for the bouse. - ’ Paul Dufavlt and his party will pass through Sydimy next month, and will on September 20 give a concert in aid of the French League of Help.

In Melbourne, after a short run. the military melodrama, "Tho Story of the Rosary,” is to be replaced at the Theatre Royal next Saturday, by " The Land of Promise,” in which the same company, headed by Madge Fabian and Frank Harvey; will continue tin t • season. The new. play is by SomersetMaugham a surgeon who turned Ins attention to ploy-writing fifteen years ago. Unfortunately, only one of these, "Lady Frederick,” with Ethel Irving in her original character, has hitherto reached New Zealand. " The Land of Promise ” is the Canadian prairie, and the principal scenes are enacted in the region near Winnipeg. It is the story of an inefficient young Englishwoipa n who. soured and disappointed ati.-faihtre in her own station of life, marries in desperation a farm bond, and goes to live in a. shack on his newly-acquired land. Physically he is repulsivo to her. for she has left people and surroundings of refinement in England. Therefore, there commences a struggle for mastery, at the end of which- the man tames the woman, much as Fetruehio triumphed over Katharine. The new play had 1 a long run at' the .Duke of York’s Theatre two years ago, and has since been played in South “Africa, with Madge Fabian as Norah Marsh.

" As to the increasing importation of American plays, there’s no kick (says a writer in London “ Opinion ")--ow the contrary, we hope they’ll push cm along, providing they are .well wortii the journey, as some of tho later ones certainly have been. What docs affright me a little is that, according to* tee observations of Cyril Maude, there bars been established - in various parts, of. America educational institutions Set up for. the purpose of teaching everybody 'tho art and 1 technique of play-wry-ing.’ Reading a little deeper into this my fears of possible results are lightered by the discovery of tho hidden joke. Two of these factories for making high-grade dramatic authors Mifixed terras are located in Minneapolis and Minnesota. ’Scuse me laff n. but one of these middle-west wonderlands gave -us a specimen of the local product- in ‘The College Widow.* Another institootion is called Tho Carnegie. It is situated- in that famous sent c: erudition and refined thought, Pitt.burg, and it teaches ' budding p aywrigilts all about the grammar of actfor £8 a year.’ I’d like a ramw'c of this real high-grade, superfine Pittsburg stuff some day.** Joke as they will, responds Sylvius in "The Dominion,” there is no denying the American play. It is as boldly pers-st-ent as the American bagman md American slang. Take the fare. now. being offered to Londoners— 1 “ DaddyLonglegs.” "Romance,” "Disraeli,;’ " Hobson's Choice,” “ Mr Manhattan,” “ Peg o’ My Heart,” and other plays, all running successfully cheek by jowl at the one time. As far as Australia is concerned, there may as well be no English plays written 'at all. Take those now being played in Australia. At the latest “The Boomerang” was running in Sydney and “ Romance ” m Melbourne, under tho Williamson management, and they have recently produced “It Pays to Advertise.” “Twin Beds,” “So Long. L-etty,” “High Jinks,” “’On Trial,” and revived “The Lion and the Mouse” and "The Third Degree,” every one American. So far we hnvo not been permitted to form an acquaintance with the beautiful plays that have been written by Somerset’’Maugham, Vachdl, and such la totplays by Pinero as “ His House m Order,” “The Thunderbolt.” "The Big Drum,” and to dream of dramatic refreshment by Shaw, Barker or Galsworthy appears to he altogether uu« cf the question. Yet “Justice,” by the last-named English author, is one of the big hit's of the present New York season. So it is to America one has to journey to see tho best English plays.