THEATRICAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18571, 1 December 1923, Page 8 (Supplement)

THEATRICAL NOTES.

| Rotary and the Drama. The city of Bristol, following the example of such other British cities so Birmingham, Liverpool, 7 and Oxford, that have already, or are about to have, Repertory theatres, is now setting up one of its own that will open for its first season on December 17. It is notable that.the idea m this case comes from within the city itself. The Rotary Club of Bristol had the idea that Bristol could do with more drama than is provided for it by the two Misting theatres which harbour touring companies and produce pantomimes once a vear. The Rotary Club approached the corporation and persuaded it to convert. or at least convinced it of the Tightness oh converting, one of its largest halls into a theatre. This is now being done. the alterations and constructions are ™ st about £1200. The theatre will hold oOU people, and will be leased by the corporation to the Rotary Club. The next thin to be seen to; was.some plavs. Mr. Rupert Harvey, has been engaged as manager and producer. Among ?he plays that will be done in the first, thirteen weeks' season are: The J™ and the last" and "'The Little Man ' as a double bill (Mr. Galsworthy) The. Fi ; lars of Society " (Ibsen), u The Ship Mr. St. John Ervine). '" The Enchanted Cottage " (Sir A. W. Pmero . The Truth About Blayds" (Mr. Milne), «' Th, Two Virtues " (Mr. Sutro) " Butherford and Son" (Chita Sowerby), " Hobson s Choice" (Mr. Briphonse), "In the Night" (Mr. Cyril Harcourt), Other People's Worries " (Mr. R. C. Carton), and The Mollusc (Hubert Henry Davies). As is necessary in matters of this kind local support has been carefully secured, and the municipality wself, having built and owning the theatre, has its own definite interest in the concern.-If the first thirteen • weeks are financially successful a six months* season will be undertaken next year. - -

Plays and Players. -; Mr. Gustave Slapoffski, musical director for J. C. Williamson, Ltd., has arrived in Wellington from Melbourne to conduct "The Beggar's Opera throughout New Zealand. The tour will commence in Wellington on December Ist..; > '•' v J. C. Williamson Ltd. have secured the Australian and Now Zealand . irights of the following musical ? ■•;■ play«>jr-" The Cousin from Nowhere", '\ " The Lady of the Rose," "Whirled into". Happiness,' " Wildfiower,"- " The Little Sinner,-* and " Frasquita."' The last named.is Lehar 9 latest;opera,:for which the firm holds the . entire world's rights. .'Vsf'jA "' The Auckland season yof the famous Russian soprano, INJadame Lvdia Lipkovska. will commence in the Town Hail on Saturday, January 5."'; She has recently ; had a very successful season in Wellington, and is now touring in the Soutn Island, opening in ■-; Cbristchurch this evening. The tour is under the direction of Mr.. E. J. Gravestodk. %a The engagement is announced of Miss A drab Fair, the actress daughter <• of Mrs. D. "S; Brunner„ of Boston/ America, and Mr* .Edward Laurillar'd, 'the theatre manager. Mr. Laurillard ; gave Miss Fair her- 'first chance in "To-night's the Night," in New York. She appeared in "Theodore and C 0.," and Miss Fair is at present appearing in Glasgow.: ,;-v>.' ; \'-/S. • After sflfreral operations, involving confinement tlft -.&Q,jbquse, for- Inaqy weeks, t R-vi-ni 5. haUf'lrecovtoed her strength srdrlMMrrt'y?'-when the las> rhail left} Eondoia^^i'ffi^^pf--a"" returti*to thestage. She was to "reappear almost imme- ' diately at Hanley. in her original part in lan Hay's play, M The Happy Ending," in whicK she made so signal a; success at the St. James' lastyear. v Miss Emclie Polir.i, whose return to Melbourne, ip a series of new plays is 'expected next month, is the sister of the : celebrated actor, Owen Nares. . The Poinds are of Italian origin, and;, while Miss-Emelie ha-5 been s.ehieving a.record of ,i^ces*^^p.Aiwtralia* i; which few*'bf her predecessors have'approached Miss Marie 'otfni has-been doing good work in many wavs? Some of her best successes : were achieved iff "' The Silver King," "The r ~Me£" '*The Marriage of Kitty," -and " John Glayda'f Honor." ; "" -. Two Australian singers, Miss Elliot CaWweli and Mr. Kingslev Lark, who are at present with the Carl Rosa Opera Company are among the members of that company who have been engaged by Messrs. J. Lyons and Company to per-fornf-ioperatic scenes at their new Corner House, in Coventry Street. The managing director of the Carl-Rosa Opera Company says that the attraction to him in enter- . ing.' upon the venture was to popularise ~ grand opera, to interest those people to whom opera was now practically a closed book.

Only Shakespeare " fails to attract "id the West End of London at the moment. Miss Sybil, Thoradike recently announced that she was reluctantly compelled ■10 withdraw " Cymbeline '* ■ at the New Theatre after twenty-one performances.. The cheaper ' parts of the house had always been better filled than the stalls, and the reception each evening was most cordial. But the piece simply did not pay its way. Expenses .amounted to about .£l3O a performance, and receipts had only averaged £100. : And so " Cymbeline '" had to go. There was recently produced in London at the Comedy Theatre by Mr; J. E. / Vedrenne, vn conjunction with Mr. Charles Gulliver. The Last Warnine." This play is based on the remarkable mvstery novel' by Wadsworth Camp, "House of '"ear." In this thrilling story the hauntec house is not a private residence, but a theatre, which has been made impossible" by. the supernatural consequences of a tragedy of five years before connected with the mysterious disappearance and death of a certain actor-manager. As a result the house has since been the scene of nothing but disaster. The play the fate of an attempt to reopen it, and-the. things- that happen are said to be enough to daunt the .least superstitious. The drama -had a fine reception when it was produced in New York a year with Thomas P. Fallon as the dramatist. For the production at the Comedy Arthur Rose "Anglicised" it. A strong company, including Edyth Olive, Frances Carson, Brember Wills, Thurston Hall, D. A. Clarke-Smith, and Frankly Bellamy, appeared in the piece. Mr. Humphrey ' 'Bishop, of the Humphrey Bishop Comedy and Operatic Company who- opens an Auckland season at Christmas, is a Londoner, who, before taking up the role of entrepreneur, was famous as a singer. He appeared at most of the principal events throughout Great Britain, some of his important appearances being at the London Opera House (Hammerstein Season), Queen's Hall Promenade Concerts under Sir Henry Wood, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Royal Albert Hall, and the first ■• performance of Parsifal" at the Sheffield Festival in 1911. Mr. Bishop has sung under the baton of most of the famous conductors, including Hans Richter and Niktch. * Mr. Bishop has m £-\ faith !in the future of Australian F""" 1 ! and throughout his tours abroad com™ ys £? d " a num her of them with his tffi v J he £ reafc succeßs of the Hum * harT«ot 1* Com P a "y- although, perser™V ?« ,*l*{ a ? pare "fc to a casual obof Mr Bi^n° Hk due to the influence Iv i »S T the artists of his company, for he knows the psychology of. - enthusiasm and vitality, inspires tense |% -enthusiasm d v , kllty) inspires — re . strains, .as the case may', be, extracting ;i:.:.. iho Utmost of the very best from each • wtu*. This is -probably the reason he has i[i*feH*Wl * he sta £ e for the orchestra. ''