NEW ZEALAND ACTRESS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20888, 2 June 1931, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND ACTRESS.

MISS MORRISON RETURNS. The New Zealand actress, Miss Ethel Morrison, arrived from Sydney by the Monowai yesterday to play the leading role in "The First Mrs. Fraser in the Dorniniou. Born in Wellington, she achieved her success principally in Australia and the United States, singing at first in Gilbert and Sullivan operas and latterly acting in comedy. Miss Morrison began her stage career in the chorus of the last Gilbert and Sullivan company that Kir William Sullivan rehearsed before his death. She has very fond memories of the famous composer, because ho took a keen interest in her work when she was understudying various parts. After playing in the Savoy operas in New Zealand and Australia, she joined Mario Tempest in a number of comedies, finally abandoning her singing. For the past seven years she has been playing comedy and musical comedy in America, returning fo Australia last year at the request of Mr. E. J. Tait. Miss Morrison will take the part in "The First Mrs. Fraser" created by Marie Tempest in London two years ago. Recalling her first stage appearance in Auckland, Miss Morrison said that it was while playing the part of the Queen in "lolanthe" in Wellington that she was interviewed by some Auckland amateur operatic enthusiasts and asked to fill the same role in an Auckland production of the opera.