THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3337, 27 February 1918, Page 46

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

By Pasquim. Tuesday, February 26. The J. C. Williamson Musical Comedy Company concluded is highly-successful . Dunedin season on Thursday night, when the first performance in Australasia of "The Only Girl" was pretcnted. There was a very large audience at His Majesty's Theatre to witness the premiere of the comedy—in fact, so great was the crush that a number of people in the pit were given "standing room" in the dress circle. Tho company played at Invercargill on Friday and Saturday nights, returning to Dunedin on Monday night. The company left Dunedin this morning to play a short season at Timaru, commencing this evening. Mr Edward Landor, who played comedy parts as a member of Mr Allan Wilkie's company, has enlisted with the Australian Imperial Forces in Sydney. Three times previously Mr Dandor endeavoured unsuccessfully to enlist;. Mr John Hamer will manage the approaching season in Dunedin of the Allan Wilkie Company. The company includes Allan Wilkie, Arthur St'yan, Henri Doret, P. V. Scully, H. W. Varna, . Vivian Edwards, Robert Inman, Walter Hunt, Nellie Ferguson, Roland Riley, and Marie Ney. Two plays will be produced—"iSeven Days' Leave " (a story of a submarine and Hun spies) and "The Story of the Rosary." Robert Inman is well known in Dunedin. His half-brother, Mr J. Heaney, is the manager of the local furniture firm of Messrs Scouillar and Chisholm. Bland Holt, in his palmiest days, seldom produced anything as sensational as "Seven Days' Leave," the Submarine play in which Allan Wilkie made such a big impression in Melbourne and Sydney. Tho big thrill of the Walter Howard- play shows the German U boat beneath the waters waiting for the signal to rise. The heroine gets wind of something, however, and while a British cruiser waits on the surface the U boat gets a "false alarm signal and comes to the top. Subsequently explosions and hurling into eternity of the wicked folk of the play are depicted with realism", and in a manner that gives the lover of the spectacular all tho thrill he desires. A Melbourne critic, in referring to the first presentation at Melbourne Princess of the comio opera, "The Rajah of Shivapore," says that "if the libretto were but equal to its music the opera might be hailed as a really notable comic opera worthy of a larger public than Australia can provide." The music is by Mr Alfred Hill and tho book by the well-known Bulletin artist, Mr David Soutei\ Mr Hill' has, of course, two other operas to his credit—" The Moorish Maid" (book by the well-known Auckland journalist, Mr John Birch) and "Tapu" (in conjunction with Mr Arthur H. Adams). It was in 'The Moorish Maid " that Miss Rosina Buckman leapt into favour with Dunedin audiences, her singing and acting reaching a high level of artistic merit. Miss Buckman has gone a long way in her profession since those days. In acknowledging the reception'accorded "The Rajah" by a crowded house, Mr Hill took the opportunity of removing a popular misconception. He mentioned that he was not a New Zealander, ho having been born in Richmond (Victoria). Mr Ambrose Manning, who first came to Australia as a member of Wilson Barrett's company, and later returned to play a charater rolo in "The Whip," a performance well remembered in Dunedin, is playing tho leading part in Captain Bruce Bairnsfather's "The Better '01c" in the English provinces. Mr J. L. Cathro writes mo from Wellington oinder date February 18 that Waller's " Look Who's Here" Company is doing great business at the Grand Jpera House. A return visit to Dunedin _of the popular company is almost certain. Judge Backhouse presided at a meeting at Sydney on Thursday, 7, to establish a testimonial fund for Mr Walter Bentley. He stated that the prolonged illhealth of an actor of eminence, who had been known to them all for many years, was the reason for calling the meeting. Their friend, as the son of the celebrated Edinburgh divine, the Rev. Dr Begg, bore an honoured namo which, in accordance with theatrical custom, he had hastened to change for the one by which they all knew him. He had won fame for the name of Bentlsy, however, in important roles in Henry Irving's famous company in the early years of that great artist's tenancy

of the Loudon Lyceum; lie had remained in Australia at long intervals for considerable periods as a visiting Shakespearean star; and, finally, ho had remained here for several busy years as a teacher of his art, as an elocutionist, and as a man ever forward in the cause of charity. Mr A. James, Minister of Education, who also represented the Premier (Mr Holm an), referred to Mr Bentley's distinction with the Irving Co., and later as an actor-manager at the head of his own company in England for many years, varied by tours of the United States,' during one of. which he was the first to play the part of Wilfred Denver. Mr James added that Mr Bentley might fairly bo called the father of the Australian Actors' Association. —"Hear, hear ") An Executive- Committee was set up to establish a fund. The Royal Comic Opera Company is being reformed by the J. C. Williamson management for a tour of New Zealand, beginning at Easter with "Oh, Oh, Delphine." Mr George Highland, who produced "The Pink Lady," is shortly to arrive from America to direct the rehearsals. Miss .Florence Young will head the company, and associated with her will bo Messrs Phil iSrnith, Reg. Roberts, Misses Gladys Moncrieff, Florrio Allen, _ Grade Layers, and others. The chorus is being organised in Sydney. An Auckland paper reports the engagement of Miss Clarice Woods of Birkenhead, the clever pianist, to Mr Ernest Drake, Auckland's favourite tenor. Not long ago Dunedin claimed Mr Drake as one of its singers. Miss Amy Murphy and Mr Philip Newbury, ex-Dunedinites, are with the Fullers at the Auckland Opera House, and both are very popular.

Tho death, is announced of Miss Florence Gleeson after a few hours' illness. She had just returned from a holiday in Queensland, and spent an evening with Mr and Mrs Bland Holt. Next day she was taken ill, and was removed to a hospital, where she died in the evening. Miss Gleeson was a youthful member of Bland Holt's company some years ago, but more recently had'been, one of the J. C Williamson Co., and made a hit in "The Squaw Man." Charley Chaplin's salary with the Walker Mutual Kinema Co. now works out-at the colossal figure of £2833 6s 2d per week.; Sadler's Wells Theatre, London, is in the market for .irivate sale: Situated in one of the most modern streets in London (itoseberry avenue), it is .the most ancient theatre in London, perhaps in the world, dating as it does from- 1765. The Mr Sadler after whom it was named was lucky enough in the time of-Charles II to discover beneath a flagstone in his garden what was supposed to be the forgotten Well of Clerkenwell Priory, which in the Middle Ages was a kind of metropolitan Lourdes. In addition to their medicinal virtues, if any, the Clerkenwell waters brewed an ale which was long famous. Sadler filled his gardens with artificial glass and shell-work grottoes, in which concealed musicians played upon pipe and tabor and dulcimer, and erected a " Music House," wherein acrobats appear 'to have been more frequent than musicians. The result was that very soon some 500 or 600 people drank tho waters every day. In time, however, tho "Wells" gained'an evil reputation. The dramatic history of the place begins with the demolition of the old "Music House ' and the erection of the historic theatre, which, )ofton altered and improved, still stands. ' With its opening, respectability returned. Dibdin wrote for it Master Braham and Mrs Bland sang there, and before long it became a distinguished exponent of panto'mime and melodrama. It is an illustrious memory that Edmund Kean made his first appearance there, and this was perhaps the earliest theatre to produce the great soectacular effects for which Drury Lane long afterwards became famous. The happy circumstance that the New River flowed outside the door made it easy to float real vessels on real water, to represent naval battles and ships on fire, and to rescue drowning children by Newfoundland dogs. With no theatre was Grimaldi more closely associated than Sadler's Wells, and one of his two farewells was snoken there in 1828. But the o-reat days of this historic house came between 1814 and 1862, when Samuel Phelps made it the scene of the famous series of Shakesoearean revivals whicn ran for 4000 nights, and included, with three exceptions, every piece in the cycle. When that brilliant neriod came to an end the glories of Sadler's Wells finally departed, Mrs Batoman's efforts in the early eighties failing entirely to restore its fallen fortunes. The present generation knows little of Sadler's Wells—tho modern theatregoer turns his eyes farther west. For the twelfth time Sir James Barrio's "Peter Pan" was reproduced at the NewTheatre, London, at Christmas time. Miss Fay Compton was the new Peter Pan, with Miss Ispbel Elsom as Wendy