The Lorgnette.

Observer, Volume XXIX, Issue 41, 26 June 1909, Page 6

The Lorgnette.

By Prompter.

COMIvG SHOWS

June 21 to July 24— Edwin Qearh's Dramatic Company. June 28 to July B— One of Allan Hamilton's _ .Companies. July 5 to July 24— Allan Hamilton's Dramatic Company. July 26 to August 7 — J. C Williamson's " Englishman's Home " Company. August 24 to September 7— Allan Hamilton's Dramatic Company.

THE author of " Lured to London " (now being produced at the Opera House) is, according to the programme, Edward Thane, Esq. After sitting out nearly three hours of sueC9bsive cho cks, the present scribe came to the conclusion that if Edward Thane, Esq., instead of writing melodrama, had devoted his talents to breaking stones or opening oysters, he would have been more in his element. Even the thrilling sensation of a dive into " real water," and the blowing up of a barge that is alleged to contain a cargo of petroleum, cannot redeem the piece itself. Presumably, Edward Thane, Esq , has done his best, but that best is so very, very poor that the only reasonable deduction is that Edward Thane, Esq., is an amateur playwright (save the mark !), who, after indulging in a heavy course of Adelphi melodrama, determined to distinguish himself in the same line, or perish in the attempt. It is almost a pity that he didn't accept the latter alternative.

The plot of " Lured to London " is a weird conglomeration of absurdities and inconsistencies. Ib mainly concerns the evil deeds of a naughty man named Geoffrey Carrington, who appropriates a nice- young woman known as Lily Sterling, who is the daughter of a singularly emotional carpenter. 'Not content with one dark deed, Geoffrey proceeds to do some more. In fact, he is a wholesale dealer in crime. He has a father (Squire Carrington) who has an awkward habit of going into periodical faints, or fits, or jinjjams, or whatever you like to call them. It seems he has a weak heart. Why hedoesn't take a box of Beecham's pills, or a bottle of Mother Siegel'B Syrup, and so get rid of the weakness, he doesn't explain. Anyway, he obligingly goes into a fit for five minutes, and a burglar, who by a melodramatic coincidence is meandering round the premises just then (probably with designs on the family plate), promptly pops in and sneaks the old man's cash-box, which the said old man had thoughtfully left lying about. There are many other incidents of a more or less idiotic nature, but to give them in detail would be a weariness to the flesh. • ■ Mr Robert Inman sustains the role of the injured hero — a party answering to the name of the Rev. Leslie Car-

ring ton. This person is crammed with moral maxims. They exude at every pore. He is also a muscular Christian. When he isn't retailing moral lore, he is knocking nasty people down. The combination is a striking one. xttght through the piece, one is impelled to the conviction that Mr Inman realises the absurdity of his part. Consequently, his impersonation is only a half-hearted one. Which is not to be wondered at under the circumstances. Villains are born, not made ; and Mr Kenneth Hunter is a born villain, (melodramatically speaking). Of a mediocre company, Mr Hunter is the best on the male side. Mr Albert Lucas is seen as an unnaturally excitable carpenter, who appears to spend his working hours in telling the world in general what he will do to any individual who tampers with his " darter." He never seems to do any work,

bub presumably be is a member of tbe Carpeuters' Union. Perhaps he is the secretary, and lives on his salary. Mr J. P. O'Neill is an enterprising burglar, and plays the part well. Mr Thomas Curran impersonates a police constable, whose proper place is a padded cell at the nearest lunatic asylum. None of the other male characters call for special mention. ■ • -« Miss Ethel Buckley appears as Nat{.y, one of those irritating ragged, urchins who continually pop up in melodrama, and who put in most of their time telling older folk how to live nobler and purer lives. The good are alleged to die young. The only pity is that people of the melodramatic urchin type aren't snatched up to heaven before they learn to talk. This would, of course, be a bad job for the melodramatist, but it would be a boon to all the world — except, perhaps, a certain section of the "gods." Miss Buckley is evidently a good and conscientious actress, but she is thrown away in such a piece as this. For her dive into the Regent's Canal she was wildly and enthusiastically recalled. Miss Maude Appleton is amateurish as Lily Sterling, the same remark, to cut a long story short, applying to the rest ot tbe ladies, with a reservation in favour of Miss Brenda Burt, who gives a sprightly and vivacious rendering of the role of the housemaid Martha. The scenery, taken as a whole, is above the average.

For their final week at His Majesty's, the West's Pictures management have put on another well-varied series of studies, in which natural history, melodrama, tragedy, and broad farce are liberally intermixed. One of the star pictures of the programme is the tragic ptory of "The Poisoned Flower," which sets forth a quarrel between exquisites in seventeenth century costumes, a duel in the snow, the fall of one of the combatants, and finally a scene reminiscent of " Lucrezia Borgia," in which the successful duellist is lured to his death through the wiles of the stricken widow, by means of a poisoned blossom. The concluding scene is shuddersome enough, but the series is redeemed by the briskness of the action and the picturesqueness of the costumiery.

Another attractive incident pour trayed is entitled "Raised from the Ranks," and shows a young "ranker" who on his promotion receives the cold shoulder from his brother officers until, by saving the colours from a fire in the mesß-rootn, he wins their applanse and admiration. "At the Frankfort Zoo " is an excellent exhibition of wild animals in captivity, and there is also a selection of pretty views of a Mexican river. "In a Stone Quarry " tells a tale of love, jealousy and treachery, and there are several exciting chase scenes. Some of these, however, make wild claims upon the credulity of the beholders, while others, such as " Dust in His Eyes " and "Ghosts in the House," are beginning to pall upon Auckland patrons by reason of their familiarity. The ex-cellently-produced scenes from Zola's " L'Assommoir " preached powerful temperance sermons in the early part of the week, but these are to be withdrawn, in order to make way on Thursday, Friday and Saturday eveninga for new pictures. There will be the usual matinee on Saturday. • • *

The shrieking shells are not the only bits of realism in "An Englishman's Home." With due regard to every little detail the J. C. Williamson management secured from the London War Office a map of the actual district which the invading force, headed by Prince Yoland, isstfftoosed to traverse, and this map is/ $pu nightly in the production. ' ' >•' • a • Fred Leslie is winning laurels for himself as Baron Bounce, . the part lately vacated by Mr Bert Gilbert, who was required for the comedy role in "The King of Cadonia." The part of the Baron is one that suits Mr Leslie to perfection, and, as he has a very large fund of broad comedy to draw upon, and draws upon it freely, he succeeds in making the part one which evokes the heartiest of laughter from the start to the finish of his scenes.

J. C. Williamson's next dramatic production in Australia is to be "The Flag Lieutenant*" which has just concluded its 400 th performance at the Playhouse, London. • • • A third change has been made in the put of Jill in the J. C. Williamson pantomime. After her recent severe illness Miss Betty Ohls has again taken up her theatrical work, and is now filling the role of principal girl in the popular production. • • .•

Her part in " The King of Gadonia " offers Miss Susie Vaughan an opportunity to distinguish herself in the singing line, for she has a solo all to herself, and she fully appreciates the honour. Her only regret is that shfi will not be able to find use for her top Q's in it, and possibly she may be inclined to wish that it were not quite so brief, for it merely consists of the words — "Well, anyhow, yon must allow " — set to four bars of music.

J. C. Williamson's pantomime, " Jack and Jill," concluded its Sydney season on June 19th, and started upon its lengthy tour of Australasia on June 22nd.

Cunningham Bridgeman, who undertook the exploiting of Alfred Hill's opera, "A Moorish Maid," in London, has completed arrangements for the production of the work at one of the West End theatres in September next. Messrs Ascherberg and Co , the well known music publishers, are so well satisfied with the merits and drawing capacity of the opera that they have undertaken, in conjunction with the Ashton and Mitchell Libraries, to find half the required capital, and the remainder, amounting to £2000, is offered to the public. Of this sum £1300 has been already subscribed, principally by a few enterprising citizens of Duaedin.

The impending return to Australia of Miss Amy Castles, which comes off next month, seems to have created great interest in the Commonwealth. Messrs J. and N. Tait, the entrepreneurs under whose auspices Miss Amy Castles will make her Australasian concert tour, have received requests from all parts to arrange for her appearance.

Id addition to their successful exploiting of musical stars, Messrs J. and N. Tait are now arranging for the exhibition in Australia of the celebrated aeroplane of Wilbur Wright. The wonderful flights of these machines have been made familiar to us by means of the moving pictures, and no doubt great interest will be evinced in actually seeing the machine. One of the Wilbur Wright aeroplanes, in charge of an expert specially trained by the inventor, is due tor delivery to Messrs J. and N. Tait in Melbourne barly in July.

Randolph Bedford's drama, " White Australia," will shortly be produced at the Melbourne King's. Among the scenes will be an aeroplane, and views of the North of Australia.

" The King of Cadonia," juafc produced in Melbourne by the Royal Comics, was an instantaneous success. The "Argus" critic states that the librettist, Mr Frederick Lonsdale, has a straightforward story to tell', and tells it in Gilbertian and light operatic vein, neatly, adioitly, humorously, and enlivened with quaint and/ dainty touches that adorn the theme quite as much as the sumptuous dressing, as beautiful as anything the domains of musical comedy have ever revealed. The music, too, is on a much higher plane than heretofore, and in writing it Mr Sydney Jones has aimed at, and achieved, vivacity and melody, with an exhilarating strength, fancy, and grace in the larger numbers that charm and captivate. Indeed, most of the work inclines to the plane of light opera, with only occasional lapses into musical comedy. Two actresses, Misses Dorothy Court and Lottie Sargent, and four actors, Messrs Herbert Clayton, Frank Greene, Arthur Appleby, and Victor Prince, received their first welcomes on the Australian stage in the new play.

Meynell and Gunn are to import another comic opera company in the near future. Its main mission to Australia will be the production of the pautomime of " Kobin Hood " at the lioyal (Melbourne) next Christmas. " Cindeiella" will be relegated to the Sydney kitchen at the same time.

Magician Chung Ling Soo makes no secret of the fact that bis Chinese appellation is only what W. S. .Percy, in "The Merry Widow," called "a pom me de terie " io a Christchurch reporter he stated the other day that his real name was Campbell, and his father was a Scotch engineer. When he died, Chung's mother, who was Chinese, went back to her people, and, according to custom, took the tamily name. So the youug Campbell became Chung Ling Soo, which is quite impressively protessioual, and means something about good luck.

Miss Ola Humphrey's engagement with J. C. Williamson ends in July.

"Invasion" plays are popular in. London just now. One of the latest is by John L. Shine, who has written a dr-eam play in which John Drowsy sees in his sleep the results of a siege of London. Drowsy represents John Bull, and Sir Harry Wideawake, V.C., is a stage replica of Admiral Sir John Fisher, and advises John Drowsy to prepare for invasion, but in vain. The play depends largely on 6oenic effects and the invasion scare.

FOUND — At leading chemists', a certain remedy for headache. The name is Steams' Headache Cure. One wafer gives relief in any case. Anyone can get same by paying 1/- for a box of 12 wafers.

The great singers and artists— the pr iminent women who often owe almost as much to personal appearance as to personal genius and chirm -unanimously praise and wear P. D. Corsets. Why? The P. D. Corset is perfectly modelled. It supports and ennobles the figure. It retards no natural motion, checks no natural development. Perhaps you are -wearing some other corset. "Why ?