Theatrical Notes.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 14043, 29 October 1909, Page 2 (Supplement)

Theatrical Notes.

The author of "Count Hannibal" (Stanley Weyman), one of Mr. Oscar Asche's great successes which boomed in England last year on its first production, intends, according to Mr. Asche, to give up writing books, and devote his talents to play writing. He has in hand another work for Mr. Asche. ■.■'..-,-'.'.

It'is not generally .known that'it'->was by the merest chance that ;■ AaiStralia missed hearing the, great Italian' tenor, Caruso, before he was famousj but while his voice was probably as ' good as it is now., It seems that' Caruso's name was mentioned for engagement by the Williamson Grand Q'pera> Company, but something prevented: the selectors hearing him, and Garlo/Dani was secured instead. ,

The Australian Dartos and/Little Tich, who began an extended season, under Mr Richards' management'on Saturday,' arc not only Australian in. birth but in training. Their cleyer dancing has delighted the public at innumerable pantomimes, and although they have increased in ■ years and stature, they have retained, all their pristine grace, and much of their youthfu} charm.

The project for a 'grand opera tour of Australia, under the auspices of Madame Melba, appears to be within reasonable measure of accomplishment. A London paper received contains the following paragraph :"For her contemplated operatic tour of Australia, Madame "Melba has, it is said, so far made arrangements with Mile. Destinn and MM. Renaud, Plancon, Gilibert, Zenatello, and Sammarco."-

Miss Ethel Warwick, who plays the heroine in "The Flag Lieutenant," says that of all the floral trophies ever handed her across the footlights, the most elaborate was when she was playing in "The Tempest" at Johannesb"rtr (S.A.) "I was playing Ariel. Thr niece ran eight weeks in Jolianncsbn-". Well, on the last night. I'was pre ;lp'd with an exact replica of the s'"\ The floral vessel was all picked out wit'' eleotrin lights, and it had lv"»n arranged'that the current should 1»' <■''>- nected with an insulated wir"-.f ••«'_•>) Ui" footlights., and when it. was ill">ninatod it was aglow_ with brilli:<'<t. colours. It, .was an_a'mazihg present:'tio». )uv\ too heavy for me to lift, not +hat _ ;i . was ■much good to anyone it was lifted. A gold lien'rt set with diamonds thnt was ■"resented to iv>" at the same time was far more portable." The attempt to reach the South Pole so heroically made by Lieutenant Shackleton aud his companions, is being shown in picture form in Australia. At a private view of the films the Nimrod's departure from New Zenland was first shown, and then iu rapid succession was displayed the little vessel's arrival, in the Antarctic, with the great solitude of ice. a panorama of Mount Erebus, McMurdo Sound, the landing of the motor car and ponies, and the departure of the expedition from the frozen-in ship, the bird and animal life, the weary marches, scenes of the explorers' preparing camp, and incidents how the party slept, and their return to New Zealand; and scenes in 'England. People can sit in comfort :and gaze on the heroic work of these meii;! who endured hardships and risked their lives.

The return of, Mr Claude Bantock, after a four months' leave of absence, was hailed with delight by the members of the Royal Comic Opera Company, with whom the popular actor 's a great favourite. Mr. Bantock oujoyed his trip to the Old Country immensely—he saw "Tho Merry Widow' in London, and like a good many other people preferred the Australian presentation. He also saw "Our Miss Uibbs," for which he prognosticates a big success when it is produced out here under the J. C. Williamson management. Then ho was an honoured guest of the Australian cricket team at Lords and elsewhere, and he sat on the jury which tried the Indian student Dhingra for the murder of Sir William Wyllie, and sentenced him'to death. And with all his varied experience, Mr Bantock was very glad to get back to' Australia, and into harness.once more.

An Alaska paper states: "Dante, the magician of the consolidation shows of tho Cole-Dantc-Durwood Company, had a lot of fun with some curious natives who approached him and offered their ivorv curios. Dante was standing in front of the Monopole Cigar Store, when one native offered him a small deerskin bag. Danto took the bag, and after showing the Eskimo that it was empty, proceeded: t" extract therefrom many gold coins. The native grabbed tho hag and ran up the street; soon returning with several bother natives, who also proffered' their wares to the' man with tho deft finp-ers. Dartfe took; two twenty-dollar gold pieces from the nm' of one native, and the frightened. Eskimo made off hot-foot: Another wanted to test Dante's power, so he. offered an emptv bag. into which he had previously 'inserted' '■" liis" liand to make" sure that there was nothing in

it.. Dante took the bag. and slowly dropped a handful of silver dollars into the bag; then, making a. few passes over the skin, handed it to the native. Ho ran a fc\v steps, holding the bag tightly. When a few: doors up tho street ho stopped to look into the. bag, and Svas greatly, disappointed to find it empty. , He promptly, brought tho bag back, to Dante to have it refilled, but Dante had vanished from view—bohind the cigar counter.

Although _"The Catch of the Season" is still ; playing to large and delighted audiences at Her-Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne; a change of bill is now in sight. This is necessitated by the approach of the termination'of the Royal Comic Opera Company's season .which, of, course, must take place sonic where about the middle of December to allow of- the production of the next J. C. Williamson pantomime. lln the comparatively short time' at their disposal the company will no.t: only give, playgoers an opportunity of seeing a piece entirely new to Melbpurne-r"The Lady Dandies," but they, are also to revive "The Merry Widow," following on the conclusion of "The Catch of tho Season." This ~ time .the cast will include Miss Florence Young, • as tho Mareofian heiress, Miss Fanny Danco as Fi-Fi, which part.has been specially recast for her, while Mr. Andrew Higginson will, appear" in liis, old part, Dainlo, and Mr Claude Bantock, after a four months' absence from the company, will appear once more as the Marquis do Gascada. .-■."'

.: A tragi-comcdy of childless, selfish middle age.v Such would "be the roughest and , shortest definition possible of Sir Arthur Pinero's fine new play. As may be guessed, the title ("'Mil Channel") is just a matter of metaphor. It has to do with a little 'parable .that is. told quite early in the history. "About halfway between .Folkestone , and Boulogne," says Peter Mottram, ' a, . easy-going, chattering peacemaker, who is the sunshine of the play, "there's a shoal. Le Colbart the i French call l it. We call it the Ridge D'ye know,. "I've never : encountered that blessed; slioal without oxperiencin' almost unpleasant time,: 6ut-of-sorts—--1 hatih? myself and hatin' the man who's been sharin' my cabin with me. But the sensation hasn't lasted long.- Gradually the beastly motion has died down, and in a quarter-6f-an-hour or so I've found myself pacin'i the , same; dack arm-in-arm with the -travelling-comr panion I've been positively. loathiri' a few minutes earlier. My dear pals, there's a resemblance between that and marriage. The happiest and luckiest of married ■ couples, have got to cross the Ridge, sooner or. later there's the rough and tumble of, mid-channel to negotiate. But iWsoon overr-well over, if only Mr. Jack and Mrs. Jill will understand the situation; if only they'ir say to thenteelyes, ''We're, oh the Ridge rvrt^'ro'in .hiid.-channel; hi ■ another'' quarter-of-ah-hbur \ the hoat'll be steady: again—as steady as when Wo : stepped oh; the gangway.' This, then —this . shoal ? <if middle' age—is half Sir Arthur's He shows us, a i in a;, fine house in', Theodore, the husi band, is raJsVccessful stock-broker, but , ai big many things. the whtf> hajs just turned thirty-six, , combines"'a" .vixenish, temperament with plenty of-instjhcfc for good. They have grown tireSlfof one another. Theo. buries himself in business: Zoe cultivates smartrfrjends, smokes cigarettes, 1 I and has r hice -boys to tea—her "tame • /.obins,"'fshei sails*them. According, to Peter Mottram is an unman . merly young cub hut lias "a nire head ■, of hair and smells of soap?' So Theo. and Zoe come across their "shoal.'. They quarrel ridiculously over ..a little trip* to. Paris. Instead of taking "Peter's adivice,- and waiting just a little, while, they separate nn the .spot. Zoe .'■ goes .off--.to Italy. Theo takes a flat in tlie West-end. Inevitably,; the whole menage is foundered. Yourig Leonard follows Zoo to Italy, where scandals happen. Theo. v makes all too. close a friendship with a notorious woman, .a Mrs. Annerley. . Peter 1 tried to bring about .a reconciliation,, but in vain.Finally poor Zoo finds even Leon nrd's passion cooling towards , her. . With a shrewd eye to his own future he- has, got engaged to a nice;-eligible ingenue. In despair Zoe throws herself from a window of Leonard's'flat, a human sacrifice that might,,:it seems, have been avoided by just a little patience, just, a little forbearance, just a little understanding of a, maxim? of Peter's tHt even the best old china in the '::'b : net has generally needed a rivet ■•• i."--: Yet this was not, entirely'so, for Sir Authur makes one" all-impor-tant exception :' to those disasters .of niid'l.lc age. It is children who are the mascots' that keep the Iboat afloat on the inid-clianiicl shoals. Theo. and Zoo had ancrend to have none. marriage," she told him, when they were trying ho'pcli- \«lv t<- forgive and forget, "was doomed from the. moment when wc'agreed- that we .would never be encumbered in our career ,with any 'brats of children.' Everything was sacrificed to 'getting on.' , Ah, Theo,' I believe we should have crossed that ridge safely enough hut for our 'cursed, cursed selfishness." { -■;