THEATRICAL REVIVAL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17437, 8 April 1931, Page 5

THEATRICAL REVIVAL

POSITION IN AUSTRALIA DEMAND FOR GOOD COMEDY News of a theatrical revival in Australia- at the present time is given by Mr. J. li. Tait, managing director of Messrs. .1. C. Williamson, Ltd., who was a through passenger on the Aorangi, reports tlie Auckland Herald. Mr. Laic is on iiis way to New York and possibly further, and expects to be away for about three months. In face of the renewed demand for stage plays, Mr. Fait says that one of the chief difficulties has been to get sulticiently good material. Straight-out comedies have been appealing strongly. “The First, Mrs. Fraser,” for instance, ran for 10 weeks in Melbourne, which was quite, equal to any old-time run. It- is in Sydney at the present time and doing very well there. Tlie Edgar Wallace,drama “On tlie Spot.’ ran tor about eight weeks in Sydney. “We don’t seem to be turning outeither musical comedies or drama,” said Mr. Tait. “Undoubtedly wo have been affected ; by the depression, but on the top of that lias been the want of material. There arc signs, however, of good plays coming forward, 'lhc present position has arisen to some extent through the talkies commandeering the services of the writers of musical comedies, so that the stage has been neglected, but it lias been discovered that musical comedies are not a- success on tlie talkies at- present, and authors and producers arc consequently going back to stage work.” Mr. Tait says there are a number of good plays running in America and in England, and he expects to be able to produce, one particularly clever comedy, “Petticoat Influence.” which is being successful in England. Much interest is manifest also in the concert world in Australia, and notable visitors are being cordially welcomed. Dame Clara. Butt, who came recently from Japan, is doing bigger business in Melbourne now than she did on her last visit. Joseph TTislop, the Scotch tenor, is opening in Sydney this month. lie viill visit New Zealand before going to Melbourne, and is expected here in tlm early part of May. Another distinguished entertainer is I’alocnvick, tlie Czechoslovakian violinist, who is going out to Australia, in his own yacht from San Francisco. He is due to leave San Francisco now, and his skipper is the, man who sailed Sir Thomas Liptoa’s last Shamrock in its races for tlie America Cup.