THEATRICAL NOTES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19502, 4 December 1926, Page 8 (Supplement)

THEATRICAL NOTES

A Play by Mr. A. P. Herbert. Mr A. P. Herbert, tho woll-known huriiorist'on Punch, who visited New Zealand with representative Empire press men a year or two ago, has had his first Li" pla,V produced in the West End. It is "called "The White Witch" and was staged at the Haymarket Theatre with Leon Quartermajne, Cecily Byrne and Fav ConiptoTi in the leading roles. The London critics were not very en thusiastic about the play. They had awaited its appearance with keen interest, for Mr. Herbert's earlier work in reper tory plays and revues had left encourag ing -impressions, but the trouble with " the White Witch " was that it ; amounted to a sermon and failed to he j forceful enough. Apparently, Mr. Herbert wrote his play ! burning with indignation that men and j women should he so ready to believe the j ■worst about each other in matters of sex | If ii should come, out in a divorce court, j lie says, that a married man has been ; left alone with an attractive woman in circumstances which give him a chance of bein« unfaithful to his wife, then everybody will at once assume as a matter of course that he has taken that chance. To illustrate Ins point, Mr. _ Herbert allows the unhappily married John to take Jennv (whose portrait, as Miss Innocence," he is painting with sincere devotion) into the White Witch (his vacht) and calls down a fog and a colli •ion to compromise them. It may be Med,'in parenthesis, that Jenny did nil could to aid. and indeed to anticipate, [ok and the collision. Rut that is eside the point/ What matters is that, in fact, neither she nor the fog Prevailed against the noble chivalry of John. He loved her. but with a love that might never bo tarnished bv familial itv. He wonVl kiss her—a ■ last kiss—and she should retire to the cabin alone, if a trifle disappointed, When they were both rescued and restored to the .Tones' Garden Suburb thev were as spotless as when thev set out.' but their story' is not credited bv the sensation-loving publio and John is driven, against his will, to give his wife a divorce. In general,' the critics decided that the author hnd tried to do something beyond his strength, which was, indeed, within the strength only of very exnert and experienced dramatists: to write a play in .which the burden fell entirely on two persons, who occupied the v whole of an act with the announcement and discussion of their love for each other. Strange to sav. the dialogue of the niece made no imnression, in fact some of it was (Jpsprihed as " unfortunate. While " The White Witch " did not come up to all the expectations held out for it. Mr Herbert's sparkling revue, «< p,v<Uide Nights." continues to draw crowded houses at Hanmersmith. Plays and Players. Mary Hinton (Hon. Mrs. Pitt-Rivers), Is making her farewell appearance on the Australian stage in Barrie's play, ' Mary Rose," at Melbourne, as she shortly returns to England! » Hell-Bent fer Heaven" has been made known in London, where one of the critics says it is immensely better than anything Eugene O'Neill has yet written. This play has not yet had a stage production. The Earl of Lathom's play, " Red Blinds," produced recently, in .Now, York, was brought to tho notice of the Director of Public Safety, Newark, New Jersey, who gave instructions that it must be toned down before it was again presented to the public. Will Rogers, American comedian, receives £2OOO a we.ek for a few minutes' conversation during the progress of Cochrane's revue. He wears' ordinary clothes, no make-up, and merely strolls on to the stage; and tells a few jokes which would fail to raise a smile if they appeared in print. The Viennese operetta,- " Countess Maritza," which was first produced two years ago, since which time it has been played all over Central Europe, has just been given in New York, It is a splendid production and the critics are rapturous , about it; It will probably run for several years on Broadway. Miss Pauline Bindley, the well known Australian soprano, is appearing with the Carl' Rosa Opera Company whose present season opened at Hammersmith (London) recently, with a fine performance of " Faust." Miss Bindley, as Marguerite, is heartily welcomed by the musical critics as a singer with a voice of rare purity and dramatic, quality Memories of " The Blue Bird," which was staged in New Zealand some years ago by J. C. Williamson, Ltd., are awakened by mention of the fact that the special incidental music of the Dion Boucicault production of " Mary Rose" at Melbourne was composed by Norman O'Neill, whose beautiful music to Maeterlinck's play was such a delight. Eden Phillpotts, author of " The Parmer's Wife " and other comedies, has had a new play produced m London. It is called " Tiie Blue Comet," a three-act comedy with a touch of tragedy The comedy deals with the life of a Hamp stead family and its elegances and meagre nesses; the tragedy deals with the re actions of the same family when the world' is threatened with extinction by impact with a huge comet ■ In the 35 leading London theatres which are open just now only 10 are givinp plays and entertainments originally pro duced in the West End. Very few London theatre owners—or lessees—are prepared to put on a new play till it hat been tried elsewhere, and there are probably not more than 10 English play Wrights who can feel reasonably sure that if they do a new play it will get into a London theatre direct: It is a lamentable condition of affairs, obtaining because theatre rents are so high, running costs so heavy, and many people who control theatres so incapable of judg ing the possibilities of a play till someone else has produced it for them to sea While-musical revues have been having a bad run in London lately (" Kid Boots'" was withdrawn after running oniy a few months and another musical entertainment is rumoured to have lost something in the neighbourhood of £40,000), tt is interest ing to learn that one lady, because she lias talent that amounts to genius, has filling a London theatre with no aid from either actor or from scenery, from even an orchestra, or from even an author Miss Ruth Draper, American danseuse has been filling the Garrick Theatre nightly In a season that has not been a happy one for many established shows, this will long be counted an extraordinary achieve ment : * Apparently one of the greatest successes m London during the current autumn season was " The Constant Nymph." The agents quickly gauged th'e possibilities of the new play, and immediately after its appearance they made a very big purchase of seats The dramatisation of the book has created demand for the latter so that the public can, read the story for sixpence before Woking seats. The play, it is anticipated will run for a vear, at any rate. »n all th e m e m bers of the cast feel •nrm?™ ' )e,t '£ associated with such a bv thn su ccess. One of the actresses. New 15 llSs M a, 'ie Ney, ..he of first the part Noel CoiaS „? on > h » l of N'll'cent. plajwnsil, an<l ■ : . : • :V '- . \y '■ l ■' >- : - v -• > ••• -, '• * • i.- - •