MIMES AND MUMMERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9223, 30 April 1908, Page 2

MIMES AND MUMMERS.

(By t&e LIMELIGHT MAN.) Miss Lily Thompson, of Pollards, is suffering from pleurisy. *♦* "Peter Pan." was successfully introduced to Australia o;\ Easter Saturday night. » "Olivia" was tho best production by the Herbert Flemming Company in its recent season. Miss Maud Hobson, the successiul comedy actress, formerly of Melbourne, has gone over to America. \ Wirths had a record house at Sydney on Easter Monday night. It was £50 better than, tho house at Johannesburg one night, which was the previous best for the show. *.* On Friday night Pollard's Company will place before the public " an ollapodrida of musical gems," which is tho advertisement writer's nice way of mo* " a vaudeville entertainment." On Monday Edwin Geach's Dramatic Company will return to* Christchurch. They will produce "Tho Heart of a Hero," by the author of "Tho Modern Adventuress," and then they will stage " Camille." *#* The Sandow Girls, Alico Wyatt and Myrft Hammond, arc going to South Africa to> fulfil an engagement fliers, and afterwards they intend to try England. They have had vory little to do in Australia of late. Hilda Lane, who was .hero with Fullers as a balladiste somo tim© ago, is with Johnny Sheridan's Company. Rosie Evesson, who did tlio Dart-oh burlesque in. the old Pollard production of "Floradora" is with tho same company. ••• Like her famous contemporaries, Madame Melba and Madame Sarah Bernhardt, Madame Eleonora Duse, the great Italian actress* has lived to witness the wedding of her only child, Henrietta Marchetti Duse, who married Mr Edward Bullough. ' *«* In "Olivia" Mr Winter Hall seemed to have missed the idea of the character of Mr Burchill. From the opening scene Mr Burchill was antagonistic, and the audience felt little sympathy with him, although he is one of tho "good" men of the play. ••* Says "The Theatre" for April:— By tne brand-new mail boat Asturias, on her trip Home, departed Hubert Willis, whose engagement with the Kriight Company is concluded. The English artist (who in private was a great golfer) will always be kindly rememoored for his Friar Tuck (" Robin Hood"), the detective in "Baffles," and Napoleon in " Brigadier Gerard." *** Wirth Bros.' season, at Prince Alfred Park will probably last for a couple of months: When the show is transferred to the firm's permanent building in Melbourne on Caulfield Cup night, a pantomime, entitled " Feasts of Japan/ will be introduced. Phil. Wirth says that this was a feature of Schumann's circus in Berlin, which he considers is one of the best shows of its kind in the world. The Brothers Wirth, by the way, employ, over 150 people. ••• The Royal Artillery Band\that is to tour New Zealand includes some noted soloists. The .cornetist is Mr M'Evoy, andi Mr Robert Smith, junior, A.R.C.M., tho solo clarionet player, is regarded as the best performer on that instrument in Eugland. He has composed two successful operas. Three other prominent soloists are Mr J. Dorrhigton (euphonium), Mr Stranaghan (trombone), and Mr' A. W. Adorn (flautist). ••* An item of considerable interest from J.O.W.'s headquarters is that Victor Gouriet is to take George Lauri's place in the Royal Comic Opera Company. Gouriet was here with the musical comedy company playing " The Blue Moon," and after seeing him I am compelled to ask: "Why has Percy been passed over?" Percy has proved himself a favourite in Australia, and his work compares — but comparisons are said to be odious I *•* T.wo under-studies have made their appearance during the v Pollard season. The first was Miss Ella Osborne, as Dolores in " The Isle of Bong-Bong," and Miss Nellie Findlay, as Dicky in "Bluebell," was the other. Both young ladies gave particularly creditable performances, especially Miss Findlay, whose Dicky compared more than favourably with the character as presented by tho original of the part — • Miss Lily Thompson. V Most theatrical folk have their pet superstitions. Harry Rickards, for example, will never allow a playbill printed with yellow on it in any form ; nor will he sign a contract on a Friday. . Bland Holt objects to an open umbrella on the stage, and ,in one play of his, in which there /'was a scene with the rain falling in. torrents, two of the principals walked the stage with closed "gamps" under their arms! It is not likely, however, that any actor would object to being paid on a Friday. *.* The "Sydney Sunday Times" publishes a free criticism on some of the New Zealand papers in regard to their theatrical news. It runs thusly : — " In some of the New Zealand papers every first paragraph is about Mr Bert Royle, every second one about Mr Dick Stewart, and every third) one About Stewart or Roylo, or Royle or Stewart, or both combined— fulsome gush, and nothing in any. of tho paragraphs. When will we be able to ram. into managers that it is the show you want to make known." *.* • Genial Harold Ashton writes to tell me that Harry Roberts is to commence his Australasian tour in Christchurch on Juno 1. Ho goes on to say that Roberts will play " The Prince Chap," a delightful American play, and will be assisted by three other imported artists — a leading lady, a soubrette and a comedian — but the rest of the company will be carefully selected in Australia. H.A. mentions that Allan Hamilton is in with him in the speculation and will manage the tour. Roberts is well known in Neiv Zealand and is already a favourite here, and the part in " The Prince Chap fits him like a glove. Almost everyone will remember him as the splendid actor who was in Maggie Moore's company as leading man. Tho new Theatre Royal has few defects, but one of the few is a very glarin<* fault that is common in modern theatres. It is the situation of the switchboard, which is high -above the stage level. To have the electric plant controlled from a board that is well out of the way is very desirable where companies aTe stationed for a long time, but where travelling companies are concerned it is a great handicap. The electrician is usually obtained locally, and frequently he can , have no rehearsal until the opening night, when tho success or failure of a play depends largely on the manipulation of vW ljsJtin^ The electrician- has to bo frequently instructed by the stage manager, who is on tho stage level, and. ns his voico is repulsed by the flooring of the switchboard, the quick working of the lights is almost impossible.