THEATRICAL NOTES.
COMING PRODUCTIONS. His Majesty's: To-night and this afternoon. —" The Yeomen of the Guard." (Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company), to ho followed by " H.M.S. Pinafore," " The Gondoliers " and " Patience." Later. —" Follow Through," " Mr. Cinders " (J. C. Williamson Musical Company). PLAYS AND PLAYERS. News has been received from London that " Jocelyn Yeo," the well-known dancer, formerly Miss Jocelyn Dixon, of Auckland, is taking the part of principal girl in the pantomime at Sheffield this Christmas. This talented Aucklander not only is one of London's best danseuses bub is the possessor of a charming voice and unusually good looks. Nearing Australia are two stage favourites who are coming back after their London triumphs to again appear under the J. C. Williamson management. These are Madge Elliott and Cyril Ritchard, whose visit to Australia is-for a twofold purpose —to see their people and to fulfil an engagement entered into to appear in " Blue Roses " and other musical comedy productions. In addition to playing leading roles on the London stage, Cyril Ritchard has also achieved success in British talkies. Owing to their Ltfndon engagements', Miss Elliott and Mr. Ritchard's stay in Australia will be but a brief one. A charming ballet 011 the theme of Tennyson's " Lady of Shalott " was presented, with other delights, by Miss Marie Rambert, in London recently. It was devised by Frederick Ashton to Sibelius' music, and much of it was beautiful as well as ingenious. The mirror before which the Lady weaves her magic web was represented by a gauze-veil, with a " double " following her every movement on the other side. Beyond were the reapers and red-coated market-girls in country footing. A " curly shepherd lad " appeared, not unaccompanied, and, finally, Sir Lancelot. The firm of J. C. Williamson has secured the Australian rights of " Bitter Sweet," the operetta by Noel Coward, which ran for nearly two years in London. In that period the receipts totalled more than £450,000. A special company will be formed for this production, and coming from London to take a leading role is Margery Hicklin, the attractive young English actress who has already appeared under the J. C. Williamson management in " Katja," " Leave it to Jane," and " Tell Me More," toward the end of 1925. Since she returned to London Miss Hicklin has appeared in musical comedy with great success and is one of the most popular artists at West End theatres. Ifc has now been definitely arranged that a new play by George Bernard Shaw will be presented at the next Malvern Festival. This new piece is described by the author as a comedy, and its title at present is " Too True to be Good," but whether this will be adhered to is nofc yet settled. Mr. Shaw is said to have described the play bimself as " something of a sermon, with a few music-hall tricks thrown in to iiiake people laugh; also a dash or two of Edgar Wallace." The dissolution of established morals by the shock of the war is understood to bo its principal theme —treated, of course, in Mr. Shaw's own very individual fashion. As on the last occasion, the Malvern programme next August will be a selection from five centuries of English drama, and Mr. Shaw's play will be the representative of 1932. There is an ironic flavour to the fact that America, which - originated the Baconian hypothesis, should now be possessed of the most remarkable Shakespearean Library in the world. It has been erected in Washington by the munificence of the late Henry Clay Folger, sometime president of the Standard Oil Company of New York. The princely scale and style of the architecture is in keeping with the treasures which it will house; for among the 70,000 volumes included in the library are a score or two of those which the world accounts the most precious. There are no fewer than 79 First Folios —little short of a half of all those known to bo extant, perfect and imperfect—and 50 Second Folios, as well as numerous Third and Fourth Folios.' Of the "good" Quartos there are 12 out of 14, and of the bad Quartos four out of five, including the only (known First Quarto of " Titus Andronicus." , Kate Carney, the famous Cockney comedienne, is to return to the stago. She will make her re-appearance at a well-known London music-hall. Known as the " coster comedy queen," Miss Carney was one of the leading music-' hall stars of the pre-war 'era. She reappeared in 1926 for a brief period until illness overtook her. The emergence of variety from the depression caused by the* talkies has attracted back to the footlights one after another of the oldtime favourites. Vesta Victoria ("There Was I Waiting at the Church "), Gus Elsn (" 'E Bunno Where 'e Are"), and Harry Bedford ("A Little Bit Off the Top") are a few old-timers who in the past weeks have been leading delighted London audiences in singing the old rollicking songs. Kate Carney's admirers piay expect to hear many of the songs she used to sing, such as " Liza Johnson," " Three Pots a Shilling," and "Are We to Part Like This, Bill ?" In the New York cast of " The Barretts of Wimpole Street," which J. C. Williamson will produce in Melbourne shortly, is Mr. Charles Waldron, who is well remembered by Australian audiences. He first appeared in Australia in " The Virginian " and " The Squaw Man," and subsequently returned to appear in the title role of " Daddy Long Legs" and other plays, with Kathleen . McDonnell. " The Barretts of Wimpole Street " has reached its 500 th performance at the Queen's Theatre, London. The author is Rudolph Besier, whose play, " The Virgin Goddess," was produced in Australia years ago by Oscar Asche. A significant feature of the success of " The Barretts of Wimpole Street " is that it has proved as popular with American audiences as with English playgoers. In addition to the New York production, eleven companies are touring it throughout the United States. Its trans-Atlantic triumph indicates its international appeal.
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New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21076, 9 January 1932, Page 10 (Supplement)
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1,002THEATRICAL NOTES. New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21076, 9 January 1932, Page 10 (Supplement)
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