ACTRESS FROM HOLLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19953, 23 May 1928, Page 7

ACTRESS FROM HOLLAND.

MUSICAL COMEDY STAR. AUSTRALIAN THEATRES PRAISED. The Dutch are not known as a great theatrical race and the fac°; that Miss Beppie de Vries, leading lady with the "Madame Pompadour" and "The Student Prince" Company, is one of the tew Dutch actresses to make good outside her own country lends added interest to her first, appearance here. Miss de Vries arrived from Sydney by the Marama yesterday, j She spoke enthusiastically of her first visit | to Australia, and is looking forward just as enthusiastically to her first tour of New Zealand. Speaking with the faintest hint cf * foreign accent, Miss de Vries will talk willingly of her homeland. Holland, in spring was a carpet of tulips and spring flowers. There were windmills, and a' ■ clean, sweet smell in the air. With flaxen hair and bright blue eyes, the Continental actress might be a Dutch girl such as the old masters painted. And she is devoted thn art oi Holland. Rembrandt she admires and understands. It was in Amsterdam that Miss de Vries first won fame. She confesses unblushingly, but smilingly, that she ran away from home to go on the stage. For some time she was in the chorus of musical plays, and one memorable right in 1919 the German leading lady was ill. Miss do Vries knew the part and told the producer she could play it. "He laughed at me," she said, "and he was not alone. But : the composer asked him to give me a | chance. We rehearsed for two days and : after the performance on Saturday night j they told mo 1 was a success." Since then JMiss de Vries has played j lead in successful musical plays not only i in Holland, but also in other Continental centres, and has appeared for a season in London Her only appearance in a ; "straight" part was in "Old Heidelberg," | the stage play on which "The Student j Prince" is founded. She has not yet : played in America, but hopes to do so on ! her way home after her present season. | "I understand that plays are staged in j New Zealand as they are in Australia," ; Miss de Vries said. "If ®o, you : are very lucky. I think that in Australia the general standard -of j productions is equal to the English. ! The managements select their casts, and, | what is more, their plays, very carefully. ; And the ballets and chorus girls are de- ! iightful. It seems to me that the members of au Australian chorus have more love for their work than those playing on the Continent. Perhaps it is because they can rise quickly from the chorus. In other place? girls just stay on in the ; chorus until they lose their looks. The Australian chorus girls I have seen can sing as well as dance. They make the theatre very happy." Mr. James Liddy, an American light opera singer, who plays the male lead in [ "The Student Prince, also praises the ' Australian chorus and the general production. His visit is of interest to New Zealanders from the fact that he is one of the few Americans who have played Rugby football. While at California i University in 1913, Mr. Liddy played against the All Black team that visited i the State. "I enjoyed those games," he i said, "and I am looking forward to seeing ! some real Rugby played again while I : am here."