THE STAGE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12637, 23 May 1919, Page 4

THE STAGE.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. With regard to “ The Bettor ’Ole," which is running in Melbourne, and a screen version or which will shortly be seen in Christchurch, the play, after a rather unsatisfactory run in London, was taken over to America shortly before the conclusion of tho war. Foil months tho piece wont begging. Pro- 1 ducer after producer turned it down, for reasons that seemed, unanswerable, until Charles Coburn thought ho saw an appeal in tho quaint soldier charact'Ts. The play was put on at an out-of-the-way New York theatre down in Greenwich village, with Coburn himself playing Old Bill—and then came tho deluge. To the profound astonishment of the managers who didn’t want _ it, “The Better ’Ole” drew prodigious crowds. A larger theatre had to be found. Then a second company, with James K. Hackett, was sent to Can- 1 ada; a third, with Edmund Gurney, to Boston; and a fourth, with Maclyn Arbucklo, to Philadelphia. Tho Chicago company, for which Hopper was induced to leave his employment at tho New York Hippodrome, is tho fifth oP the series. And in all tho 'records of recent seasons there is no play that has hung up so high a mark of unvarying success ns thig makeshift piece which the pundits of the theatre unanimously cast aside. Harry Lauder is expected to commence his New Zealand tour in Christchurch this month. High praise is given to Mr W. S. Percy, the ex-Pollardian, by the London papers for his work in “ Oh, Don’t, Dolly 1” The “Daily Telegraph” critkl says that in him the management of the Criterion Theatre has discovered an artist of a singularly alert agile and mercurial description. He also declares that “Mr Percy, as the Professor, recalls at one moment the late Nat Goodwin, and at another their own Weedon Grossmitli. He never spares himself, and, working at high pressure throughout, won not only for himself a genuine success, but obtained a favourable verdict for the piece. “ His style,” the critic goes on to say, “ is not remarkable for subtlety or finesse; you cannot, however, deny to him a rollicking sense of humour and an abundance of high spirits.” The “Daily Express” says, “The clover newcomer is a little man! of the Willie Edouin type. His style ia nippier than Edouin’s—almost as brisk as that of Arthur .Huberts. He sings well and_ dances’ brilliantly. !His humour is unforced, and seemingly spontaneous;” With all the papers eulogising him, it is not surprising to! hear that managers are asking Mr Percy to name his terms for future engagements. . A Glance Back,” by Mr G. R. Sims, in the London “ Referee ” On January 27, 1859, the Pyne and Harrison Company were giving a performance of Satanella ” at Oovent Garden, After the first act Mr Harrison cam© before the curtain, saying that a telegram had been received form Berlin announcing that the Crown Princess of Prussia, the the Crown Prince Frederick william, had given birth to a son. The curtain rose, and all the company sang the National Anthem. And that is how the birth of William, late of Potsdam and now of Amerongen, was celein London sixty years ago. It is significant that Satan was present on the occasion in the name of the opera. The proposed increase of the American war tax 0 n theatre tickets from approximately 10 per cent to 20 per 1 cent of the selling price was being fought recently by the United Managers’ Protective Association. “Fourminute speakers” were appearing in tlio intervals at theatres all over the United States. Leading actors and’ actresses were asked to make personal appeals on the matter to the White House. Mr John Galsworthy, tho well-known English playwright, in discussing the state of the British stage, said recently:—“ Seriously, our drama needs a lift at both ends. We want an arts theatre at the top, rendered absolutely and permanently independent of public taste by some millionaire benevolent and public-spirited enough to sink his money and his own whims, and confide its direction to two or three men who really know what art is. Such a permanent arts theatre would soon become one of the most sought after in London and a model for dramatic effort at large. At the other end we want our elementary and other school teachers instructed’ in (esthetic canons, and we want them to pass their knowledge into the minds of their pupils, so that a demand is created for art all over the country.” "Women are all actresses,” saysMax O’Rell. \ “ What makes actresses so fascinating and attractive to men is that they are women twice over.” Mr James Glover, who recently fulfilled his twenty-fifth engagement as musical director of the Drury Lane pantomime (with twenty-two of the years consecutive)i recalls that in that period ho has composed “ 480 bits of waltzes, 180 short ballets or divertissements, 100 marches, ‘ slows and hurries/ 40 patriotic songs, and over 3000 bits of ‘ agits ’ (agitato passages) and ‘ pathetics.’ ” He considers that popular songs of the music hall order should have a leading place in pantomime music, as catchy tunes are preferred by the majority of those in the audience, both children and adults. Much thought has been given to the subject of revolving or sinking stages to facilitate changes of scene, and in a number of cases good practical results have been attained. A London item tells of a further experiment of the kind, stating that two members of the stage staff at Wyndham’s Theatre, Messrs H. A Hipwell and A. E. Wood, have, with the co-operation of Mr N. Jensen, perfected a system which, if equally successful results can he obtained on a large scale as from their working model, ought to do away with long waits. “ The scheme is an application of that employed with the tube lifts, and practically involves nothing more serious than the sinking of a large cylinder beneath the stage, and the installation of machinery by means of whicli the various sets caii be drawn up above tho level of the proscenium or lowered out of sight of tho audience. Imagine, for instance, a house of three stories, all of which could he made, by the pressure of n,n electric, button, to ascend or descend as circumstances required.”