PLAYS AND PICTURES

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 16, 14 August 1928, Page 2

PLAYS AND PICTURES

ACROSS THE FOOTLIGHTS (By “SPOTLIGHT.”) ' KING’S THEATRE. lo.day Tuesday and Wednesday: “Tii© Lodger.” Thursday only: “French Dressing.” Friday only; “One Hound Hogan. ,f Saturday only; “The Understand. ing Heart.” Monday only: “The Night of Love.” (Special). xx x x A picture that is causing more than usua| interest j g “Th G Night Love’ starring Ronald Column and Yilina Banky- This picture will ho shown at tire King’s on Monday and Tuesday. VXX X X Only after the most careful scrutinization of many of the leading stars in Hollywood were H. B. Warner and Lois Wilson finally selected to portray the leading roles in First National’s .super drama “French Dressing” at the King’s on Thursday only. XX X X In a few weeks time Stratford will bo a little Hollywood. Arrangements have just been completed by the Management of the King’s tre, Mr L. B. Wilson, with Mr Rudall Hayward, of Auckland, to take a picture in Stratford. ’ Mr Hayward travels with props weighing approximately four and a half tons. All players featured and otherwise, will be local talent. Those who are interested should keep in touch with correspondence and notes that appear on th|6 Bulletin Board in the King’s Theatre lobby.

x j: x x “The Understanding Heart” from the novel by Peter B. Kyho will be shown on Saturday onlyXX X X On several occasions lately the pupils of S'. Mary’s School have produced plays in Stratford, the productions always being of outstanding merit. On Thursday night, at the Parish Hall the pupils will present two unusual 'plays, one an Eastern production and the other a French. In addition, musical drill and songs Os well as a scene from Henry Vllnull be on the programme, and a more than usually enjoyable evening may be looked forward to. xx x s Pat Hanna’s "Diggers recently gave a “New Zealanders’ Night” at Perth, where the company has been playing for just six months. Stan Lawson recently joined the show. X X X 3t Mr. Noel Coward, the writer of the book, Lyrics, and music of “This Year of Grace,” the revue at the London Pavilion, is to play the lead in it when it opens in New York. Miss Beatrice Lillie is to play the leading woman’s role. xs x i Mike Connors and Queenie Paul, with their League of Notions Revue Company, recently in Stratford, opened a season at the St. James Theatre, Auckland, on Friday. In a few weeks they have to make way for the Gonsalez Grand Opera ( ompany. # x * London’s latest theatrical knight, Sir Nigel Playfair, was swimming in the Thames when he received the news that he had been honoured with

a title. Sir Nigel’s sou, Giles, raced to the river-bank, flourishing a newspaper containing the honours list. Sir Nigel is an intrepid swimmer and risks th e strong current of the river every day of thp year. At the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, he received an ovation on the evening of tho day the honour was made known. * * * “Aren’t We All?” which wa,s produced in New Zealand by Irene Vanbrugh and Dion Boucicault some years ago, is to be done by the Whangarei Comedy Club- Tlieo. Trezise will be the producer. » * * That is what a New Yqrk paper says of an Australian who was formerly popular in musical comedy here: Robert Chisholm, baritone of “Golden Dawn,” was a solid smash in , a repertory of bits nicely suited to his virile style of delivery. He opened with a corking French number and went triumphantly through several other bits, bowing off after an ovation with ‘The Whip, ’hi s hit num her of the Hammerstein show.

Taking Mohammed to the mountain is how the Australians might describe Allan Wilkie’s venture in playing Shakespeare in the Sydney suburbs. Allan Wilkie is nothing if not courageous, and he will have us all knowing our Shakespeare before lie has done with ns. Newton Majestic’s success has justified his new venture. He kicked off recently, at Bondi Junction with “The Merchant of Venice,” and has all the week

ahead of him to entice the Bondi mermaids to como in out of the wet and see a good show at the Coronation Hall. * * * The seating in His Majesty’s Theatre, Wellington, is now uniform, and the Fuller management has allowed the booking of the upper circle as at St. James’ Theatre- This is one of the most- popular moves the Fuller management has ever made. f * X- rr The Vanbrugh-Boncicault Company will begin a three months’ tour of "New Zealand in September;. “The Letter,” “The High Load,’ ’and the “Notorious Mrs Ebbsmith” will be included in the repertoire. * * * James Liddy, who is appearing as “The Student Prince” in New Zealand, lias signed a contract to appear for another two years with J. O. Williamson, Ltd. His next part will be Francois Villon in ‘The Vagabond King,” a light opera founded on Justin McCarthy’s “If I Were King.” *■ » * Miss Laura Smithson, Svho toured New Zealand with “The Ghost Train,” last'year, at a recent meeting of the Actors’ Church Union in London, gave her impressions, of tho Antipodes. Referring to the audiences, she said ; “The sex play is emphatically disliked, and drawing room comedy to them means very little. Musical comedy, vaudeville, mystery plays and strong drama are all popular. They recognise and appreciate sincerity, and have no use whatever for the actor or actress of mannerisms and affectations.”