Theatrical Notes.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13979, 14 August 1909, Page 4 (Supplement)

Theatrical Notes.

THEATRE BOOKINGS. Permanent —Sherwood's Modern Pictures. August 27—Williamson s. Septembere 14, 15, 21, 22, 23 —Allan Hamilton (pencilled). October 9, 11, 12 —Williamson. October 25, 26, 27, 28—The Operatic Society.

Arthur "Wing Pinero; whose name recently figured among the recipients of a knighthood in the honours list, relates with much amusement how a "mistake " secured, him his first engagement as an actor in London. In the early days of his career he played a small part in Wilkie Collins's drama, '"The Woman in White," when it was performed in Liverpool. The novelist was present at the first performance and was greatly impressed by the acting of a leading member of the company. Anxious to secure him for the production of one of his plays that was about to appear in London, Wilkie Collins drew the London manager's attention to his name on the play bill. At least, that is what he thought he had done when he recommended for immediate engagement A. W. Pinero.

"Hamlet" was recently presented at Kobe (says a correspondent), and described by the "Kobe Herald" as "a wonderful mixture of the beautiful and the grotesque. With an Ophelia sometimes in Western evening costume, and a King who at one time appears in the picturesque costume of a Japanese nobleman, and at others dons a silk hat and a swallow-tail coat, the effect is so kaleidoscopic that a spectator lias the sensation of being perpetually transferred from one phase of civilisation to another. The climax is reached in Hamlet himself, who in the earlier scenes wears the uniform of a student of the Imperial University, in the third act makes his appearance on a bicycle, clad in a bright blue cycling suit and striped stockings, and at the finish is seen in conventional evening dress, with a flower in his button-hole."

Recently Signor Fregoli, the famous quick-change . artist, had an audience with the Pope. His Holiness good-hnmouredly remarked that Fregol had so bewitched the inmates of the Vatican and the Cardinals themselves by his astounding 'performance that for the last two days they seemed incapable of talking about anything else. While engaged in conversation Pins X. espied Fregoli's secretaries on the point of taking a snapshot souvenir of the interview. "No, no. You mustn't do that," exclaimed his Holiness in protest. "It's against the rules. The Pope, you know, is the servant of the servants of God, but men sometimes make him a servant of interest and the devil." In bestowing a parting blessing on Fregoli and his wife and family the Pontiff prayed that the great artist's gift of wonderworking might never grow less.

An immediate and brilliant success

, awaited Mr Gharles Hawtrey's intro,'duction to the "evening bill" at the Koyalty Theatre, London, recently, of Sir Arnold Bennett's delightful newspaper play, " "What the Public

Wants." The cleverness and truth of this genuine comedy—like "The Earth." in its theme, but replacing politics and melodrama by quiet humour, pungent satire, and faithful character-drawing—is already most popular, particularly the story of the love-worn newspaper proprietor. 3NIr

Hawtrey absolutely carries off in his pocket the part of Sir Charles Morgan, the newspaper-proprietor himself. He makes him as unlike Mr Hearn's prim study as he could possibly be conceived. Light, bright, irresistibly facetious and engaging; one has also to confess that there are not many newspaper Napoleons in Fleet-street that nre quite so charming. For all that Mr Hawtrey makes the character convincingly his own. One could not possibly quarrel with him. He is in any case entirely in tune with the real cleverness and snaTkle of the dialogue. He even makes points were none were before. The mere fact that he shares with the character the name of

Charlie" commended Lis reading to * "the audience, who were kept in roars of laughter with, the spoof of the office scenes. Not least Mr Hawtrey does manage to give his own kind of naive seriousness to some of the scenes. The boy-and-girl love scene in the edit torial sanctum becomes in his hands ' a piece of perfect comedy.

In an interview in London recently, Harry Lauder, the Scottish comedian, said:—" In the old days the - artists used to do practically what they liked. They appeared two or three times during the evening, and endeavoured to fill ont the entertainment. Nowadays the management rules the programme, and artists have nothing to do with it. The manager says, ' Yon have so many minutes, and you liavo to make good,' and you do your best in those few minutes. This ensures the programme being as good and as bright as possible. Every turn is different, and everyone is trying to please the audience. This entertainment you can enjoy whilo yoa are smoking, and in some places you can get ont of your seat and havo liquid refreshment. Now tako certain plays produced in certain theatres. The curtain rises and yon ask yourself the question, 'Will they marry?' Sometimes you think. 'Aro they married?' In that play throughout tliero is a vain of immorality, a suggestiveness which would not be allowed in a music-hall. Moreover, in a theatre only- one or two stars appear, and they appear only now pud again; otherwise they would not sliino! If they wero always 011 the stage there would he a sameness in the performance. And tlio other members of the company are only playing no to these stars, giving so mnrh padding to the entertainment. Littlo wonder that the public is not satisfied with the play of to-dny. One hears of certain actresses who assert that they would object to smoke in a theatre. But these ladies would go tlirough a play of immorality which wo don't allow in a music-hall, and, so far as my little help goes, never will. Tho one fault with Mr Barrio's ' What Every Woman Knows' is that there is a touch of immorality in it which does not exist, as he must know, in the true character of a Scotsman. The man going away with another woman is the only part of this play that I did not like; and it was quite unnecessary. Jimmie Barrie is a far cleverer man than lie thinks lie is, but I am sorry for this piece. On tho music-halls you get snatches of character, all good little bits, for the red-nosed comedian is quite out of date. "When I started on the mu-sic-halls the comic singer was not a success until ho had sung a vulgar verse. But let tho comic singer sing a vulgar verso to-day; he'll be hooted off the stage. Now, when you go to the theatre you get tho good and the bad characters, and I contend that there is no necessity to show the bad. Of conrse, I realise that in the theatre the play is generally performed in a darkened auditorium, so tint y>n can not detect your neighbour's blushes, and you know consequently that your neighbour cannot see yours. But in the music-hall you can see every member of the audience, for th** building is a blaze of light; and I like light."

Mme. Nordica, who for so many rears Las been, a favourite with the British public, made her last appearance in England at a " farewell " concert she gave at Queen's hall 011 June 17th. The reason she will not sing asii" hero is that she is engaged to be married to :i New York banker within the next lew weeks, and she will then permanently reside in America. It was with this idea in her mind that she gave instructions for the platform to be covered with white silk, a material of which her beautiful costume was also made. The famous prima donna was in splendid voice, and her selections included Beethoven's "Ah, perfido," Brunnliilde's final aria in the "Ring," Schubert's '"Erl Konig," and Max Stange's "Damon," the last mentioned being exceptionally well rendered. Mme. Nordica resolutely declined to give any extra piece, although she reappeared on the platform to say good-bye 110 fewer than ten times. During the afternoon many huge floral tokens were presented to her, and these were afterwards stacked 011 the top of her motor car and proudly borne round the West-end to her hotel near Grosvenor square.

A notable suggestion towards the tercentenary Shakespeare memorial was made recently by Professor Gollancz in distributing the Beaufoy and Mortimer prizes at the City of London School. Professor Gollancz said a number of them were working hard at a project for the due commemoration, in 1!J16. of the tercentenary of Shakespeare's death, and it was necessary that they should concentrate on one particular period of the year, iso that all effort might come to fruition 011 one part icular day or week. He proposed, and his committee and many others agreed with him, that next year April '23, " Shakespeare's Day," or thereabouts, should be the time when money should be collected for that project throughout all tho different institutions in sympathy with it, beginning with the schools. They wanted English boys and girls to take part in that project, and they desired that the memorial should be erected not only by the pounds, shillings, and pence of the peopie, but by the farthings of the schoolchildren. It would be a glorious thing if every school child would contribute its mite to the cost of ,the memorial, and grow up with a personal interest and pride in its construction. 'lhe City "of London School, which was first and foremost in this cherishing of Shakespeare, might also very properly take the initiative in that matter, and set the .example to all the schools of the country in bringing about the sue-, cess of tho present movement. He regarded it as a matter of pride that the City of London School was the first of English schools to mark the fact that modern literature, and more particularly English literature, had raised itself to the position of being a great classical literature. He predicted that in. ten or twenty years every school throughout the kingdom would put aside one day, as near as 'possible, to April 23, to be held sacred to the memory of William Shakespeare, who was a greater asset to us than any jjossessiop we could point out in the whole Empire.

According to the " Sydney Morning Herald," it is understood that the Yokohama Specie Bank contemplates opening a bank in Australia. In Japan there are two classes of banks, either semi-State or private, and the Yokohama comes under the former category. It was constituted in 1880 with a capital of £300,000, which has since been advanced to two and a half millions. It has four branches, at Kobe, Tokio, Osaka, and Nagasaki respectively, whilst seven are located in Manchuria, live in China, and one at Hong Kong. In addition to these the hank maintains a branch in Bombay for the cotton trade, three branches in New York, San Francisco, and Honolulu respectively, and 011 c each in London and Lyons. The bank meditates the establishment of branches in Berlin, Hamburg, and in Canada and Australia, and is the only Japanese bank .represented abroad. Mrs J. Morwick, Grey street, Shortland, Thames, N.Z., says: —"Some time ago, when my little boy had his hands severely burnt, Hanson and Co. recommended me to try Chambclain'* Pain Balm. I applied the liniments as soon as possible, ind after a few applications the pain disappeared, and his hands healed without scars. Sinoe then I have used Chamberlain's Pain Balm for headache, toothache and rheumatism, and I find that it olwavs gives relief. I can recommend it to anyone wanting a good family liniment " For pale owprvxrJloru. ... Lady Speaker: "What holds woman <lown:-'- Voice from Gallerv: Her li;>t.