THEATRICAL TOPICS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20110, 31 March 1928, Page 15 (Supplement)

THEATRICAL TOPICS

PLAYS AND PLAYERS

GOSSIP FROM GREENROOM AND STAGE

Owen Nares, the English “matineeidol," who will tour Australia and New Zealand this year, has just made something of a hit in a new comedy, “Two White Anns," in London. # * # * J U. Williamson, Ltd., have purchased the Australian rights for Philip Goodman's “The Five O’clock Girl," a. successful New York musical com- * * * ♦ “Mr What’s His Name," with which Mr Seymour Hicks made a big success in Lunidon, is in the repertoire of Percy Hutchison’s English Comely Company, now in Melbourne With “The Joker.’’ # * * * The next Leon Gordon play in Sydney —at present in rehearsal — the London melodramatic success, “ I' -'' Crooked Billet," written by Dion Titheradge, son of George Tiiheradge. But it will be some weeks before u is seen, due to the continued good business that is being registered by “The Trial of Mary Dugan " :}: * -T- * Beautifully effected —within a few moments, in view of the audience —.’s the change in “The Girl Friend" from an evening before to the morning after. Somehow the spectator feels that there really has been that lapse of time —a unique triumph in stagecraft that has to be credited to the resourceful and accomplished producer, Frederick Blackman.

A new play on the idea of the prevention of war has been written by Captain Reginald Berkeley, once an Auckland resident. It is to be pro duced in London shortly. “Listeners,’’ as the play is titled, deals with a threat of war between Poland and Bolshevik Russia. The scene is set in Geneva and the characters are chiefly imaginary diplomats, in and around the League of Nations Building. * * * #

Writing from Sydney, under date March 7, Sir Benjamin Fuller states: “Grand opera bookings are going enormously. Yesterday and to-day we booked 6000 scats, and people are already making applications in Melbourne enclosing their cheques for scats for the Melbourne season." H° says he hopes he will be able to bring the company through New Zealand when it has finished the Melbourne season, which will be about the end of June. ♦ * * x

A South Island man had taken his daughter to sec a play which, to hipperturbation, developed alarmingly modernist tendencies. At the interval after the second act h c said diffidently. “I’m sorry I brought you here, mv dear. This is hardly a play for a girl of your age." He received an unexpected rejoinder, “Oh, it’s all right, dad,” she said, “I expect it'll liven up a bit in the last act.” Several new artists have been engaged abroad by the Fullers for the musical comedy “Rio Rita,” to support Miss Gladys Moncrieff, who is now on her way from London. “Rio Rita." one of the outstanding successes of the present New York season, is to begin its Australian career in Sydney at the St. James Theatre. The new artists are Miss Janette Gilmore, Mks Winnie Delaine, Messrs. John Valentine, David Malien, Guy Saunders, and Pringle and Miss Myrtle Pierce, specialty dancer. Miss Gilmore was one of the principals in the Now York production of “Oh Kay," and has i«icently appeared with success in London. Mr Valentine is an English tenor, who has been on the American stasre fo- some years. Mr Mallon has been engaged for the chief comedy role, as the vivacious Chick Bean, in the Australian production. Miss Winnie Delaine, who will appear as Mrs Bean, is a young English actress, who has lamly been playing principal girl at the Theatre Royal in Leeds- “Rio Rita" is described as a feast of colour an 1 glittering spectacle, with a plot which traverses one picturesque locality after another, and a Mexican girl and 'in officer of the Texas Rangers as .ho leading figures of the storv. *** ‘ *

Writing to a friend in Now Zealand Dame Nellie Melba, who is taking a prominent part in the preparations for the Williamson-Melba Grand Opera Company’s season, says: 44 1 am simnly delighted as much at the qualitv'ei the Australian singers who so far have been chosen, as wirh the undoubted musical abilities of th e principals and others. I am not exaggerating when I say that it is one of the most wonderful musical combinations ever gather-’ I together in any part of the world. As you know, it has taken the firm some years fo got this aggregation of famous singers together in one company.

In connection with the New Zealand tour of the new London Comedy Company headed by Helene Simon* Hastings Lynn, and containing manv sta«>e notabilities, Mr Bert Royle has arranged the following itinerary:—(lt. will %e noted that the dotes originally allotted to the Moscovitch Dominion tour have been absorbed, so the famous dramatic actor and his company will not open until J fay 2 at Auckland). Auckland. April 7 to 21; Hamilton. April 23; Wanganui, April 25 to °6Hawera, April 27; New Plymouth, April 28 to 30; Palmerston North, May 1 and 2; Hastings, May 3 and 4; Napier, May o and 7; Masterton, May 8; Wellington. May 9 to 26; Christchurch. May 29 to June 11; Timaru, Juno 12 and 13Dunedin, June 14 to 23; Invercargill’ June 25 and 26. * * » ♦

Percy Hutchison, actor and manager, and his company, at the Athenaeum, Melbourne, are appearing in the mvs- , tery play “The Joker." Hutchison began in boyhood with his mother , Emma Hutchison, and- toured with her . fox many years in comedy and drama. His first London appearance was in one of Sir Charles Wyndham’s productions of “David Garrick," and for soma time he was stage manager for Wyndham. Among plays in which he . has taken leading parts have been “Brewster's Millions," “Arsene Lu- ; pin," “Officer 666," “General Post," “A Pair of Sixes" (on which the musical comedy “Queen High" was based), “The Liars," “The Luck of the Navy," and “Nightie Night." Coming to Australia by way of South Africa, Mr Hutchison played a season there. He told an Adelaide interviewer that he had spent boyhood years in , Australia, and had seen his first play ’ in Melbourne, Leoi> &duo£twangcr, die aathor of Bum, c«e of 'Aait W 6& s«m«ss-

ful and also one of thhe finest novels of recent years, has, like many novelists, turm-ii his attention to the drama. s ( >» oral ot his pla.ys have been very popular in Germany. In “Calcutta, 4th May/’ using the background of India under the rule of Sir Warren Hastings (1775), Feuchtwanger has made his drama an exposition of efficiency, sobriety, and action. The main character is shown in all his strength and breadth of mind with clarity and force. He is charged • with overstepping his rights as a functionary of the 1.U.-4 It.<liy Company and is forced to '.acute his office. This all happens after it has been shown that he was really the saviour of India from the attacks an ! methods of the London mer- • iiants. The dialogue in the play has helped to make the situations just out m strong relief and gave the entire production unusual power. Feuchtwanger, like so many German authors e£ the present, is not satisfied to use regular dramatic forms for his dramas. and in »»is “Petroleum Islands." he has deviated from well-trod paths. His main ambiiion is to combine the epic with the Hiamatic. He wants to -how life in all lit phases and in all its detail within the confines of one single play. The play which was recently produced in Hamburg met with a good reception. Some of the critics seemed doubtful as to the full success of Feuchtwanger’s ideas in this drama. However, their confidence in the man is such that they are fairly certain that ho will arrive at his goal before long. The play in question deals with life on the Petroleum Islands. A hideous, but powerful and brilliant woman owns them, and is doing her best to develop their resources. Opposed to her is another woman, beautiful and intelligent, whose idea is to convert the islands into a place of beauty and peace. Between these two stands a brutal Soviet agent. Both love this man, but when the real ruler of the islands discovers that her moro beautiful companion has won his love she kills her rival out of jealousy and because she wishes to revenge herself on the crude man who has revealed some of her most intimate confidences. The fitory has power in its crudest form. The originality, however, was helped by the scenic effects and the i careful emphasis of various Important •bits of jviitical and social philosophy. J