PRINCESS THEATRE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3614, 19 June 1923, Page 50

PRINCESS THEATRE.

I’ ulier'e Vaudeville. HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE. June 29-26.—Harry Lauder. July 26-August G.—J. C. Williamson. August 15-2-0. —Jean G-crardy. August 23-JO.—Oscar Asclie. September 18-Octobsr 6.—Dunedin Com pet i-

fHKATRICAf. AND MUSCAT NOTES.

Br

PASQUIEN

Monday, June 18. The new acts in the first part at the Princess Theatre are Pat and Paula Hanson and the Slagpoule-s. The former, whose specialty is song and dance and chatter, are Dunedin natives, and they, as well as other members of their family, have made good in the big theatrical world. The Stagpooles are a pair of musical comedy entertainers, and eccentric dancing is a notable feature of their act. Valter George’s Sunshine Players make a new departure, in that they discard the familiar form of revue for a scries of scenes and ep sodes staged under the title of “The Mixture.” Sir Harry Lauderill open his Dunedin reason an Thursday next. The season will b*e of six nights. Phil Percival, the English comedian at the piano, who has often been seen in Dunedin, has fallen on hard times, and a campaign to raise funds for Ids assistance and that of his four young children has been launched in .Sydney Percival has been in ill-health for some limo, and is lo live in tile country until he has completely recovered. A strong committee is organising the campaign. The Sistine Choir soloists were recently in Rockhampton, North Queensland. They were to have given two concerts, but their success was so great that the season had to be lengthened. The Molinaris, v, ho were Iso popular at the Princess Theatre not long ago, have terminate-] their Puller contract, and are due to open at one of the picture theatres in Adelaide shortly. The Auckland dramatic soprano, Miss Elia Field, will shortly be seen in Dunedin as a member of Laszlo Schwartz’s Concert company. M. .Schwartz is a violinist composer. Miss Evelyn Hardy will be the accompanist. Charlie Chaplin is going to make a gramaphone record for which he is to receive ±I2OOO and a 10 per cent, royalty on each record sold. He may talk, sing, or play—whatever he chooses. There is said to be a striking resemblance in the main features of “Quarantine,” at present being played in Melbourne, and “Scandal,” which has been played in Dunedin on two occasions. The resemblance is in so many ways so striking (says the Australasian) that one re jests the suggestion of a deliberate plagiarism which no dramatist of any reputation would dare, and prefers to look upon it as a really remarkable coincidence. It is the case of Sir Arthur Pinero and “The Squire” over again. Everyone accepted Pinero’s assurance that when his play was written he had not. read Hardy’s story “Ear from the Madding Crowd” until he was accused of using it without acknowledgment. If one of these plays were in any sense a copy of the other, the resemblance would have been more skilfully camouflaged. It is because they ore so very much alike that one more confidently accepts coincidence as the true explanation. A London cable announces the death of Miss Kate Bishop, mother of Mis s Marie Lohr, actress. Miss Kate Bishop came into prominence in London by being fortunate enough to be included in the original performance of Byron’s comedy ‘ Our Boys,” at the Vaudeville Theatre in 1875 (after she had been on the stage eight years). That performance put up a record run, and firmly established the players concerned on the English stage. Miss Bishop was induced to come out to Australia by the late Mr, George Rignold, whom she supported as leading lady for a long season. She cable to New Zealand with Mr Rignold when he first played “In the Ranks,” “Called Back,” and “Confusion” in this country. She was then the wife of the late Mr L. J. Lohr, a theatrical advance agent of outstanding ability and good address, and their daughter, Marie Lohr (now one ol England’s leading actresses and a London manageress of note) was born in Sydney. Miss Bishop separated from her husband and returned to England (with Marie) in the ’Bo’s, and never returned. Mr Lohr became a licensed victualler in Victoria, but came to the north of Auckland a few years ago and died there. Miss Bishop was a charming .and handsome actress, and a confirmed favourite in her day both in Australia and New Zealand. A London newspaper speaks highly of a vaudeville juggling act by George Hurd, described as an American. He is an Australian, who appeared at the Tivoli Circuit, and went; to London via South Africa. He will visit America, later in the round-the-woild tour organised by Mr Hurry G. Mu,=.grove. After nine months’ tour of India and the East the Australian Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company returned to Sydney by the steamer St. Albans on Ma 28. Four members of the company, however, have not come back. Mrs O. IT. Workman died in Calcutta; Mr Workman died at sea on the homeward voyage; Miss Gladys Baker returned to Calcutta, where she was married to Dr Rice; and Mr John Ralston departed for the United States. The company is delighted with the success of its tour. It rains in Tasmania sometimes, judging by the following extract from an Australian paper: —Miss Nellie Bromley is proving a splendid draw at the Theatre Royal, Hobart,

notwithstanding rain, hail, and sleet. She lias played ”J.iie Lion and the Mouse,” ■‘Bought and Paid For,” “The Thud Degree/’ and “Withm the Law.” "L-and of Promise,” “Fair and Wanner,” and “Lucky Durham” are the remaining pieces to be staged. Alfred Frith, for the past six years principal comedian with J. C. Williamson’s musical productions in Australia, and who went to England some time ago, has been engaged lor one of the touring companies 'filth ■‘Tolls of Money,” playing the Ralph Lynn par t. There will be widespread regret, at the death of Mr Mackenzie Murdoch, the noted Scottish violinist and composer of the familiar song “Hame o’ Mine.” No Scottish artist had a wider or more deserved popularity. His mastery of the violin was complete, and it was his boast that airs from liis peri were played in every part of the world where Scotland’s sons had gone as colonisers. About 25 years ago Harry Lauder was associated with Mackenzie Murdoch in a touring company, and together they travelled extensively over Scotland, and laid the founds lion of their future fame.. Their takings at some of the small towns s isited did not overtax the capacity of their pockets, and Murdoch used to tel! of how he and his partner eagerly counted the sixpences and shillings and whispered to each other the probable amount of their shares. Once in the Levon V. ley one of the audience got into the ha!! by tendering a spurious sixpence, and when this was discovered in the course of the evening Murdoch declared that the shook was calculated to put Lauder and him off their performance Mackenzie Murdoch, who was 52 years of age, was a son of Mr Alexander J. Murdoch, the novelist. lie had been in illhcalth for several years.