STAGELAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 86, 2 July 1927, Page 22

STAGELAND

(By COTHURNUS .)

HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE

Now Playing.—“ Lady, Be Good.” July 19 to July 27.—J. C. Williamson Vaudeville. July 28 to August IS.—“The Last of Mrs. Cheyney.” “Daddy Longlegs” and “Polly With a Past,” Renee Kelly. STRAND THEATRE Now Playing.—Humphrey Bishop Company. CONCERT CHAMBER July 12. 13, 14.—“ The Cassilis Engagement,” Little Theatre Society. COMING Alan Wilkie, in Shakespeare. “Tell Me More.” “Rose Marie.” ' Mascotte,” Auckland Amateur Operatic Society. “What sort of dramatic critic is Hayward Ear muff?” “Turrible. He’d knock ‘The Garden of Eden’ if it was put on with the original cast.” Some very beautiful stage settings are being devised for “The Cassilis Engagement,” the next production of the Little Theatre Society. One scene is being set in tapestry, and will be very beautifully furnished. Constant rehearsals are rapidly shaping “The Cassilis Engagement” to perfection. The producer for the Little Theatre Society, Mr. Kenneth Brampton, has selected a fine cast, and the performances on July 12, 13 and 14 should make another important milestone in the history of the now wellestablished society.

For all-round excellence it would be difficult to find a more capable band of

lose chosen by Mr. Kenneth Brampton for the production of “The Cassilis Engage ment,” which will open at the concert chamber on July 12 for a season of three nights. The players are as follows: Mrs. Goodfellow, Mrs. Monty McCallum, Mrs. W. H. Parkes, Miss Elean-

or Miller, Mr. Va °°* rts 1 ol ® Roberts Tole, Miss FthSi £* an ’ Mr* Cyril Seaward, Miss S? e i, Miss Beryl Nettleton, Mr. E. W. Bullet and Mr. P. Adeane. The happiest moments of “Double Dan, the latest Edgar Wallace thriller in London, came when Wish Wynne was on the stage, says a London writer. falie has not appeared in London m a “straight” play since she scored so big a triumph in Arnold Ben net s ‘The Great Adventure” before the war, and now her acting as Gladys, “maid of all work,” is a sheer joy. Mr. Wallace has given her some good things to say, and she says them in a way that is irresistible. She is the pert glib-tongued Cockney “slavey” to the life. Alfred Drayton did everything possible as Double Dan. Clive Currie, whose every expression is a laugh, was immense ftin as a bank clerk; and Keginald Bach, Peter Hadden, Helen Ferrers. Sylvia Leslie, and Cecily Byrne all helped to keep the flag of amusement flying merrily.

A lightning search of the West End of London took place one evening recently to replace costumes destroved by a fire which broke out in one' of the dressing rooms at the Garrick Theatre, where Sir John MartlnHarvey was producing “Scaramouclie.” The Are broke out about an hour before the performance was due to start, in a dressing room occupied by five actors. Three of the actors lost their costumes, and the dressing room was destroyed. A frantic search was immediately begun ’ throughout the West End theatres, but it was in vain. Finally emergency costumes from the company’s wardrobe had to be found for the performance, which was started at the usual time.

Lois Evans, who was one of Auckland’s favourite sopranos last year, is now with Fuller’s Vaudeville, in Australia, and is starring with Stiffy and Mo Company. For throwing a penny in fun at a vaudeville artist in Melbourne a man was fined' £2 and costs £1 Is. Joseph Belmont’s Canary Orchestra, coming with the J. C. Williamson Celebrity Vaudeville Company on July 19, was one of the features of the hist Ziegfeld Follies in New York. It is said to be the only orchestra of its kind in the world. Billie Lockwood, who is coming with the J. C. Williamson Celebrity Vaudeville, is a young Australian who was discovered by Lee White and Clay Smith. She played in revue with them in Australia, and then went to England, where she was featured in musical productions in London. Following the lead of Pauline Frederick, who has . been appearing with great success in drama at the Lyceum, another film star, Betty Balfour, is shortly to appear in London in a musical comedy. "Elderly artists in improbable parts don’t cut much ice in these impatient times,” says an Australian writer of' Maurice Moscovitch in “The Ringer” in Melbourne—which is exactly what we thought of him in “Trilby.” Although St. John Hankin was only 39 when he died, he had written some brilliant plays. One of his best, “The Cassilis Engagement,” which is to be produced the Auckland Little Theatre Society in the concert chamber of the Town Hall, should meet with the approval of Auckland theatregoers.

To follow “The House of Glass,” in Melbourne, Muriel Starr will test the drawing qualities of that long-popular example of tearful drama, “East Lynne.” It will be interesting to see whether it has retained its old attraction, and to study its treatment by an actress who has appeared chiefly in modern plays. A few years ago Miss Starr had success in two other pieces, “The Silver King,” and “A Royal Divorce.”

Renee Kelly, the famous London comedy star, has been delighting Southern audiences with her remarkably clever impersonations in the series of brilliant modern comedies. In “Polly With a Past,” “The Last c>f Mrs. Cheyney,” and “Brown Sugar,” Miss Kelly and her clever and enthusiastic co-workers have added to the laurels gained in the North, and critics and public alike are loud in their praise of both plays and players. Strict attention to detail on the part of the experienced actor and producer (Hylton Allen) has been an important factor in the success of these sparkling comedies, and the results have been most satisfactory, particularly to the theatre-going public. The company is due here on 28.

An ambitious young Swiss actor wrote to Lewis Stone courteously asking leave; to borrow Stone’s personality. What he actually asked was permission to create “another Lewis Stone” in European pictures. He resembles Stone, so he told the actor. As he intends to enter UFA when he finishes his college course, he thinks it would be a help if he might imitate the better-known actor in tricks of bearing and behaviour. Stone gave him full leave to be, as Lewis Stone-ish as he cares to be, so long as he did not adopt the name as well.

Phyllis Haver, one-time bathing beauty, wins one of the most important feminine roles the De Mille studio has offered for months. She will play opposite Rod la Rocque in “Brigadier Gerard,” screen adaptation of a Conan Doyle tale.

The promise that Australian theatregoers will at last have an opportunity of seeing “Ruddigore” will soon be fulfilled. The much-travelled Gilbert and Opera Company, which has just made a jump from Perth to Broken Hill, will play this piece in Adelaide soon. It will be presented during the return season in Melbourne, but no one yet knows when that will be.

In a letter to Mr. Leo Du Chateau. Molly Plimmer, who left New Zealand some time ago to study stagework in London, writes about her life there: “I have commenced work at the academy. I find it hard, but very interesting. Voice production, gesture, fencing, and a great deal of Shakespeare ard the main features. I am to be Beatrice in the church scene, Act V. Miss Chester, who rehearsed it, says it requires a lot of technique, which is goed for me. The parts have to be divided up, one playing Beatrice in Act 1., another in Act 11., and so on, on account of the number of people in the class. A great thrill is Mr. Norman Pcige’s class. He is a London producer, ‘Marigold’ being his latest and most successful venture. We are rehearsing ‘The Younger Generation’ with him. lam to play an old woman of 75, a thorough martinet. He says he thinks he can get quite a lot of fun out of me! This performance is held in the Academy Theatre, which has a full-size stage, at the end of the term. Miss Rosina Tillipi, who is a marvellous old lady, gives us a lesson on intonation once a week. She is very famous in London.

Jack Gilbert held an informal reception when he began work at the M etro-Gold wyn-Mayer studio on “Twelve Miles out.” Mary Hay, at one time Mary Hay Barthelmess, and her new husband, V. C. Bath, Gus Edwards of vaudeville fame, and others dropped in to offer good wishes. William Anthony MacGuire’s stage play. "Twelve Miles out,” is being adapted for Jack Gilbert’s next picture, presenting the star as a youthful bootlegger. Joan Crawford, Ernest Torrance, Bert Roach, Edward Earle, Jack Dillon are in the cast. St. John Han kin’s work is practically unknown in New Zealand except to students of the theatre. He showed great promise, »botli as a literary critic and an author, but he died at a comparatively early age. “The Cassilis Engagement,” to be produced by the Auckland Little Theatre Society on July 12, 13'and 14 is an invigorating and amusing example of his work.

Ernest LubitsclTs “Old Heidelberg” film version of a famous stage play, will be finished in Germany. Final scenes are to be made at Heidelberg University, locale of the play. Ramon Novarro as Karl Heinrich and Norma Shearer as Kathie head a large cast, in which Le Jean Hersholt, Gustav Von Seyffertitz, Edward Connelly, Edythe Chapman, Phillippe de Lacey George K. Arthur, Lionel Belmore, Bobby Mack and others of note. This picture has been already booked for Auckland.

Anna Q. Nilsson has just one rival to her charms in “Lonesomest Ladies,” and this vamp will not be named in the cast. It is a huge, comfortable, overstaffed chair, which with its newspaper rack, foot-rest and place for pipe, cigars and matches, proves almost alluring enough to capture the tired business man of the play against the most alluring ladies. Miss Nilsson and Lewis Stone share starring honours in the picture.

At the Palace Theatre, “Cradle Snatchers” is causing so much laughter that one wonders whether the shaking walls of the theatre will last as long as

one of the greatest comedy successes ever seen in Sydney. Olive Sloane, Bertha Belmore, and Jessamine Newcombe are excellent in the principal roles. The plot moves fast from the rise of the curtain.

It looks as though the firm has picked a very profitable winner in Beppie de Vries. “Madame Pompadour,” at the Royal Theatre, Sydnev, has excited nothing but the highest praise. The leading lady i s so good that, after justice has been done her, there was not much room to write about the others in the cast. Arthur Stigant plays the best part of his career, and the imported tenor, Webster, has the sort of voice that other juveniles and their audiences sigh for.

Now that Lily Elsie has made so triumphant a return to the London stage, people are asking what has become of her contemporaries, says a writer in the London “Daily Mail.” Miss Elsie, at 41. seems to have left them all behind. She used to share silver frames in shop windows with Marie Studholme, now retired at 51; Gabrielle Ray, and the Dare sisters. Phyllis Dare has made a welcome and successful return in recent 3'ears, while Zena Dare, although 40. has made good again in straight drama, “The Last of Mrs. Cheyney.” Will the young star . of the present day lasj> so long? Delsvia is 36, Phyllis Mdnkman 35, Cicely Courtneidge 34. Edith Day 31, "Anita Elsom 28, Binnie Hale 27, and Evelyn Lave 26. It might be unchivulrous to refer to these ages it if were not ' for the fact that they are there for all to see in the standard reference book on the theatre.