COMING OF MOSCOVITCH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17567, 18 June 1925, Page 7

COMING OF MOSCOVITCH.

WORLD-FAMOUS STAR. Maurice Moscovitch, the famous Russian-Jewish actor, whose attainments have so impressed Australian audiences during the past six months, and is now playing to enormous audiences in Wellington, will open his Christchurch season at the Theatre Royal on Thursday evening next week in his celebrated production of Dorothy Br an don's tense drama, “The Outsider.” which, will be staged for five rnghts only. Speaking of the piece on its first, presentation in Sydney, the critic of the “Sun” said:—“Until Saturday night not many people in Svdnoy knew njuch about a play called ‘The Outsider.’ or its author. Dorothy Brandon. It will he surprising, however, if Sydney does not bear much this week of the charm of ‘The Outsider as a play, and of the extraordinary ve-ve and brilliance of the great Moscovitch in the principal part. The new ploy is a triumph for the visiting actor. lie lias shown, as Shylock in ‘The Merchant of Venice* that he was a highly gifted artist, but the Shakespearian part is too familiar to permit of much surprise. As Anton Ragntzy in ‘The Outsider,’ Moscovitch was surprising. By sheer force of personality he held the big Theatre Koval audience from the start; hut at the end of the second act ho had swept off its feet. At the termination of this excellent drama, the curtain was raised and re-raised more than a. dozen times to a storm of applause, the sustained quality of which has rarely been heard within the walls of this theatre Moscovitch himself stands out from the picture in indelible colours. Tic leaves an impression at once buoyant', breezy and original. He is fortunate u having a leading lady like Jean Robertson. This fine actress lives her unusual part to the full, breaths the requisite fire and passion into it. and makes of the crippled, but otherwise gifted girl a fine emotional studv When an actor of such standing *,i his art as Maurice Moscovitch comes to this country, we can highly pride ourselves on having been placed on the level of the great intellectual centres of the older world.” Moscovitch will be supported by a powerful company of English and Australian artists, all of whom appeared with him in his Melbourne and Svdney seasons. and will include William Stack. Nat Madison, H. Mackenzie Kogan, G. Ka • Soupcr, Arthur Greenaway, Basil Bowen. Charles Lawrence, Richard Webster. Jean Robertson. Eileen Sparks, Marie Eaton and Tsobel Wil lord. “The Outsider” will be staged for five nights only. The second production of the season will bc* “The Merchant of Venice.” which will bo presented for two nights, and for the last two nights of the season. “The Great Lover" will be rerived. The box plans for “The Outsider’’ will open oc the Bristol on Tuesday morning at C* o'clock