IN THE LONDON THEATRES.

Waikato Times, Volume 105, Issue 17679, 6 April 1929, Page 17 (Supplement)

IN THE LONDON THEATRES.

PLAY RUNS ONLY WEEK. OWEN NARES IN FAILURE. (From a Correspondent.) LONDON, February 9. The playgoing public having failed to support “Living Together" (featuring Owen Nares), which preaches marriage—Mr Sutro’s play comes off tomorrow, after a run of just over a week—Mr Leon M. Lion Is substituting the opposite view with a revival of “The Fanatics” at Wyndham’s on Friday. Later on, probably at Wyndham’s, there is to be an association of Mr Lion and Miss Sybil Thorndike (who was attacked by influenza directly she got back from South Africa) in one—• or more—of three plays. Two of the plays under consideration are “Mariners,” by Miss Clemence Dane, and “What Really Happened," by Mrs Belloc Lowndes. Stars Take Smaller Parts. Miss Gladys Cooper and Miss Evelyn Laye take smaller parts than is usual with them in their new plays. In point of size—though not necessarily of importance—Miss Cooper’s

part in Mr Somerset Maugham's “The Sacred Flame,” does not equal those of Miss Mary Jerrold or Miss Glare Fames; and Miss Laye is resigned to the fact that in “New Moon,” the forthcoming Drury Lane piece, the leading man’s part will be bigger than her’s. New Zealand Girl Scores Again. Miss Marie Ney (the New Zealand girl), as the wife in “The Offence,” revived at the Everyman, furthers the poignant atmosphere by the utter simplicity and charm of her performance. In every gesture and intonation she conveyed the wanted nuance.

Much Fine Acting

The return of Miss Marie Tempest to the West End stage and Miss Gladys Cooper’s production of “The Sacred Flame” have added brilliantly to the rather exceptional amount of fine acting in London just now. Miss Tempest goes with superb, smooth comedy through “Her Shop,” owing far more to herself at closing time than to the authors; but Mr Somerset Maugham’s melodrama —it follows “The Lady With a Lamp” and “Journey’s End” as the third fine English play already staged this season — makes the opportunities for acting. “The Sacred Flame" ran only a fortnight or so in New York,” perhaps because the film and “mammy” songs have so glorified mothers in American minds that a murdering mother killed its chances. But what a play it is, as done at the Playhouse; and what acting there is in it from Miss Cooper (one of the best performances in her career, lo my mind), Miss Glare Eames, Miss Mary Jerrold, and Mr Richard Bird. Success of “Beau Geate.’’ Is spectacle dead in the theatre? Have the films killed it? The production of “Beau Geste,” with its soldiers, its fightings, its shootings, and its various other Basil Dean pieces of theatrical “realism,” has started these questions. People axe arguing and contradicting. Unquestionably “Beau Geste” is the best spectacle put into a West End theatre for years. That is generally agreed. That it does not come up to what can be done on the film goes without saying. But how could it? "We are not attempting to challenge the films," Mr Dean said. Mr Charles B. Cochran expressed the opinion that “realistip spectacle in the theatre is almost finished, but there is room and scope for imaginative spectacle.”

Meanwhile, in spite of all the arguments, the general public is flocking to His Majesty’s to “Beau Geste.” The "house full" boards have been out at practically every performance so far, and on Saturday the*box-office takings were more than £9OO.

Realism on the Stage.

Messrs Clayton and Waller are trying two little bits of stage realism in their new musical play “Merry, Merry." One scene shows a tube station, another a motor car supposedly in movement.

Miss Peggy O’Neil and Mr A. W. Baskcomb, who share the leading parts in the piece with Miss Cecil Cunningham, the American variety artist, and Mr W. H. Berry, are the occupants of the car.

“Double” of Noel Coward Sought. Mr Cochran Is looking for a “double” of Mr Noel Coward for his new revue.

The Gate Theatre Season.

The spring and summer season at the Gate Theatre is full of interest. “.Twelve Thousand" will run till February 16, and on February 19 will be produced “Hoppla!"—(“Ilopplal Wir Icbenl”), Ernst Toller’s play, translated from the German by Hermon Ould. On March 19 will come “The Race With the Shadow” —a play by Wilhelm Von Scholz, translated from the German by Graham and Tristan Rawson — and “Periphery,” by Franz Langere, is underlined for production on April 16. On May 14 “The Dream Doctor," by 11. R. Lenormand, translated from the French by D. L. Orna, will he presented; and for June 11 a new play by Georg Kaiser is announced. .Eugene O’Neill’s play “Welded" is down for July it*