ENGLISH ACTRESS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21540, 12 January 1932, Page 13

ENGLISH ACTRESS

AN AUSTRALIAN ENGAGEMENT LONDON PLAY TO BE PRODUCED. (Special to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, January 11. In these days when the “ talkies ” are so popular actresses of the legitimate stage are few and far between. Accordingly, more than ordinary interest attaches to the visit to Australia of Miss Margaret Rawlings, who with her husband, Mr Gabriel Toyne, is a through passenger to Sydney by the Makura, which arrived at Wellington to-day from San Francisco. They are under contract to Messrs J. C. Williamson, Ltd., and Miss Rawlings is being “starred” in “ The Barrets of Wimpole Street,” a play which has enjoyed successful seasons in London and New York, and may be produced in New Zealand also. Miss Rawlings is a well-known English actress who made her name in “ The Venetian,” which had a successful run in London last winter. She has just completed playing in “ The Venetian ” in New York. Her husband is a producer and author and will be producer of “The Barrets of Wimpole Street,” in which his wife will take the leading part. Two plays written by him arc “ Porcupine Point ” and “ The Sentimental Centaur.” It was at Oxford that Mr Toyne met his wife. “ I was looking after an exhibition of paintings by an undergraduate friend of mine,” he said, “when Miss Rawlings came in to view the pictures. We started talking about the stage, and she said she would like to be a ‘ star.’ I said I would like to be a producer, and so she said: ‘Well, be one and produce me,* which has just been realised in this present contract.” “ It has always been our aim to work together,” remarked Mrs Toyne, “ but that has not always been possible for the last year, at least. I had to go to New York and he had to stay in London to produce the play. Now he is to produce ‘ The Barrets * and I am to he the leading lady.” While in New York Mrs Toyne received an offer to act for the “ talkies ” but refused it, deciding to remain with the stage.