GLADYS MONCRIEFF.

Waikato Times, Volume 105, Issue 17786, 10 August 1929, Page 15 (Supplement)

GLADYS MONCRIEFF.

APPEARING IN HAMILTON SOON. A GREAT FAVOURITE. Gladys Moncrieff occupies a unique position in the world of the theatre, and it was her own hard 'work and determination that got her there. The idol of Australia, a big London favourite, and with her work in “Rio Rita” putting the finishing touches on the admiration and esteem in which she is held in New Zealand, it needs only a brief survey of her career to see that she owes her success to no one but herself —grit allied to unusual gifts. She was born in Bundaberg, away in North Queensland, which, whatever its fertility in sugar and timbers, has little opportunity for musical comedy voices. She was unknown. Her voice was untrained. Into the rest of this story of ‘Gladys comes another element—opportunity. She has the voice, almost a grand opera voice. She has presence and beauty—also more suited to grand opera than to ordinary light comedy. When she and opportunity met first she was, so to speak, all dressed up for the meeting. She had had the best of training; she had played in lighter shows; she had learnt a certain amount of stage-craft. Her time was ripe when opportunity brought her “The Maid of the Mountains.” It created a furore. Gladys created a bigger one. Her airs—she made them hers —reached every corner of Australia. Her numbers were on every Jew’s harp, concertina, accordeon and gramophone. Anyone but Gladys would have lost her head after that victory, but this was an exceptional girl. Her roles in the next few years were only watching ones, in which she tested herself, learned new technique, cured her weaknesses, corrected her faults, improved her singing, and saw the stage methods of other lands. When she i'elt that she was strong enough to 'acc the lights of London she went here. Opportunity, her old friend, net her on the wharf with “The Blue dazurka.” As a show it was not a success, but Gladys was, because it jonlained a part just made for her. Critics raved about her. She was the larling of the theatre-going public, t looked definitely as if this end of he world had lost her for good, as t has lost many another star. But one day Mr John Fuller was n New York and saw a show called 'Rio Rita.” Then he went to the icarest cable office and wired Gladys: Will you accept leading role in ‘Rio tita’?” and mentioned the biggest sal- ! ry ever paid to a ’musical comedy < rtiste in Australia. The result is I inil we have her with us again— i .uslralia’s Queen of Song—in a part I ully worthy of her wonderful talents, 1 a show that outrivals any similar induction ever seen in New Zealand.