STAGELAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1034, 26 July 1930, Page 24

STAGELAND

By

COTHURNUS

FIXTURES

HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE September.—“ Tutankhamen,” Amateur Operatic Society. Coming.—Leon Gordon: “Murder on the Second Floor,” and other plays. William Faversham: “The Prince and t1%3 Pauper” and other plays. “The Christian” is to be revived in Sydney, with Nancye Stewart as Gloria Quayle and Mayne Lynton as John Storm. Ben Levy, author of “Mrs. Moonlight,” “This Woman Business” and "Mud and Treacle,” is writing the book for C. B. Cochran’s new musical production, which has not yet been given a title. Molly Fisher, who left for England after appearing in Melbourne some months ago in the ingenue parts of the musical comedies "Follow Through” and “Turned Up,” has not been long in obtaining an opportunity in London. She has been chosen for a good part in “Sons o’ Guns,” a musical comedy which is being produced by William Mollison. * * i* | Alfred Frith has returned to the | Melbourne stago in “Pot Luck” at the Tivoli. This is a revue by Ronald i Jeans and Dion Titlieradge, with music by the South Australian, Kenneth Dufileld. Thero are such sketches as "By My Halidon,” “Tea Shop Tattle” and “Community Singing at Home,” with a variety of songs and ballet numbers and the work of a burlesque Illusionist. The supports are Nell Fleming, Harry Williams, Sydney Hollister. Winnie Egerton, Tui Black, Gladys Verney, and Jack Wright.

Allan Wilkie’s Search for Talent

PLAY BY AUSTRALIAN

PRODUCTION IN SYDNEY Allan Wilkie is still searching to’ - plays by Australian and New Zealand authors. He has found one on which he pins a certain amount of faith and is producing it in Sydney. Doris Egerton Jones's play, which Mr. Wilkie will produce in Sydney, was originally called “Old Discipline.” He and his wife and the author have been thinking hard to find a new title with more "pep” to it. The play is based on the times of Governor Bllgh, which part will be taken by Allan Wilkie himself, while Mrs. Wilkie will play a gay French widow.

Miss Egerton Jones says “Bligh had a wife and half a dozen or so children back in Cornwall, but he wasn’t very concerned about them, nnd let them stay there. The hero is a young lieutenant of the New South Wales Corps, and the heroine is Nancy Leslie, a ward of the Governor’s. The period is 1808-9. John Macarthur figures largely in it." When Miss Egerton Jones's first play, “The Flaw,” was done at the Criterion about five years ago, the fact that Emelie Polini’s name was quoted as part authoress rather overshadowed her share of the glory, but the main part of it was hers. It was a good dramatic play, and gave Frank Har*vey the opportunity for a fine piece of character acting.

“Journey’s End” Plays 72 Weeks

LONG RUN ENDS “Journey’s End,” R. C. Sherriff’s war play, has concluded its West End run at the Prince of Wales Theatre after 72 weeks. Many people who were present at the first night were in the farewell audience and a number of gallery “first-nighters” applied for blocks of seats. Maurice Browne, the actor who, despite warnings, put on this war play, hurried round after his performance in “Othello” to the Prince of Wales Theatre, where a small party was given on the stage to the actors who have played for so long In the production. “Journey’s End” has been played

simultaneously by 25 different companies in 16 languages, and it is estimated that it has taken approximately £1,000,000 in various parts of the world. Colin Clive, the Stanhope of the London production, has been engaged to appeal’ in two more plays, one of which may be in New York.

AMERICA’S BEST Critic Chooses Ten Plays of the Year THREE FROM LONDON Burns Mantle, one of New York’s best theatrical critics, has compiled a list of the ten best plays of the season presented in America. His selection, which is printed below, contains three British plays—- “ Michael and Mary,” “The First Mrs. Fraser” and “Berkeley Square.” Mr. Mantle’s list is as follows: “Green Pastures,” a human comedy built from ar foundation of Roark Bradford’s stories of the Old Testament as interpreted by the negroes of the deep South, by Marc Connelly. “The Criminal Code,” a drama of prison life by Martin Flavin. “Berkeley Square,” a fantasy by John Baiderston, based on a story by Henry James. “Strictly Dishonourable,” a light comedy by Preston Sturges. “The First Mrs. Fraser,” a domestic comedy by St. John Ervine. “The Last Mile,” a tragedy of the death house In an American penitentiary, by John Wexley. "June Moon,” a light comedy by Ring Lardner and George S. Kaufman. "Michael and Mary,” a domestic comedy by A. A. Milne. “Death Takes a Holiday.” a fantasy by Walter Ferris, based on Ihe Italian original of Alberto Casella. “Rebound,” a domestic comedy by Donald Ogden Stewart. In a general sense this has been a bad season, says the critic. Bad in a business way. Bad In a financial way. Bad in the fact that but few of the most promising of native playwrights have scored a success in keeping with their promise. Eugene O’Neill, fattening on the profits of “Strange Interlude” and hurt ■ by the failure of "Dynamo,” takes himself to Europe and remains more or less in hiding with Carlotta Monterey, who is the new Mrs. O'Neill. Maxwell Anderson succumbs to the lure of tho talkies and spends the year practically in Hollywood. Elmer Rice, who wrote last season’s Pulitzer prize winner in “Street Scene.” takes a flyer with a light comedy called “See Naples and Die” and when it fails goes back to his studio and refuses to answer the bell. Philip Barry spends his working season in Cannes, as usual, and brings back "Hotel Universe,” another interesting study in fantastic drama with a metaphysical background which Is still resting on tho knees of the theatre guild’s subscription list. George Kelly offers "Maggie the Magnificent," and when that fails goes a little moodily into tho silences, declaring the present day theatre is not for him. Owen Davis is gathering the thousands while he may continue writing talkies, and Bayard Veiller has been content to play around on his Connecticut farm. Sidney Howard suffered a failure with “Half Gods” and trotted right back to the cinema lots.

Roi Cooper Megrue’s play, “Tea for Three,” has become familiar to Australian theatregoers, for it has been staged first with Marie Tempest and Graham Browne leading, then with Judith Anderson and Leon Gordon, and now, at the Comedy Theatre, with Ann Davis and Leon Gordon. There Is a cast of only six, and some even of those parts are unimportant. Mr. Gordon repeats his suave, self-assured Impersonation of the lovemaking friend, and Miss Davis, whose earlier Melbourne appearances were made In the William Faversham productions, does justice both to the comedy and the emotions of the wife. The dull husband, who awakes more or less to cause melodrama, has Harvey Adams for his present useful representative: and Frank Bradley aids the action as the valet. It is a neat revival of a play which is rather artifi cial, but in its way entertaining.

“The Belle” a Real Revue

Skit on New York People in 1897 Curiously enough, “The Belle of New York,” now playing to wonderful houses in the Melbourne revival, is really a revue—in the-.true sense of being a skit on personalities and topics of its remote time, 1897. It was intended that the original audience, when it saw Ichabod Bronson, should remember that John D. Rockefeller had been engaged in plans of moral reform, though, of course, the incidents of the play were merely wild travesty in the case of Bronson and of the others. A name resembling Kissy Fitzgarter was that of Cissie Fitzgerald, a popular soubrette and dancer. Binky Bill McGuirlt, the “mixed ale pugilist,” flourished at the same time as the American boxer Kid McCoy. Lillian Russell was the Queen of Comic Opera on the New York stage—a position occupied by Cora Angelique in the play. Anna Held • was singing with a dainty accent songs similar to those offered by Fifi Fricot. Others were pointed as having suggested j various characters, and apparently the results were good-humoredly accepted by mos-t of the models, as they were not folk of the type to avoid publicity. Gradually this origin of the play was forgotten, and it was accepted as quaint musical comedy, full of enjoyable entertainment. In the new production it is still so. “The Bello of New York" made fortunes for all concerned in its production, and caused Edna May to become famous. This actress had only been on the stage a few months when Georgo W. Lederer engaged her, then a girl of 19, for a small part In “The Whirl of the Town” at the Nev.- York Casino. Four months later she was selected to play the part of Violet Gray in “The Belle of New York,” which was lirst staged at that theatre in September, 1897. The late George Musgrove saw the musical comedy in Philadelphia, and arranged with Mr. Lederer and his stage manager, Gerard Coventry (under whose direction “The Belle of New York” was produced in Australia) to take the company to London. Edna May and practically all the principals went to London, together with the chorus. This was the first time that a full American chorus had been transplanted from America to England. “The Belle” was given 697 performances at the Shaftesbury. Mr. Musgrove was reputed to have made nearly £60,000 in two years out of tho English venture. He tried to get financial help to stage the piece, but his theatrical friends recalled the failure of a number of American productions in London, and declined a share in the enterprise. When it proved a success they wished to join in, but were told that they were too late. “The Belle” has been a great moneymaker in Australia. When it originally presented this musical comedy the Firm was knowu as Williamson and Musgrove.

CRICKET MASCOT

Thelmaßurness Adopted By Australian Team

An Australian actress, now making a name i’or herself on the English stage, has been adopted as mascot, temporarily, at any rate, by the Australian cricket tea.m. She is Thelma Burness, of Balmain, who played with Josie Melville, in the Sydney stage presentation of "Sally.” Miss Burness was later connected with the “Katja” company, in which Marie Burke and Warde Morgan were the stars. She was with this company when Mr. Morgan was badly injured on the way to Brisbane in the Aberdeen train smash. Miss Burness is staying at the same hotel as the cricketers, and is appearing at one of Bradford's best theatres in a leading role. She last appeared in New Zealand in "Tip Toes.”