Theatrical Notes.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 14015, 25 September 1909, Page 3 (Supplement)

Theatrical Notes.

THEATRE BOOKINGS. October 4th. —Taylor-Carrington. October 9th and 11th—J. C. Williamson. October 23th, 26th, and 27th.—Operatic Society.

While touring with a company of his own in Great Britain in the eighties, Mr Bland Holt secured the services of Miss Florence Anderson as a member of his cast. She began her stage career under the late J. L. Toole about 1883, and had played with Mr Holt's father, and taken, among other roles, Lady Cecile at the London Gaiety with James A. Meade- in George DarreH's drama, "The Soggarth." Miss Anderson came to Australia, and formed a member of Mr Holt's company, and in September, 1887, she and Mr Holt were married. Mrs Holt made her re-appearance in Sydney a few davs ago, at the Royal in " The Flood Tide." She made her debut before Australian audiences as Dora Raikes in a revival of "The New Babylon " at the Melbourne Royal. Her first Sydney appearance was as Diana Faithful in "The Ruling Passion" in 1889.

The dancing of Miss Essie Perriu is a feature of "Cinderella,"-at the Sydney production, and she has captivated many of her now numerous audiences in Australia with her exquisite toe and heel work. Miss Pcrrin is a "lassie from Lancashire," having been horn there less than 21 years ago. She -went on the stage when nine years old as a dancer, having had lessons from a French master. She appeared in many of the London suburban theatres. In musical comedy she made her debut in dancing parts. Then she was invited to visit France, and she made a tour of the French provinces with a musical comedy co., achieving success, and adding to her artistic abilities. Among the pieces she appeared in in France was "La Poupee." Then vaudeville attracted her, and with a company she visited Spain. - Next 3lr Seymour Hicks invited her to go to South America in musical comedy, and she spent a pleasant time with this company, appearing in Buenos Ayres and Monte Video. This tour occupied ten weeks, and fifteen pieces were produced. "It was very nice, but frightfully hard work," declares Miss Ferrin, She has played a -number of small parts in musical comedy, but her forte is dancing.

" Lord, what fools these mortals be!" Not, as it happens, in the mocking, mischievous spirit of Puck himself, bnt in the. vein or gentle, rich, grateful, and always good-humoured satire, Mr Frederick Lonsdale, author of " The King of Cadonia," • has written a perfectly delightful comedy of silliness. This was "The Best People," produced with complete success at Wyudham's Theatre, London. Though it happens to arrive in August, the piece is far and away too good to be classed as a mere "holiday show." It is one of the cleverest, best comedies of the year. It plays with an old, old story —-the story of a sensible wife who found her foolish young husband out in a ■ ridiculously silly, but fortunately quite' innocent, affair with a friend's equally silly yonng wife. He had invited the lady to supper at the flat. His wife, coming home from the country prematurely, found the scheme out by chance. *To teach him a lesson she gives secret orders that the supper should be laid for four, and invites the lady's husband, "who is mid-dle-aged, but" almost as foolish as the others, and flatters himself that the invitation represents a conquest on his own part. So the sensible wife finds herself at the snppe.r-table faced with three laughablv bewildered and shamefaced companions. The rest of the play shows how she makes her husband —who is nothing if not impressionable —fall in love with herself once again, and then just lets him know for a while what it is like to be out m the cold. _ _ _

Mr Gerard Coventry, eminent in theatrical circles, in the course of an interview said that Australian authors were wanted. " 1 have read thousands of plays I suppose, but generally speaking the first part is good or quite fair, and then they go right off. Australians have not go the perseverance to continue with anything to achieve the desired success. What is the chief difficulty? Well, they have not the goods. I think the capacity is there, if the perseverance was with it. The trouble is some of them think they know such a lot. If you tell a man anything, he knows better than you, notwithstanding that you have spent vour life at the business. But the great thing is originality. In a new country like this they should originate something. The plays should be Australian; there should be enough here to" satisfy anyone. There is plenty of colour, enough of everything, .to make a beautiful work if anyone will do it. Very often the authors we get communications from do not deal with Australia at all, but go to America, France. Germany or anywhere abroad for their ideas and colouring. Sometimes one act is m Australia and another in London, and probably these peoDle have never seen London. \os, J- should like to get something going from an Australian: in fact. I have asked one or two who have impressed me and told them what I wanted, nut they will work for a day or two, pud because the stuff does not roll out for them they throw it up."

Captain Winston, an American, whose performing seals Lave created Buch a stir in Australia, says:—" We find that these animals do not forget anything like other creatures. For instance, one of our seals did an act, and then it was cut out for twelve months. The occasion rose to put on the act again, and without any rehearsal the animal did the trick as well as ever. We have had seals go three years without doing a trick, and then picking it up simply at the word of command. Ves, they are very difficult animals to keep. Tlicy Lave to be watched like children, and they catch cold easilv. The temjwratiire in which they live must vary from 65 deg. to 70 deg. Sonic of the moat difficult tricks took us a year to teach the seals. It is very hard work, but there is the satisfaction of them not forgetting when they are once taught. No, Ido not think they really understand language, though they answer to their names after a time. Duffy, the seal that docs tbo rope-walking act, is the star animal. We had him a year. • and.he got away from the training barn. J hat seal was gone two weeks in the ocean, but one morning we heard a seal barking on the rocks. A seal generally finds a footing on a rock or land with water between it and the shore. 1 Ins struck us as peculiar, and wc round that Duffv had returned with a mate, whiob tc captured and railed lopsy, which is now the clown ot the troupe. Since then these two never separate. Yes, kindness is the thing with these animals. Onto a seal is offended with a whip or anything of that sort, ■von will never do anything with Inni. Yes they all have different dispositions Some are vicious: many aro not. We nave bad one only a year, and he is now a perfect pet, and as gentle as a house cat. All the seals we have ■with us are perfectly harmless.'

News from Enplane! states that Mr Fred Lindsay, stockwhip expert, was to open in Paris on August 1. Miss Cecil Ward, known here with Brough and Boucieault, have heen engaged by Miss Grace Armvtage Noble and Mr Madame Illing for an eight months' tour of Germany. Miss Ada trolley an Australian light soprano, was one of the leading variety artistes selected to sing at the Lord Mayor's dinner to the Channel Fleet. Miss Minnie Waugh, who is shortly returning to Australia, has reappeared in London after a vear in Europe. Further eulogistic references are made to Miss Marjorie Tempest's (the New Zealand soprano) debut in London. Miss Elsio Hall, who has been appointed pianoforte teacher to the little Princess Marv of Wales, is a Queensland girl, having been born in Toowoomba. Australians should bo proud of one or their own receiving such a coveted appointment. Miss Lalla Miranda another Australian, is to be one ot the stars of the "educational -,eason ot opera at the New York Opera House in the autumn. Miss Ella Caspars, of Australia, and Zona Greta Trader and Henrv W. Norris (the leading two of New Zealand) were recently presented with awards by the Associated Board of the K.A.M. and R.G.M. Miss Carrie Moore has joined the vanety stage. In December she again enters pantomine. Mr Beaumont Smith has arranged an Australian tour for Miss Muriel Matters, prominent among London suffragettes, though an Australian. Mr Charles Sparrow has accepted a two years' engagement to play with Benson's Shakespearean company.