IN THE THEATRES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18653, 23 August 1930, Page 14

IN THE THEATRES

Owen Nares, the well-known “matinee idol” of the London stage, is going to America, having been engaged by the Dramatic League of Chicago.

Judith Anderson, the Australian actress who for years has been an outstanding figure of the American stage, but whose return in Australia in “Cobra,” “The Green Hat” and “Rain” did not impress playgoers, is just closing a long season in New York in “Strange Interlude,” and wil ltake the leading role in Pirandello’s “As You Wish Me.”

Gladys Moncrieff has signed a new contract to sing at a Melbourne picture house before a picture starring John McCormack, the tenor. She may also sing in vaudeville for Hugh D. Macintosh at the Melbourne Tivoli. Her company, lately playing revivals of “The Merry Widow” and “Katinka,” has been disbanded.

“A Symphony in Two Flats,” in which the author, Ivor Novello, plays the leading role, has had a long and successful run in England, and is to be taken to America, with a complete English company. Besides Mr Novello there is in the company Lilian Braithwaite. an English acress of distinction, and Minnie Rayner, who was in New Zealand some years ago in “The Ghost Train.”

Direct from a series of musical comedy revivals, such as “Country Girl” and “Belle of New York,” Marie j Bremner and Sydney Burchall have | now stepped into the stellar roles of the | Mamerstein spectacle, “New Moon,” staged by Messrs. J. C. Williamson in Australia. In support of Miss Bremner are such well-known people as Leo Franklyn, Sydney Stirling, Leo Darnton, Bernard Manning. Herbert Browne. Marie le Varre, Sylvia Miller, j Robert Hepburn, and others well j known in musical comedy, drama, and I revue. ! The J. C. Williamson production of I “Mr Cinders” has scored a big success at Her Majesty's, Sydney. In London, j “Mr Cinders” ran for nearly 18 months. | and was considered to be one of the best musical comedy productions in ■ recent years. “Mr Cinders” very j charmingly twists the famous Cinder- ! ella story, giving it the most modern !of flavours. Instead of a young girl left at home in the kitchen, for instance, we have a nice young man left at home in his flat, while his more or less ugly brothers go to the ball! The principal roles are played by Elsie Prince and Hindle Edgar.

Nellie Stewart is patroness of the new Independent Theatre in Sydney and she is taking a live interest in the productions. The second piece will be “The Marquise,” by Noel Coward. By the way, Hugh D. Macintosh says with conviction that Noel is coming out here to see the production of his plays, and it is his present intention to bring a small comedy company with him to do the comedies. “Bitter Sweet,” his revue, will soon see the light under Macintosh. In the meantime, the Taits are holding long conferences trying to decide whether to go talkie altogether and carry on. Their commitments in contracts and post-date arrangments and retaining fees on plays that they have options on would all have to be counted as so much waste and these accounted so many bad debts. It is a problem.

Jim Gerald and his revue company appeared in a farewell performance at the Bijou Theatre. Melbourne, recently, when there was a memorable final curtain, streamers and floral offerings affording a colourful spectacle. Mr Gerald, in a speech, while thanking the audience for its generous assistance and applause, declared that while severing his connection with Sir Benjamin Fuller and Mr J. Fuller after an association of some 20 years, he was not deserting the stage, having been offered a satisfactory contract by Messrs J. C. Williamson, Ltd. He hoped to be able to announce his plans very soon, and paid a special tribute to the Fullers for their treatment during his lengthy term with them.

“New Moon” is doing well in Melbourne. “Mr Cinders” is doing fairly well. Saturday nights are brisk and bright, but the week nights are not too happy for the management, and audiences appear to be saving up their pennies for Saturday night parties. Eileen Ogden has replaced Byrl Walkley in a minor role, and Byrl has signed a contract with Hugh D. Macintosh to play vaudeville sketches and sing at the Melbourne Tivoli and later on to play an important role in Noel Coward’s revue, “Bitter Sweet.” Her voice is her main asset, she asserts, and she is always crying out for a chance to sing, which the J. C. Williamson management have not satisfied. In New York when she played the Prima donna in “Jew Suss” with Maurice Moscovitch, she had a big singing number. The play failed, however, and Byrl came home. Her mother died recently, and she felt family ties pulling her back. She is not going to stay long, for London to Byrl is the next place to heaven.

According to the Melbourne “Leader,” Leon Gordon, the actor-producer who has been in Australia for some years now, is off to Hollywood under engagement to make talkies, and that later he will go to London to play under the Williamson management. Mr Gordon has been reviving “Scandal” in Melbourne, with Mary McGregor, the talented Australian girl, at Beatrice Vanderdyke, and himself as the Pelham Franklin of Cosmo Hamilton’s conception. Others who were appearing were Messrs. B. N. Lewin, Hal Percy, Ann Davis, Marion Marcus Clarke, Dulcie Cherry, Nellie Mortyne, Nancy Gordon (Leon Gordon's Adelaide wife), D’Arcy Kelway, and others. The Sisserman Trio of instrumentalists provided the lively entracte music in a musicianly manner.

Mr E. J. Tait has returned to Australia from an extensive tour. He saw 122 different shows in ten months in California, Chicago, New York. London, Paris and Berlin, and booked several comedy and dramatic successes for Australian and New Zealand. He reports that “Sons O’ Guns” had proved a big money-maker in America, and the production had been secured for the Dominions, opening in Sydney about October. “Bitter Sweet” was London’s biggest show while Mr Tait was in the metropolis; but owing to the enormous cast required for it, he did not think it could be secured for a colonial tour. The firm of J.C.W. was to present in New York, in October, the successful musical comedy, “Mr Cinders,” with C. B. Dillingham in the cast. The firm’s New York season of

“Jews Suss.” starring Maurice Moscovitch, though not a financial success, was recorded as a fine artistic production, and in many respects far superior to the London production. It was the firm’s first New York venture. Mr Tait mentioned that Edith Taliaferro would be coming to New Zealand, playing “Let us be Gay,” “Her Cardboard Lover,” “Garden of Eden,” “Command of Love.” and others. He feels confident New Zealand will give their enterprise the patronage it has always given in the past.

Edith Taliaferro, who has achieved success in “Let Us Be Gay,” and “The Garden of Eden.” under the J. C. Williamson management in Sydney, has had a distinguished career on the American stage, and is as well known in London. Though this is Miss Taliaferro’s first visit to Australia, some of the older generation of playgoers will remember her sister. Miss Mabel Taliaferro, whi visited this country with William Collier years ago. In Canada, prior to coming to Australia. Miss Edith Taliaferro appeared in several English plays, including “The Second Mrs Tanqueray.” Their success, according to Miss Taliaferro. indicated how remarkably many of these older lays have kept their freshness and vigour, and how popular they still are.

It is rare that one generation may see their actual grandfathers upon the stage, but in “Governor Bligh,” to be produced by the Allan Wilkie company, says a Sydney paper, we will see Macarthurs and Johnsons and others whose descendants are actually living in Sydney to-day. Sydney a hundred years ago will unfold before our eyes. Governor Bligh—best remembered, maybe, for his connection with the mutiny on the Bounty—has been presented by the facile pen of Doris Egerton Jones in a more favourable light than some historians depict him. His arrest by the military headed by Major Johnson over a dispute regarding the rum tariff is one of the dramatic scenes of the piece, and, although history will be bent to permit Governor Macquarie to arrive at the settlement of Sydney before the deposition of Bligh, this “dramatic licence” adds to the . vital action There is an old servant who will provide much of the comedy, and the French widow to be played by Frediswyde Hunter Watts, wil carry a load of it on her slim shoulders. The love story should satisfy all those who are not interested in ancestors.