MOSCOVITCH STARTS CHRISTCHURCH RUN NEXT SATURDAY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18053, 13 January 1927, Page 7

MOSCOVITCH STARTS CHRISTCHURCH RUN NEXT SATURDAY.

FAMOUS RUSSIAN ACTOR WILL PLAY “ THE FAKE.”

Maurice Moscovitch and the brilliant .T C Williamson Company supporting him, inaugurate a season of ten nights at; the Theatre Royal on Saturday next. The opening production, “ The Fake, has scored a. big success in London and New Tork and again in Sydney and Melbourne. “ The Fake ’ is a tense, powerful drama by Frederick Lonsdale, who has a reputation for plays of a lighter nature. He is famed for ins clever "Aren’t We All?" "Spring Cleaning." and " Maid oT the Mountains. " The Fake,” when staged in Sj'dney recently. was referred to by a. critic of the "Sun” as follows: —-“When a play carries the name of Lonsdale as its author, it has the hall mark of all that is unusual, all that is daring and piquant in the technique of the modern playwright. Small wonder, then, that, first-nighters Ikst night, sat a. little firmer in their seats, eager to see and hear what new delights and thrills Lonsdale was to give them through the art of Maurice Moscovitch. The new play, dealing ;ia it does with drugs—drug addiction and its awful and inevitable consequences—is centred round a very timely topic. Lonsdale has drawn for us the picture of a father who, social climber that he is, eagerly sacrifices his daughter, by giving her in marriage to a drunkard and drug addict because he is the scion of a noble family. Now, in certain cases of drug addiction, there is no doubt a chance of cure, but Lonsdale has given his drug addict no such chance. ITo is pronounced by all doctors as incurable. The' agonies of the young wife can be imagined by all the. characters in the play except the father, who, if it enters liis 'head for a moment, deliberately ignores It. Climax follows climax till the final curtain."

The company supporting Maurice Moscovitch includes Ellen Pollock, Alexander Sarner and Margaret Murray—specially brought from London for this play. Favourites with the company are George Blunt, Eileen Sparks, J. B. Atholwood, Reginald Newson, Kiore King, Kerrie Kelly, Leslie Donaghey and John Harper. The second production is a revival for four nights only of Du Maurier’s celebrated play "Trilby.” The critic of the “Times,” Wellington, says: "In the opening performance of ‘ Trilby ' last evening Mr Moscovitch held a big audience enthralled with bis remarkable acting of the unusual and intensely human character.” “ The Outsider ” will be revived for one night only, and a new and startling drama, ” They Knew What They Wanted," will also be played. The box plans for the season are at the Bristol.