SHAKESPEREAN REVIVAL

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10992, 30 August 1921, Page 7

SHAKESPEREAN REVIVAL

ALLAN WILKIE’S SUCCESS HIS AMBITION TO . PRODUCE WHOLE 37 PLAYS. INTERESTING INTERVIEW. “One tiling T might emphasise, 3 ’ said Mr Allan Wilkie, the well-known and popular actor, in the course of an interesting interview with a ‘‘Times” representative yesterday: “and that its that we. have now completed over 250 Shakespearean performances; and next week ve complete a year .of tour, relying _ solely upon Shakespeare. That, J think, is probably a .record for Australasia. During my last week here I propose to produce ‘.Romeo and Juliet,’ which will be* the eleventh play I have produced in this one year. A pretty good record, that. A SUCCESSFUL TOUR. ‘ ’’We have had a most extraordinarily successful tom* through the Dominion. We are now in our fifteenth week in New Zealand. This first year on tour has, of course, been something in the nature of a trial* trip; because I have had at the hack of my mind the intention of making a permanent institution of the presentation of Shakespearean plays isj this way. I hope, in fact, during a period of ten years, to produce what no other man living or dead has ever yet done, that is the whole of the 37 plays* of Shakespeare. I reckon that it will take me ten years to produce the whole 37. In my next tour of New Zealand I hope to produce two of the historical plays—probably ‘King John’ and ‘Richard 111. 3 ‘King John, 3 so far as I know, has not yet been produced in New Zealand, and ‘Richard lII.’ has not been played here for about 30 years ; so bith the plays would be in the nature of a novelty to present day audiences. I hope al4o to produce another Roman *play. I am doing ‘Julius Caesar’ this year; and I hope next year to be able to put on ‘Coriolanus,’ which also, I believe, has not been produced in Australasia. “AN EVER-GROWING AUDI-* ENOE.” “Of course, a lot of people con. tend that it would be impossible to run a Shakespearean company on a permanent basis in Australasia; and they quote gland opera and Gilbert and Sullivan, which only' stand playing about every four or five years, as an argument. But they forget that ill connection with Shakespeare you have such a tremendous number of plays and such, a variety of plays to draw upon, which decs not apply to grand opera and Gilbert and Sullivan. Another very great factor in our success has been the support we have received throughout from the educational authorities, and through them from the school children who attended our performances in countless numbers. This also makes me .particularly hopeful for the future, because all these children will become inoculated with a liking for and appreciation of Shakespeare from a dramatic point of view, so that we ought to have an evergrowing audience for tours. ‘ f on my• return to Australia I play a return season in Adelaide, and then make my first visit with my Shakespearean Company -to West Australia, after which I play a return season in Hobart at Christmas time. Then I propose to play in Melbourne, Sidney, and Queensland prior to returning to New Zealand. A YEAR HENCE. “I think, roughly, it will take me about twelve months to cover the field in Australia; so I must be at least a year, so far as I can see, before I can hope to return to the Dominion. But my success has been so great in the small towns, as well as in the big centres, that I hope to prolong my next to By here very considerably, playing in a good many towns that I have not been able to visit on my present tour. Also, if it had been possible, I could have played for longer seasons ih several of the small towns I have visited. But I have certain date© to fulfil on the other side, and that prevented my doing so on this occasion. GOOD WEATHER—AND HOSPITALITY. “We have greatly enjoyed the fine weather you have been having this winter. Such weather has, of course, been very helpful in regard to busineee. We have met with very little wot weather, and very little extreme cold. In fact, we have had the best of weather throughout; and wo have also .received the greatest kindness and hospitality from the New Zealand people wherever we have been. We {■kail have very happy recollections of our tour, and shall look forward to a speedy return