Theatrical Notes.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13880, 17 April 1909, Page 3 (Supplement)

Theatrical Notes.

Hammon and Wyatt, the Australian Sandow. girls, writing from London in February, stated that they had just concluded touring the provinces, and were to open in London again. They had had offers from Mexico, Berlin and Paris, But they desired to stay iii England a little' longer. The death occurred at Hongkong last month of Mr Paul Rougal, one or the two brothers who trained and appeared with the tigers in Harmstou's circus. When the deceased was with the show m Bangkok he contracted fever, and never seemed to completely recover It was recently reported that Mr Robert Lov© had passed away in the East, but the statement is not correct. Mr Love ls-manager for. Harmston's circus. Sydney papers state that in Mr J. C-y Williamson's pantomime "Jack and Jill," some of the stage pictures are magnificent, particularly the jewel march, which is heralded as a tour-de-force in colour and brilliance; Audiences are promised procession's nf splendour hitherto unequalled by the management. There will be' a bevy of bathing pirls, romning gleefully in the surf, while the hollows roll and break over them in glistening, foamy'spray.- The magic hill, where the well Jack" and Jill feo to for the pail of water,'will be viewed one moment as a" panorama of aoicled beauty, enveloped in witches, demons, fairies, gnomes, and mortals, and. the next by the spell of the- fairies, when- Winter vanishes and Summer appears in a floral robe of richly variegated colour. Again, there are winter sports on the ice. There are unending novelties, comic episodes, and "surprise" effects, choruses, ballets, catchy songs, and witty patter.

An aspect'of the life we lead is said to be a feature shown in "The Hypocrites " by Henry Arthur Jones, to be staged by Meynell and Gunn's New Dramatic Company. The story will appeal to most people. The victim .of a fashionable young rake, Rachel Neve, is persuaded by-, the former's aspiring mother, who has a fashionable marriage in view for her son to replenish the family's empty coffers, to sign a paper declaring .that Lennard is not the guilty party. There is a young vicar who'knows the truth and becomes the

champion of the girl, as well as the go'ardian of justice and truth, and in / tbe third act the story is converged into a most dramatic scene — : the minister's denunciation, his trial by, the brake's father and friends on a charge of making false statements, and the self-de-nunciation or the rake. Mr Clyde Meynell, who saw the production in England, is superintending the rehearsals. Mr Harcourt Beatty will appear as the curate, Mr Gaeston Merville the estate agent; while Miss Gladys Harvey, who has appeared in the production in England, will make her first appearance here as the heroine, Rachael Neve. Miss Emily Fitzroy will appear, and Miss Edith Deverill and Messrs <T. E. Gardiner and J". AY. Deverell will be seen for tb'e first time in Australia.

The name of St. Leon is a household word in Australasian circus history, and the members of the St. Leon acrobatic troupe, now the star turn at the National, are worthy descendants, of the St. Leon that was the proprietor of one of the first circuses in Australia, . opening in York street, Sydney. .Gus St. Leon is the father of the present boys, and they have inherited their parent's gift of excellence. They were taught their business by their father, and his training and assiduous coaching is seen in the present state of their work. The St. Leon family in September, 1901, left Australia for other fields to conquer, and their records show they have had wonderful success. Pour months were spent in Hawaii with their father's circus, the family of four girls and-four.boys being of the party. America was" then, visited, and the family became a portion of Ringling Bros.' circus, said to be one of the largest in America. Two years were spent with this, organisation travelling all over the States, the girls doing barebacked riding of a sensational kind, and the boys acrobatic and other work. _ Mexico was then visited with Trevino's circus, and another two years spent in that country. The family then organised a circus of their own, and travelled through Central America, the tour occupying 12 months, and being one succession of incidents. After playing British Honduras they desired to visit - an adjoining country, but were quaran- & tined for five months, the ouarantine » laws, according to Mr Cass St. Leon, the elder member of the troup.e being apparently on the principle of spiting each other State. After some diffi- ■-:••'. culty in securing a boat they returned but thev lost the whole of tlpr cir'U<= outfit. The vaudeville stage af|ra f -ted them in the States, and two vears' constant and remunerative work "there saw them landed at 'Frisco, where the feeling for " home" proved too ptron", and thev returned to Australia.