OPERA HOUSE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7865, 29 July 1911, Page 18

OPERA HOUSE.

July 29. August 4.—'"The Scarlet Troubadours." . , August 7-lu.—J. and 2.. Tait, Nicola, Magician. „ August 17-25.—J. 0. V T illlamflon, Pantorriinip.. "Jack and tho Beanstalk.’' August 23. September 4.—Florence B*lue Comedy Company. , ~ ... September 11-50.—Clarke and Hcynell s "Gay Gordons" Company. October ii-2'i. —J. C. Williamson. Our Kis Gibbs" Oomro-ny. November 3-15. —Clark© and Mcyncli. December 25. January 16. —J. 0. Williamson THEATRE ROYAL. FullorA Vaudeville (permanent). HIS MAJESTY'S. Fullers’ Pictures (permanent). THE NEW THEATRE. tiCacmalion and Donnelly, Continuous Pio* lures (permanent). TOWN HALL. August 3-^l9.—Sousa's Band. G. V, Brooke stands out in my memory as a great Hamlet, a great Othello, a gjoat Potruchio. and a great King XjCut {says a writer in tho “ Sydney Morning Herald"). It was said that _ he made his first appearance in Dublin on an emergency call at the ago of 15, in the part of William Tell. Later on, when ho went to play in London, he was met by much adverse, press criticism, and the advice given him was taken to heart, with tho result that ho made a close study of many characters, and wao afterwards recognised as one of the leading actors of the dav. When ho came to Australia in 1855 his reputation had preceded him, and he drew crowded houses. In certain Shakespearian characters, and in Irish comedy, he was considered to be without a rival; and for my own part I confess I have never liked anyone better. I do not consider H. B. Irving a greater Hamlet than G. V. Brooke. Irving has mannerisms that I do not like. His drawl T do not like. I do not like his slippering, nor Ms constant movings to tho steps at the back of tho stage setting for the obvious purpose of posing. I grant ho is a greater actor, but I think Brooke was a finer Hamlet. I shall never forget how he Uvscd to corno down to tho footlights and do the soliloquy; nor shall I forget the heights ho rose to in tho play scene. His speaking of tho lines, ‘'This play is the image of a murder done in Vienna: Gonazago is tho duke's name; his wife Baptista; you shall see anon 'tis a knavish piece of work/' Hie stealthy creeping towards the king as tho play drew to a close; the fix© in his eye; the lino “You shall see anon how tho murderer gets the love of Gonzago's wife;' and the wonderful mixture of feigned surprise, sarcasm, and denunciation in in Ms cry—“ What! frightened with false fire!” as tho king rises and rushes off the stage, wore tilings to be remembered. He was a finished actor, a perfect elocutionist, and his rich voice* enhanced the charm. In those days it was the practice to finish tho evening's entertainment with a farce; and in comedy Brooke was as great as he was in tragedy. One of his farces was “On his Last Legs," in which he the part-, of a reduced gentleman, one O'Callaghan, and in this Irish character and others like it ho was inimitable. We no longer play a farce at the end of “Hamlet" 'or “Macbeth;" and nowadays nobody would want to see it done. But it was a tradition of the stage then, just as Irving's acting In the play scene seems to bo traditional, for Brook© and Barry Sullivan both played it in the same way;, and .1 am. told that Irving’s illustrious father did it so, and that Forbes Robertson, another great Hamlet, does it so to-day. The whole setting is, indeed, traditional. Maclise’s wellknown painting of the scene might have been taken from the setting at Her Majesty's, except that in the painting the royal chairs aro more ornate, more in keeping with royalty, and the king's robe does nob remind one so much of a patchwork quilt. Opon-air theatres are a favourite form of entertainment in Germany, and, incidentally, are of material assistance to many in tho profession in tiding over the otherwise unrenumerative summer vacation. In an old forest of glorious oak trees', on tho Branhausberg at Potsdam, near Berlin, there is being performed a historical drama in three acts, by Axel Dclmar, entitled “ Der ELserno Holland " (The Iron Saviour). The, hero of the play. King Frederick tho Great of Prussia, is singularly appropriate to the locale, since Potsdam, with his palace of Sans Souci, were his favourite haunts in time© of peace. The story deals with the plight of tho King during the dark days in August. 1750, after the battle of Kuuorsdorf, when, only owing to Ms enemies' “asinine stupidity," he was enabled to save the situation and him£olf. Another open-air theatre near Berlin is situate at Pichelswerder, where another patriotic drama, “ Albrecht dor Bax' - ’ (Albrecht tho Bear), from the pen of Eberhard Konig, is drawing largo and enthusiastic audiences. ’The story deals with one of the Kaiser's predecessors, an Elector of Brandenburg, who in 1157 carried tho Bible and the sword into tho pagan districts east of the Elbe, which eventually became the nucleus of of the Kingdom of Prussia. Yet a third theatre of this kind is about to bo opened in the picturesque village of Bornau, within . train ride from the capital. Mr. Lionel V. Lee has submitted to the Sydney City Council, apropos tho abolition of tho queue system, the following proposal .* —“ Here is an idea which will absolutely do away with that antiquated one of people waiting for hours* before' a play or concert begins. The idea .was in vogue in San Francisco when I was there, about five years ago, and I presume still is, as tho thing is “simple as falling off a log." Every chair in a hall or theatre • should have a permanent number on it from 1 up totbe highest-numbered chair in the hall. The tickets should be on sale all day. at agents, so that if I buy a ticket (say. No. 93) at 10 a.m. I have secured my seat for the performance, without any more mad scrambling like there is at present. This rule applies to the lowestpriced seats as well as tho highestpriced. And there can be no over-sell-ing. The galleries of our theatres would have to bo constructed so that every person would have a chair or seat corresponding with tho ticket.." As already .announced, the Council has decided that the queue must go. Towards tho end of his lecture on Hamlet at tho Sydney University last week, and afterwards m reply to a vote of thanks, Mr. H. B. Irving spoke of tho Australian appreciation of Shakespeare and prophesied some great dramatic movement in this country. "Some day," he said, “you will have a stage and drama of your own, and I feel sure that your University will look with encouragement and sympathy upon any theatrical work done in your midst, and that the public will support it. One of tho memories of my life will bo the way in which Hamlet has been received in Sydney. The play’s success has far exceeded any of my expectations, and I am hap-py to see that it can live in the way it‘ evidently does in the hearts and thoughts of you people here. I do not set this down to any individual interpretation by my company or myself. Shakespeare’s power is greater her© than in any part of tho world. That lias been the experience of others as well as myself. It is a groat thing that Shakespeare can live. as_ he does for audiences bore, and that in spite of tho competition wo have to meet m the way of lighter forms of entertainment—and I admit their fascination —we can still be sure that the hard will bring the public here to see his plays. I believe that in the future there will be in this country' some great dramatic revival. Because it seems to me that there is

hero a real love for what is serious and great in our theatre. It is to me a sign, of that, that you should have invited me her© to-day, and listened to mo so patiently." A new-comer to New Zealand theatricals is the American magician. .Nicola, who has just finished a successful fortnight's season in Auckland. The Nicola company, which numbers some fifteen artists and over twenty tons of paraphernalia, started out from San Francisco a little over eighteen months ago. Sinco then they have played every country and all the principal cities of the world. Nicola has the distinction of having appeared before more crowned heads than any living entertainer, and having received’over EDO modals from his titled patrons and admirers. Ho is to bo at the Opera House, commencing next Saturday.