THEATRICAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19838, 7 January 1928, Page 8 (Supplement)

THEATRICAL NOTES.

-4-i' 'I FINANCIAL FAILURE OF,, PLAYS.

The statement inado in London recently that fivo oat of six plays had failed financially since 1909 has been challenged by Mr. B A. Meyer, the well-known English theatrical -manager. " This is a gross exaggeration," he says, "but un questionably a great many piavs do fail Imancially, and one must asK the reason >vhy. "The first and obvious reason is that tho play is a bad one and has failed to attract the public. But what of the play that is a success —ostensibly, at any. rate —and is withdrawn after a short' mn becase its expenses are, too high ? This is the whole key to the problem of theatrical finance. There aro far too many inexperienced people dabblifig' 'in theatrical iinanca who wish to' produce plays at any cost, regardless of whether they stand a chance of making money. The greatest of all mistakes .is to produce a play which, even if successful, cannot possibly pay becafise the-expenses are out of all proportion to the seating capacity of the theatre. Sound financial finance prevails in theatres like Drury Lane, the Hippodrome, and the Palladium u refer«to musical only), where tho expeiises are huge, but the capacity double expenditure. . "There has Iwed an outcry'i*£ccmWy> regard to artisi v s'. salaries. The JguljJic do not realise that the salary ©f-the>artist • is governed by tho simple law of supply and demand. Miss Gladys Cooper and Mr. George Robev are probably the most highly paid artists in their respective spheres. Let them retire from a play in which they are billed and the result will. "Tlw deducf ion is obvious. The worth of artists of this calibre is arrived -<at by the amount of money attract to. the theatre. - Sir Charles Wyndham, Sir George Alexander, Sir John Hare, Sir Squire Bancroft, and, quite recently, Mr. Frank C&irzon, all died\ leaving considerable fortunes. These -w«re aflT nidqe by careful theatrical speculation. AfyVrc.they alive to-day I feel sui-e they would be. aghast at "the follies which are perpetrated by some present-day entrepreneurs. "Investors in theatrical enterprises should satisfy themselves that the finance is sound —that is"to say, that in all cases there should be a sufficiently wide- margin between expenditure and capacity to ensure a reasonable possibility of profit if the play does run. , PLAYS- AND PLAYERS. '* V < Earlyiin the rifey? JrC. Williamson, Ltd., W'll present for the first time in Austria the ' beuu'ti ul young. Canadian actress;, * Miss Margaret Bannerrnan, wlio has baen so successful in London. An • actress 'of exceptional personality, 'Miss Bannerman, after successes in Canada and - the United States, came to London and created a sensation in Somerset Maugham's remarkable play, "Oar "Betters.'' - 3t will bo in' this production she will make her first appearance in Australi-i, and a subsequent tour of New Zealand is likely. , j < , utoJ—f i<i .I Mr. fe." ' tfio w|lfs&own impresario, whjjf; is.?uow in London, '■ has cabled his Sydney office that he is limiting his concert activities for 1928 to the rngageifcent of Erica Morini, the young Viennese genius, who will give a limited number, of violin recitals in Australia,and New Zealand. Mr. Carroll states that, with a single exception, this is the most expensive 'engagement ■"'fee 'has ever made for a single artist. But Madame Morini lias Europe at her feet and the prospect of her brief~aEsence from the art centres . of the Continent is already bewailed. j

MJss Mary MacG regof... thatf engaging young actress who will he seen with Mr. Maurice MoscovitclL in "The Ringer" and "The Terror," two Edgar Wallace mystery dramas w'hich, will open 'at . His M&j&lJ's Theffjjfljttpu •J'ebrwigr 1, received 'her fii^T.^'Vfiiince' ,t% inedhrm of repertory:* This path to faxlio lias' been travelled bv many who are at th.c top of tjie pioiession to-day. Her repertory "work was so promising that she was cast as Jill in Galsworthy s 'The Skin Game," and ever since she has justified the confidence that was placed' in, her. '.S3 MacGregor's last ' appearance in AuoKlanfl. was _,in "Cappy Kicks," a couifc of years aga . She gave a delightful characterisation and she will be just ss welcome* on • her return as will Miss Eile|n and Mr. l»at

A ddd; md vili have -a-feast of-musical comidy when, the new, Opefa Hotise is ©pencil l4f jtthe.'Eu'llevs at Easter.. In three musicalcomedies,. M iss Elsio Prince and Mr. Jimmie Godden,- that matchless team of "No. No, Naaetfe" and "Lady Be Good," will make their second tour of the Dominion. "Archie," "aundy" and will be the three productions. j/L'Be -music of "Sunny" '-is already well knoWn and it is a delightful plav. "Archie" has beeii very "successful in Sydney and is at jwasent playing an extended seisoti. In Australia "Sunny" has jrad rather an interesting history, ft was" first produced in r - RuftfjNaylor at the has become a* v«>ry comedy house. It .ran*" 1 * most "successfully for several months and then the show was Kold Ibck, stock "and barrel, together with the Australian and New Zealand rights, to th& Fullers.