THEATRICAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19762, 8 October 1927, Page 8 (Supplement)

THEATRICAL NOTES.

THE MORALITY OF A PLAY " Pofciphar's Wife," founded on tii© Bible story and' produced at the Globe Theatre, London, is a play which is creating a great deal ox discussion, and thereby obtaining a commensurate amount of advertisement. , .Discussion centres round the flimsy attire worn in a bedroom scene by the lady of the play. As for the play itself, it is the story of a woman who tempts her chauffeur and thereafter turns against him. In a court case which follows the woman js worsted, and her perjury is brought home to her, Several critics have denounced the play, but at the invitation of a London newspaper the Rev. Clarence May, vicar of Homerion, who has preached many sermons on novels and plays, visited the Globe Theatre. " The criticisms about this play are a Jot of fuss about nothing," be said. " The play is as moral as the Biblical sforv. The temptation sceno in this play is no worse than one of the scenes in ' The Wandering Jew,' which was accepted as a highly moral play. " The author seems to bo dealing a •well-deserved blow at a certain section of society where the morals are undoubtedly low, "and where the so-called ' better' class have a good deal to learn from their hard-working inferiors. Critics, in considering the loose morals of Lady Aylesbrongh seem to have missed the whole point of the splendid and upright morality of the chauffeur. If plays are to represent real life they must be allowed to deal with life as it is, and as iong as it, :s dealt with seriously and sincerely no objection can bo taken and nothing but good can result. In spite of all his witty lines, I feel that Sir. Middleton is fundamentally serious," Mr. Middleton, the author, in an interview, said: " Madame Potiphar seems destined to create trouble throughout the ages. She is repeating her indiscretions of Biblical, times in 1927, and I feel sorry now that I did not deal more firmly with her." Pointing out that this is the first play that he has had staged, Mr. Middleton added: I intended it as an antidote to a cycle of vicious plays. The paradox of the theatre is that if you treat a subject morally you are instantly attacked as being immoral. If I had really wanted to write vicious plays I should have chosen the musical comedy stag*, where drunkenness, seduction, and other forms of vice are presented with musical accompaniment to rounds of applause from people who say that they are shocked by such plays as mine. The proof that they are shocked is that bookings are being made steadily for every night up ■to Saturday. I have presented life as it is, and life is shocking. People pretend that they dislike realism. Yes, they dislike it up to the point of crowding to see it." PLAYS AND PLAYERS. I ' Mr. Shayle Gardner, late of Auckland, has been engaged to play the lead to Mrs. Patrick Campbell in the new play entitled " Madame Kuranda." The company, after four weeks " try-out" tour at Leicester, opened in London recently. Mr. Guy Bates Post and Miss Dorothy B run ton, who will be remembered for their fine work in several "plays at His Majesty's Theatre last year, are now appearing at the Little Theatre, London. Recently they gave a performance of E. Locke's play, " The Climax:" Joseph Hislop, the" famous British tenor, will open a concert tour of Slew Zealand at the Town Hall on November 3. and will also give recitals on November 5, 7 and 9. He is supported by Miss Leila Doubleday, a finished violinist who has won fame abroad, and Mr. Alberto Sciarretti, accompanist and solo pianist. Now that " Ruddigore" has been successfully produced- in , Sydney and Brisbane, there is only one other Gilbert and Sullivan opera that has not been produced in Australia. It is " The Grand Duke" and was the last of the thirteen operas produced by this famous combination of literateur and musician. It is an interesting work with a complicated plot and ridiculous humour. It was produced in London in 1896 and has never been revived since. The two talented Wellington dancers, •Dpsiree (Miss Joan Beeve) and Doret (Mr. Henry Morris), both pupils of Miss • Estelle Beere, arc getting good engagements in London at the bent-known restaurants where high-class cabaret shows are the rule. For several weeks they j have been starring at the New Princes, where nightly they have had an sxcellent reception. Their performances ire natural, fresh and youthful; the.ir poses are full of grace, and Miss Beere's dancing is*delicate and artistic. Part of their work is done in association w;th the " Athos Beauties," a bevy of clever girls who are very popular with the patrons of New Princes. Yarietv entertainment is evidently failing in England. An announcement was made recently that Moss' Empires, owning and controlling a string of ever 30 variety houses in the provinces, had decided to convert a number of them into legitimate theatres. It is said that the provinces have been demanding a higher and more intellectual standard of plays, and the policy of the management is to stage West End successes with West End players in the theatres they intend to convert. Not many years ago there was a tendency to change theatres into variety houses and the "present reversal is held to be due to the great success in the provinces of such musical plays as " Rose Marie," "Sunny" and "No, No, Nanette."