FROM STAGELAND.

Thames Star, Volume LIX, Issue 16644, 14 November 1925, Page 5

FROM STAGELAND.

SEARCH FOR PLAYERS. CART. TEMPLER-POWELL’S VISIT. FINDING THE RIGHT THING. The first New Zealander to run a London theatre arrived in Wellington on Thursday. His name is Captain W. Templer-Powell, and he visits New Zealand to see his family. Captain Templer-Powell, son of Mr W. H. Cheeseman, of Christchurch, is a New Zealander by adoption. He was horn in England, hut came to New Zealand with his family, served in the South African War, and. finally journeyed ‘to the Old Country to be adopted by another branch of his family. On the stage he quickly became a leading man, and was out in the Dominion with Frank Thornton and again with Nellie Stewart. Thornton’s plays were “When Knights Were Bold,” “Charley’s Aunt,” and “The Private Secretary”; Nellie Stewart’s were “Sweet Kitty Bellairs” and “Sweet Nell of Old Drury.” In “Sweet Kitty Bellairs,” Captain Templer-Powell played the part of Snake-in-the-Grass. With “White Cargo.” It was after the war, in which he was wounded and gassed, and in America—whither he had been sent for service under the Ministry of Information and given permanent rank—that the captain commenced his career as producer and theatrical entrepreneur. His especial play which he took to London with his own company is the famous “White Cargo.” This is still running at the Prince’s Theatre, London, after 18 months, and Godfrey Teurle is playing the leading part. There are five of Captain TemplerPowell’s companies on tour with it, and the Australian and New Zealand rights have been disposed of to Messrs. J. C. Williamson. When the play comes to New Zealand Leon Gordon, the author, will fill the leading role. A second theatre which Captain Templer-Powell holds is The Play Box, but this is at present sub-let to Nigel Playfair, The captain’s present odyssey may he termed a hunt for plays and players. He is running round the world in hurried fashion, and searching for all that it is producible or personable. Already he has acquired the rights of “Tlie Monkey Talks,” a new play which he says will prove a success. Also he has formed a connection with Australia which he thinks may effect New Zealand theatrically.

“London plays are of good standard hut theatre rents are enormously high,” said Captain Templer-Powell, “My wife and I are the only personal management left to London. Seymour Hicks returned to London just before I left. He opened in a new play, ‘The Guardsman,’ and it ran a week. “Noel Coward’s p'lays meet the demand of the present public, but they cannot last. Coward, of course, measures his work by its success, . and laughs at criticism. ‘The public want he,’ he proclaims, ‘here is the proof of it.’ Coward is brilliant, undoubtedly one of the most brilliant writers for the stage to-day. His dialogue is splendid and very witty, and hig,ppderstanding of technique is good. v r Finding the Plums.

“The difficulties of getting plays are still great. Hundreds, are read every year and discarded. Some are by well-known authors, who have done good work, and follow it up with rubbish. Of course, some of these men get their plays performed. Not long ago I refused a play of Coward’s ‘Easy Virtue.’ It is to be produced, I believe, but only because it is Coward’s, Still, there is good material to be had, and the complaints which I heard in Australia concerning the lack of good plays for production out here show merely that they have not the right men searching for them, and that they do not look in the right places. I have gone into the English provinces to look up a likely play. Sometimes it is a dud—often it is a dud—but other ventures are more successful. Recently I found a Scotch play, ‘Lovin’,’ which was good stuff, as good as ‘Bunty Pulls the Strings,’ hut my bid for it was not high enough, and someone else acquired the rights. It has been produced in the United States, I believe, and ha.s proved a success." From Wellington, Captain TemplerPowell goes to Christchurch, and thence to Auckland and America.