MIMES AND MUMMERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11216, 23 October 1914, Page 2

MIMES AND MUMMERS.

(By THE LIMTSLTGfIT MAN.) "ISurify Pulls tlio Strings' 1, at the Theatre Koval on October •'!'. •* * Sir Herbert Tree is ono of the special constables doing duty in London. * * « Movies got. ahciid of the newspapei'3 in running pietuies of subjects which the authorities had i'orhiddon the newspapers "to touch. # *

Norman M'Kcowu when the mail left was appearing with Sir George Alexander in his latest production, l< Those "Who Sit in Judgment."

In tlio revival of '' Drake" in London the players received reduced en I lines, and iill profits went to the fund to help out of work players. Miss Phvllis Noilson-Terry, playing Queen JMizaboth, drew no pay. *. *

Anibrose Manning, here in " The Whip,'' and Miss Su&io Vaugltan, well known in these parts, were appearing in. "The' Cinema Star," which was showing in London when tlio mail ictu, and beforo the authorities put the lights out o' nights.

Lewis Waller, returned from his tour of Australia and South Africa, and appeared at the Empire Tneatre as a reciter.' Re scored lvflvfy with some ot Kipling's .Barrack 13;sllods.

Prices at the Hay market Theatre* London, with a seating capacity or one thousand and sixty, have been reduced to from 7s Gd down to Is. Haven't heard of any reduction ln-iNew Zealand or in Australia yet.

Fred Leslie and Miss Ivy Schilling arrived in London towards the end el August, in ovdor to show Britain w-hMt dancing is. The war has prolr.blv affected their plans, but. the Thames has not burst into flames ye'

South Africa before the eml of Aii"ust had become so bar] theatucally that a big irusical attraction s?nt tneye by George Edwardes was ordered back. Ne\v - York theatres have also _ felt the counter-attraction of war and increased Gost of living.

In connection with talk of. reduced prices and reduced salaries, it is intovestini! to notice that in one of the bit* vaudeville circuits it has been determined that no salary normally of •P2 or under shall be decreased, that should correspond to £3 iOs salaries m Australia if cutting is started. *♦*

Miss Ethel Levey, who madea name for herself as a singer of ragtime .and other songs of similar weight, has joined the ranks of the singers who have become actresses. Early last month she 'appeared in a serious comedy entitled "Outcast" by Hubert Henty Davies, and was ft big success. V*

Quite at the other end of the .patri-otic-business strain was James W vlch, who ran on with his revival of When Knights Weie Bold" at usual prices, and "with only his own salary rediiced. ■MI references to Germans or war .were cut out of the farce. It replied the hundredth flight of its rovival on September 7.

Tl lO Palace Theatre of Varieties in London passed its accounts just before the end of August and found that its profits were £23,259, in addition to which £39,810 ts invested m first-class securities as a reserve. For some yoats the concern paid 20 per cent, but. tins year owing to the war the dividend wns cut down to. 10 per. cent and £14,000 carried forward. At the same time a co-operative scheme, cutting down art'sts' salaries, was- also -introduced in London

On Monday night "The House of TomT>erlcy'' opened unfortunately.

In fact, it didn't open, because the projecting machine jibbed hoforo the star film was readied. The. audience filed- out- and got tickets which took thorn hack on Tuesday night. Somo folk, thinking thai/ tlx? star film would again ho hist., came iato bo as to avoid films t'hey had .seen before. Bub '• The Hoiiso of Temper Icy" started the show and the latc-comors gob left.

F/volyn Nesbii, Thaw has gone into motion pictures with a La bin company.

"La Mascott-o" is to he the next production by tho Wellington Amateur Operatic Socioty. ■ * *

The Hugh C. Buckler Little Theatre Company has promised to tour New Zealand early next year with a full repertoire.

Madame Adeline Genee was hooked for a tour of America this month. The Australian M'Leans aro also in American vaudeville.

In America tho Government has decided to tax tho incomes of imported theatrical stars so as to afford wmie protection to the local stellar product. 0. P. Heggie, the first messenger in "A Message from Mars" in New Zealand, has been engaged to produce a big fantasy based on a Hans Christian Andersen fairy story.

In tho cast of "Du Barry," produced by Miss Nellie Stewart, there ■w'ero forty-seven characters, and therefore from' the viewpoint of the players it is a good play: it employs so many.

liarcourt Beatty, Herbert Greenwood and Frederick Worlock are in Oscar Asdic's production of " Maweena," a Zulu drama adapted from Rider Haggard's " A Child of Storm."

Charlie Taylor and Ella Carringtor are in management once more, and the Taylor-Carrington Dramatic Company is again on tho road. At latest it was at Hobart opening with "Good Luck."

A patriot in deed: Mdnie. Sarah Bernhardt in August requested tho authorities of the City of Paris to permit her to transform her theatre into a hospital for the troops, as sho did in the campaign of 1870-71.

Tho Christmas production in Sydney by Beaumont Smith will be " Seven Little Australians." the famous Ethel Turner children's story. The date of the production has been definitely fixed and rehearsals will be started this week. « Leslie Gaze, who was " The Chocolate Soldier " here, has returned to Australia from America, where he has been studying singing. He . will probably be heard at concerts in Melbourno. Gaza has married again. Mrs Gaze is an American and an accomplished musician. * • *

Noted for its innovations, the Little Theatre ha-s already branched out with n new idea. This is the issuing from Paling's of books of six or twelve tickets for theatre parties, so that on any particular night all that piucbasprs have to do is to ring up and say the number of seats-they need. „

There is in Australia a theatrical magazine entitled " The Theatre, - ' which seems to have a loving regard for things the Press agents like to hive said, find as a result the stupid ill-temper of theatrical managers at criticism finds voice. A little while .igo Lincoln 1 Plumer was told that he iilnved a Russian in "The Yellow Ticket'' with an American accent. He got nasty about it, and defended the use of the accent. His own stage producer, E. W. Morrison, holds, quite properly, that every , actor should he ■able to "speak a language.:which ,has r>o national .eccentricities, and urges that' therefore where English is spolcen American should not be used as the impersonal" language. Unfortu-

nutely few actors or Press agents have sufficient intelligence to app roc iato this.

Hornca Hodges and "Witney Percival, bo I'll hero with Wilson Barrett, aro playing in London with Cyril Maude,

"The most dolightful comedy seen in years past," is the opinion of the " Bulletin " on " Seven Keys to Boldpate."

Charles Spencer, talking about his film productions, recently stated that ho had made a profit out of every one ho had put on tho market-. Out of " The Fatal Wedding" lie made £OOOO. "Sweet Nell of Old Drury" cost, .£2OOO to produce, hub the New Zealand rights were sold for £BOO.

Here is tho company for 'I he Argvle Case" in Melbourne: —Charles A. Millward, William ilarripan (fclie prominent actor from David Belavsco's company, New York), Nicholas Joy, Robert Ore'ig, Gregan M'Mahon (specially engaged), Charles Brown, Sylvia Bremer, Gertrude Boswell, Celia GhiJoni, Beatrice Holloway, Stella Paber and Maggie Moore. Slight additions to the New Zealand company, eh?

AUSTRALIA'S NELL. Miss Nellie Stewart on her play, " Du Barry " " I can't keep away from tho stage. I'd been away four years this time, but I had to come back. I. felt a little uncertain of myself on the first night, for an act or so of I Du Barry '--felt that perhaps I had lost touch with the gallery, had grown strange to them—so many new people had been hero while I was away. But [ was not in doubt very long. 'Du Barry' is the ■ highest thing I hare done. ' Sweet Nell' is easy compared with it. I was lucky to get these plays. It isn't always possible to find tho sort you want. 1 mean a play that can be well east with the people available. Of course, any players can bo put to act any play. Such a variety of work is good experience for the young ones. But the audience, the poor audience! The second act of 'Du Barry' is the hardest of all. There aro so many changes of mood. The response to the appeal of the young lover; then, to the appeal of the' King; the longiiigfor a simple country life; then, the vision of power ; the momentary wish to return to the comradeship of tho shop girls arid the soldiers; the dream of swaying a court; all these intermingling' and constantly changing. In comic opera my best work was done in ' Ma Mie Rosette.' Rosette is a beautiful part. For a good easy part to rattle through, yet effective, I should say my favourite in comic opera was Bettina in 'La Maseotto.'"