THEATRICAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19460, 16 October 1926, Page 8 (Supplement)

THEATRICAL NOTES.

A Surprise by Noel Cowaid. Noel Coward, the young English dramatist, has sprung a surprise on London play-goers by writing a play so unlike his previous efforts that it might have been the work of an entirely different dramatist. In it he has abandoned the sex themes of "The Vortex," and " Easy Virtue," which shocked the piav-going public of Ixtndon a si ort time back, and has written a costume melodrama entitled " The Queen was in the Parlour." It was produced at the St. Martin's Theatre on August 24, and is now running simultaneously in the Metropolis with " Easy Virtue." This is how one of the London critics spoke of Mr. Coward's new experiment " The dramatist who has been accused of defiling the stage, of picturing only degen-. crates, had actually presented a play which did not include London, which departed from Paris after the first act, and which for the rest of its action concerned itself with a sort of Ruritania country, whero a revolution was in full swing, and where the young queen, clad in her nightdress—there are no pyjamas this time!— won the. loyalty of her rebellious subjects by means of a few well-chosen words, spoken from her balcony. " It is all strong stuff, some of it witty stuff, some of it hot stuff, but Mr. Coward shows that he can construct what is called a well-made plav the best of the Victorians. Indeed, it is strango but true that one of the leaders of the new school has given us a piece which in its technique dates back to the 'eighties. It is impossible not to feel that Mr. Coward wrote the play with his tongue in his cheek. It is as if he remembered that he had been accused of depicting only unsavoury people and had made up his rnind to present only people sound of heart. For even those characters in ' The Queen was in the Parlour,' whose morals are decidely ' rocky' are good and true 1 and noble really." And in an interview the dramatist con- | fessed that he had written his play be- j Cause he. was tired of sex themes. " After all," ho said, " I have not been writing for the theatre so very long, and it is essential that all my works are in the nature of an experiment. The scientist gets tired of dealing only with one chemical, and I am rather weary of what are called sex plays. It was this more than anything which led me to write a straight-forward play of the Pinero or Anthony Hope school. Perhaps some of my critics will now see that I am not entirely decadent, and that .1 want tc find mv feet in the theatre Sex plays are, I think, becoming a little overdone and out of date. There was for a time a great public for anything ' nasty,' but in the way theatre-goers have, they are returning to the old type of play." Madge Titherage is playing the role of the Queen, and Mr. C. M. Halland, who was in New Zealand with the VanbrughBouccicault productions and others, has one of the two leading male parts, receiving some eugolistic notices. Plays and Players. "Escape," produced by Leon M. Lion at the Ambassadors Theatre, London, is said to be the last play John Galsworthy will give the stage. Harry Lynch, of 4 he Lynch family bellringers, died at his nome, Lyndsay, North Carlton, Melbourne, on September 3, aged 79 years. Mr. Lyuch toured Australia and New Zealand extensively from 1867 until 1925, witlf intervals during which the ; company travelled overseas. Miss Una Dysart, of Auckland, is appearing in a new play by Mr. Guy Pelham-Boulton, " The Joyful Path," which has been produced at the Barnes Theatre, in soutn-west London. The play, has met with a good reception, the acting all round being excellent.

"The last of Mrs. Cheney" registered its 350 th performance at the St. James' Theatre, London, last month. Except for two weeks enforced absence for a minor operation last winter, Sir Gerald du Maurier has not been absent from the cast, and Miss Gladys Cooper has not missed a single performance.

Garry Marsh, whom Auckland theatregoers will remember as Mark Sabre in If Winter Comes," in 1923, was married at Chelsea,- England recently, to Muriel Martin-Harvey, daughter of Sir John Martin-Harvey. Bride and groom have been appearing in Frederick Lonsdale's " The kst of Mrs. Cheney " in the English provinces.

'" A Man Unknown," a three-act play by Harold Owen, recently produced in London, received scant notice from the reviewers and died an early death. One journal spoke of it thus: There is really so little to say about this poorly-written, badly-constructed play, that, unless it be used as an. example of how not to write one, space is only wasted in discussing it. Unfortunately, the acting never rose above a commonplace level.

" None But the Brave," at present playing at the Garrick Theatre, London, looks like being a big success. The acting is said to be particularly good, with Huntley Wright in the leading male role. Eve Gray, a well-known Australian beauty, plays the part of Bluebell Ay res very charmingly, and her acting has been very favourably commented on by the critics. Another Australian in the cast is Frank Allanby.

Perhaps one of the most versatile young people on the vaudeville stage is Miss Colleon Clifford, whose New Zealand friends seem best to remember her as Eileen Clifford. She has had several broadcasting success lately, and the people who hear her via the wireless are very keen to see her on the stage. Miss Clifford has had a number of good engagements which have necessitated considerable travel in the Mother Country.

The Mystery Girl appearing o-i the Fuller circuit- has had a romantic career. She has been a well-known operatic singer on the English stage and her name would be familiar to many if it were divulged. Being in need of a rest, however j she sank her identity in a cognomen and set out on a world tour, singing on the stage and filming 'scenes in the countries she passed through. Already she has taken 2500 ft. of film in New Zealand, showing a number of the Dominion's industries and scenic attractions, while the total amount of film used since she left England on New Year's Day, 1924, cost £IOOO. All this film is being sent back to London for screening in England, and it is interesting to learn that New Zealand sections will be shown to the accompaniment of music composed by New Zealanders.

-Mr. A. P. Herbert, of Punch, is the author of the new Haymarket comedy,

" The White Witch," which is to succeed This Woman Business," at that theatre. The principal parts will be played by Miss Fay Compton, Miss Gicely Byrne, Mr. Leon Quartermaine, Mr. G. Helph, and Mr. Sebastian Smith. " The White Witch" is. the name of a yacht, and an interesting point connected with if, is that it was the last piece chosen personally by the late Mr. Frederick Harrison. " This Woman Business," New Zealanders will be interested to hear, was written by a talented young nephew of Lady Myers— Mr. Benn W. Levy. It has been a great success at the Haymarket, and is. one of Tjf cleverest plays that has been seen in v tu" 1 a t ' Dac - It was written E.,** author when he was at CamexnJt' another play from his pen is . pected to b e produced quite soon.