THE STAGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3618, 17 July 1923, Page 50

THE STAGE.

m BOOKINGS. PRINCESS THEATRE. Fuller’s Vaudeville. HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE. July 26-August 6. Emelie Polini. August 7-B.—Dunedin Choral Society (pencilled). August 9 —Dunedin Shakesperian Society (pencilled). August 15-20.—Jean Gerardv. September 6-15.—Oscar Asche. SeP tlons er 18 ' 0ott>b^r 6 Hunedin CompetiOctoher 20-27—Dunedin Sports Carnival - o\ ember 24-30.—Tana Fama Company. HI K A TRIO Af a MUSiOAT NOTES.

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T 5 6 | I6a PP©arance of a minor royally An excellent vaudeville bill will be added vvitn new acts from the Fredo 801 l (whoso combination of tumbling- and fiddling is deh"hlf e |l a y cleV ; er) ’ L;u:ri and Hayne (the delightlul dancers), and Otesco (the serenaduig ymlmist). ihe Walter George Company s to make a tour of New Zealand under its own nicinag-ement On Wednesday next J. C. Williamson, ‘! 16 re appearance of that - vii r L e! ’ ;0t A ona^1 .actress Kmelie Polini in 16f>0 t Dross - ’ lhe tlme ranges from tho P rosen t d ay ; the actors and actresses wander up and down the world from Whitechapel to Siberia.., and, apart fiom the fact that they concern some people who collect materials for a woman’s costume , ave of the eight scenes are connected only by such stuff as dreams are made on. The second production of the Emelie i ohm season will be ‘”1116 Lie,” a powerful Play in four acts by Arthur Henry nones. , ..J} 1 lu y®,. 011 th e concluding nights will be Ihe I law” and ‘‘French Leave ” -‘The ls tf 1 ® j° ln t work of Miss Polini and Miss Atherton. . Til ® c ' ri f, ics , "’ere lavish in their praise of Amy Castles voice and artistry during her c °' lo ® rt reason in Auckland. The Star' said: Difficult as it is (Ophelia’s Mad Scene) one listening to the Cantatrice felt that ini ricacies m vocalisation and dramatic sinning were nothing to the artist’s all conquering powers,” and the Herald remarked : . f °r dramatic force and pulsating rhythm it would be difficult to excel Miss Castles’s treatment of the aria from Mascagni’s Japanese Opera ‘lris.’ The whole being a graphic tone picture.” Miss Eileen Castles (vocalist), Mr Alberto Torzilio (harpist), and Mr Chas. Tuckwell (accompanist) are’ the other members of the company. Joe Biennan is at present at Melbourne Bijou. In the original production of “The Belle of New York” m Australia the Bovis Brothers (Charles and Will) played the parts of the Portuguese twins. Bill Bovis is now playing at the Princess Theatre. It is many years since he and his brother Charles appeared here first in support of the famous character vocalist, Charles Godfrey. Mr John Farrell will be associated with the Oscar Asche Company in its tour of New Zealand. The company opens at Auckland. The Nellie Bramley Company’s Tasmanian tour ended at Launceston early this month. The tour was so successful that Miss Bramley intends returning to Tasmania early in 1924. Miss Mabel Russell, former gaiety actress, is the first actress in the world to be admitted as a member of Parliament. She has originated many roles in London, one of the most popular being the widow in “The Maid of the Mountains.” That versatile actor, Mr Frank Harvey, ihe novo of the story of “My Lady’s Dress,” has a varied experience, both on the stage and in other walks of life, and in “My Lady’s Dress” be is called upon to play the husband, the Italian pedlar, French weaver, a Dutch aristocrat, English Jew, intellectual Russian, cockney costermonger, and again the husband, each a difficult part, but none the less played successfully. This is where his varied experience stands him in good stead. Mr Willy Redstone, Hugh J. Ward’s musical director, has introduced a novel musical instrument into the orchestra at the New Princess Theatre, Melbourne, for the “Tangerine” sea,son. The newcomer, which is common in Roumania, has steel strings, and is played with two padded sticks. A good effect is also obtained with unpadded sticks as strikers. The cymbalon is used in the music of “The Totem Walk,” which was composed by Mr Redstone.

It is remarked in a new book on memorials of Shakespeare that there is only one Shakespeare Theatre in the London area, and that is in a suburb. Why this reluctance to call English theatres after the chief name in English drama? Perhaps there is a belief that no theatre could continue to give plays to suit the title. An elaborate Opera House hi London has become a picture theatre, and perhaps it would not bo long before a Shakespeare Theatre was housing vaudeville or revue. The days when London theatres were really Royal houses, with “His Majesty’s Players” giving' the entertainment, are recalled by the Theatre Royal in most oilies of any importance ir. the British Empire, and by suoh names as His Majesty’s, Her Majesty’s, the King’s, the Princess, and the Prince’s.

Red-haired damsels were allowed free admission at the Sydney National Theatre the other Monday afternoon, and many girls rued their dark locks that afternoon as their more fortunate fiery-haired sisters

m.lrenes in sans paying at the booking office, ,sails ticket at the door, saris anything. Seeing that dye .s so true, to Nature these days, Miss Jerome decided not to exclude tiic braver portion of her sex who bad uared the ridicule of sisters and cousins, to have their locks bathed in henna, ho in they went, dyed heads and copper-tops, to see their red-haired sister, Daisy Jerome.

Aliss Gertrude Elliott (Lady Forbes Robert -on) ;s now playing in Sydney in Woman lo Woman. ’ I lie critics gave her very high praise. Included m the company Is Amm M'Kcwen, Miss Elliott’s daughter. Bluebeards Eighth Wife,” to which the Queen lias paid the compliment of a second visit, reached its 300th performance at the Queen s Theatre, London, recently. fred Niblo is having a shipyard employing 200 men built for his forthcom,ing pirate picture “Captain Applejack.” In the course of the picture he will use a whole fleet of boats—four schooners, U>o brigs and a frigate. Among the actors , W 1" take part in the picture will be Bind Bennett, Robert M'Kim, Thomas Kionetts, and Matt Moore.

A sensation was created at the first pertormance of “The Rainbow, by the principal low comedian, Jack Edge, who came before tne curtain and vehemently protested that ms part had been so cut down that he was not allowed anything like a decent snow. He was hustled off by stage hands and promptly sacked for breaking his contract, one of the provisions of which is that no performer may auctress the audience without the manager’s consent. During the Sydney run of “Sally” 225 performances were given, which is five short of the Australasian record of “Our Miss Gibbs.” Miss Ethel Cadman and Miss Vera Pearce have been taking leading parts in musical comedy lit South Africa. One of the plays is “Whirled Into Happiness.” Mr F Maxwell Stewart, also known in Australia, is the producer. Aliss G'adman came to Australia from England to appear in musical productions, and stayed for a few years. Miss Pearce has had some British pantomime successes, and has been engaged to play principal boy again at the end of this year. WELLINGTON WEN G WHISPERS. fßy Peter Pan.l Dear Pasquin,— Mr D. O'Connor, representing Mr E. J. Gravestcck, under whose management Jean Gorardy, the famous Belgian ’cellist is touring New Zealand, has arrived in Wellington. Mr Gravestock has arranged for four recitals here, on the 21st, 24th, 26th and 28th. At present Gerardy is thrilling audiences in the north. Wellington has been having a "Welcome Week,” and varied entertainments have been given during the week, concluding to-morrow night with a performance of “A Pair of Silk Stockings” by a party of amateurs under the direction of Culford Bell. At last we are to have the “Stiffy and Mo” Revue Company. The company opens here on Monday at His Majesty’s after a sixteen weeks’ season at Auckland. This company i 3 perhaps the most successful of all the Fuller revue companies and has record-breaking successes m Australia to its credit.

Walter Fuller has been laid aside with influenza, but is now recovering. Harry Cohen’s “Scandal” company opens here next Tuesday. The company has been appearing in the provincial towns of this island with marked success.