THEATRICAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20402, 2 November 1929, Page 10 (Supplement)

THEATRICAL NOTES.

COMING PRODUCTIONS. Sis Majesty'*. Now Playing.—" Journey's End.'-' November 20.—" The Desert Song." Christmas.—" Th 9 Firs o'Clcck Girl" and " Hold Everything." To Fallow.—'"The Flying Squad." (Leon Gordon). Et. James*. Not? Playing.—Jus Gera'd'i Revue Company. Coming.—Nat Phillip's Revue Company. Town Hall Concert Chamber. December 4 and 7.—L;".tia ißjatre Society's Triple Bill. PLAYS AND PLAYERS. / It is stated that more than 3000 applications/ were received for stalls for the tirst London performance of Mr. Ashley Duke's' dramatised version ot beuchtwanger's "Jew Sass." The theatre where the plav was nrodured has 330 tialh. ' Robert Chishoim, a well known Australian musical comedy star, who has played with success in Loudon, and who was seen here in " The Maid cf tha Mountains," with Miss Gladys Moucrieß, is now doing well on Broadway. He recently opened in a new musical play, " Madeleine." A coming event of interest in the London theatre is the production of a new play by Mr. Frederick Lonsdale, " Canaries Sometimes Sing." Mr. Lonsdale is the most polished modern writer of euave society comedy, as has been demonstrated here" in " The Last of Mrs. Cheyr.ey," "Spring Cleaning" and " Aren't We All." and is a far more important playwright than most, people believe. ■' " The Middle Watch," a farce originally .written ipr amateur theatricals in a battle cruiser—and perforce had no women's parts in it then—his turned out so successfully as re-written by Commander Stephen King-Hall and Mr. Lan Hay /tho stage craftsman), that it i 3 not only packing the Shaftesbury Theatre, London, but has also been scrambled for by American managers. They think it will be & big success in America. In theiLondon production of his operetta, " Bitter Sweet," Mr. Noel Coward called for a very large orchestra of some forty-four musicians, claiming that he needed lots of violins to get the music's emotional appeal across in a big way. The play is still one of the outstanding successes in London and has been booked for New York presentation. There is, as yet, ho news as to whether the Williamson management is interested in it.

With his repertoire of Edgar Wallace "thrillers" and comedy revivals, Mr. Leon Gordon is now playing in Melbourne, having opened his season there with a revival of " Brewster's Millions," which, together with "It Pays to Advertise" recently astonished Australian managers by ; putting up spirited opposition to Sydney's " talkies." It is possible that Mr. Gordon may stage the new London mystery play, " Murder on the Second Floor," before he comes to New Zealand.

Whatever may be the opinion of the new Shaw play, " The Apple Cart" —and opinions seem almost as numerous as spectators or dramatic critics—nothing in the London theatre is attracting so much attention a3 the elevation of Shaw tor a festival pinnacle at Malvern. Rarely have such honours been paid to a living dramatist. The annual Shakespearean festival at - Stratford received no more than polite notice from the London newspapers. While Shaw was holding forth so Malvern, ° Everyman" and " Dr. Faustus" were being revived at- the annual Canterbury festival. Neither Marlowe nor Shakespeare has been able to compete with Shaw, either in newspaper space or in attendance.

The Little Theatre Society will bring its 1929 season to a close with a triple bill of to be presented in the Town Hall Concert Chamber during <he fir3t week in December. One of the plays will be " God and Mrs. Henderson," a comedy by Harold Chapin with a distinct repertory twist, which .will introduce Mr. Allan McElwain, the well : known comedian, into the society's ranks of players. The remaining two play 3 have not yet been definitely selected, but they are likely to bo works by Barrie and Lord Dunsany. Some of Dunsany's finest work has been done in the sphere of the one-act play and something of the standard of " A Night afc an Inn," coupled with one of Barrie'", dramatic cameos, would bring a most eoccesstul year's operations to a most successful close.

Following the season of " Journey's End," His Majesty's Theatre will remain " dark" for ton nights before the opening of the spectacular J. C. Williamson musical fplay, " The Desert Song." 'lhis will commence its Auckland season on November 20, and when it has played its allotted span the company will leave for Australia to present a new Drury Lane success, " New Moon." The leading players in " The Desert Song" arc Mr. Lance Fairfax, the New Zealancler, who rose to theatrical prominence through his fine work in Gilbert and Sullivan opera, Miss Romola Hansen, a young leading lady of great promise, .Mr. Herbert i Mundin, a London comedian, and Miss' Sonya Bosova, hailed as one of the finest dancer 3 ever to visit New Zealand. i3 the usual large chorus and the play is produced in most elaborate fashion.

Mr. Jim Gerald is continuing his cheerful reign at St. James' Theatre. After a successful' venture into tiic fields of musical comedy he has returned to revue this week and has been convulsing audiences with some of the tried, and trusted numbers for which they used t% clamour during his record season at the old Opera House some four or five years ago. At the conclusion of Mr.- Gerald's season, iMr. Nat, Phillips will probably return fo [Auckland with a new revue company. It feems strange to hear of Stiffy without Mo, but the two have parted company ftnd Mr. Phillips is now assisted by Mr. Hector St. Clair, a revue comedian with n. considerable local reputation, Mr. Jack Kelleway, who was here with Mr. Phillips last year, and Miss Irene Shamrock, an English performer whom the Fuller management engaged for musical comedy lint later transferred to revue.

Mr. R. C. Sherriff has added Auckland to his list of conquests. The young author of " Journey's End,'' one of the most remarkable plays of this generation, jcannot be expected to feel unduly elated, ifor. in face of the world-wide success iof his play, one small city could not be iexpected to hold out. On Wednesday evening, "Journey's End" justified all fche praise that critics have showered on it. arid an audience profoundly impressed left the many of its members tvoicing the decision to " see it again. Mr. Sherriff has written a play, simple, 'direct, and yet wonderfully composite. He has established a mastery over atmosphere and through his actors plays ikiliolly on practically every human Semoiion. The cast is uniformly excellent and m&ltes the most of the excellent, material it has to handle. Unfortunately, tte season of " Journey's End" will have ploso nezi Saturday* , W&::f ..