STAGELAND

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 229, 27 August 1932, Page 9

STAGELAND

(By “Call Boy.’’) Next month will see “Interference” staged by the Palmerston North Operatic Society, the probable dates being September 22, 23 and 24. The production is in the hands of Mr Fred Cousins, whose success in “Come Out of the Kitchen,” “Just Like Judy’’ and “The Naughty Wife” will be well remembered. The tentative cast is as follows; —Doborah Kane, Miss Ulu Hancock; Faith Marlay, Miss Mavis Mort Land; Barbara, Miss Enid Nathan; Florence, Miss Winnie Scott; Barme, Mrs L. Potter; Dr. Marlay, Mr M. H. Oram; Phillip Voazo, Mr A. Pizzey; Douglas, Mr E. G. Seeker; First Pressman, Mr T. M. N. Rodgers; Second Pressman, Mr E. G. Spraggon; Inspector Haines, Mr C. N. ltabone; Childers, Mr Tasker. There are a few minor parts to fill. “Interference” is an interesting play and the theatregoers will find enjoyment in it. The “Blue Roses” Company received an enthusiastic reception at Palmerston North on Wednesday night. It was the biggest audience that the Opera House has held for a long time past, there being not a vacant seat. The Canterbury Repertory Theatre Society gave two performances at Christchurch a few days ago of the famous Greek play “Ipnigenia in Tauris.” 'Written by Euripides, this play was first presented between the years 414 and 412 B.C. Sir Harry Lauder, the Scottish humorist, is celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of his stage career. William Heughan, the Scottish singer, who is well-known in Palmerston North, is engaged on a concert tour ol England. An excellent reading of Oscar Wilde’s play, “The Ideal Husband,” was given in Hawera recently, the proceeds going to the Plunket Society and the W.E.A. (Hawera group). Miss Margaret Rawlings, after a successful season at Brisbane with “The Barretts of Wimpolo Street,” has returned to Melbourne, opening in “Dr. Pygmalion,” in which Mr Barry Barnes has the title role.

Galli-Curci, the famous singer, after the season in ’Wellington, will proceed to the South Island, giving concerts in Christchurch, Invercargill and Dunedin. Then will follow a return to the North Island, the towns to be visited being Palmerston North, Hastings, Wanganui and Auckland. Galli-Curci is an artist of considerable learning and speaks fluently live languages—English, French, (jlermuu, Spanish and Italian —and is familiar with the classics of each. A recent issue of the London Dancing Times contains a fine photograph of Jocelyn Yeo (Dixon), ol' Auckland, as second lead and solo danseuse in a revival in London of Seymour Hicks’s well-known musical comedy, “The Earl and the Girl.” Press notices speak in flattering terms of this clever New Zealander’s dancing and singing in some of the best numbers of the show. It has been decided to present four plays at the first production of the Auckland Catholic Repertory Society next month. Two of the plays chosen, “Marriage of St. Francis,” and W. B. Yeats’s "Cathleenni Houlahan,” are in keeping with the best spirit of repertory production. The third play, Lord Dunsany’s “Golden Doom,” gives the scenio artist and wardrobe mistress a chance to revel in colour. The fourth play, “The Coffee Stall,” finds old friends very much in new garb and more attractive than ever.

The “Blue Roses” company is having little spare time in New Zealand, for it is busily rehearsing “Hold My Hand,” which will bo produced in Sydney at the conclusion of the New Zealand tour. Mr Cyril Ritchard will have the part played in the London production by the comedian, Mr Stanley Lupine, but it has been altered considerably to give it romantic interest as well as humour. Miss Madge Elliott and Mr Ritchard recently signed a new contract with J. C. Williamson, which will mean that they will not return to London until next year. A company of leading Auckland amateurs presented A. A. Milne’s mystery story “The Fourth Wall” a few days ago "on lielialf of the Auckland branch of the Navy League. The play inverts the usual murder mystery, inasmuch as the murder itself is committed on the stage in full view and the motive of its perpetrators is well known to the audience beforehand. Thereafter the questions at issue are : Will the murderers be detected, and if so how, and by whom? Everything is seen through the fourth wall of a sitting room in a Sussex country house. The victim is the middle-aged owner of the place, who 27 years before in South Africa has sent one of three murderers to the gallows, and the other two to imprisonment for life with vows of revenge upon their lips. Released, they accomplish their purpose with cunning premeditation, so as to leave ample evidence that the dead man committed suicide. The forces of the law are represented by the village constable and his ’prentice-de-tective son, on leave from London. Their interrogation of the house party is quite a parody of such scenes as usually enacted, but later the murders arc trapped by a woman’s intuition in a diverting fashion that only the last few moments fully explain. Mr John Junior, who appeared at the Criterion Theatre, Sydney, last week in “YVhistling in the Dark,” is an American actor who has had a notable career on the New York stage. His father was vice-president of a large railway company; and strenuously opposed the idea of his son going on the stage. The boy, the father said, must go to college, with a view to entering on a business career. John Junior (as he then began to call himself) had other views. He went on tho stage in spite of his father; and found himself disinherited. During the 25 yearn that havo elapsed since then Mr Junior has played in many type.s of production and under many managements. In his earlier years, he played with Viola Allen in “Winter’s Tale” and “Twelfth Night.” Since then, he has appeared with such well-known actors as Otis Skinner, John Drew, William Collier, Ethel Barrymore and Josephine Cohen (Mrs Fred Niblo). With Billie Burke, he had a leading role in Pinero’s “Mind the Paint, Girl”; and with Francine Anderson, he appeared in “The Dove.” Most of his appearances have been in New York. He has appeared onlv once in London—in variety, at tho Palace. He went to Australia 15 years ago under the Tait management, in “Turn to the Right” and “Henrietta” ; and stayed for three years, during which time he appeared at the Tivoli with Barry Lupino in sketches. . . A new organisation entitled Jno Workers’ Art Club” has been formed in Sydney, “with the object of bringing within the reach of the working classes various advantages in the way of lectures, musical recitals, art classes, and exhibitions of pictures.” The organisers have laid down for themselves a wide and ambitious programme. They pave begun by providing a cheerfully furnished elubroom and a small library, where members may meet and hold discussions on various questions related to arts and crafts. Workers’ clubs- of a similar character in other countries have been taken as a model. It is intended eventually to add to the cultural activities already indicated a summer camp where members may enjoy discussions in holiday surroundings.