PLAYS AND PLAYERS.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17964, 8 March 1930, Page 5 (Supplement)

PLAYS AND PLAYERS.

THEATRE ROYAL. March 10. —Ernie Lotinga Company in “ House Full. - ’

Ernie Lotinga Company on Monday. Mr Ernie Lotinga and his English company, which includes the talented actress Miss Kathleen Barbor, wul stage the London burlesque comedyfarce “House Full" at Hamilton on Monday night. The company has been delighting Auckland playgoers for a fortnight. In London "House Full” attracted, record audiences for over twelver months. , “House Full” concerns the actions of a gang of blackmailers who are foiled over and over again by the ingenuity of Mr Lotinga in the role of jimmy Josser. All the dramatic incidents are punctuated by the amusing eccentricities of this irresistible comedian. The supporting 'company will include several well-known English artists —Kathleen Barbor, Daisy Bindley, Rie Costa, Harold Wilkinson, Arnold Bell, Fred Luck, Adolph Luck, Max. Iveson, Doyle Crossley, Robert McCulley and Jack Frost. “House Full” will be preceded by the clever dancing act of the Hardgrove Brothers. William Faversham In Australia. William Faversham has arrived in Sydney from America to play a season of 16 weeks in Australia, crowding into that vperiod as many of his successes as circumstances permit. His-opening production in Sydney on Saturday next will be “The Prince and the Pauper.” Mr Faversham will probably revive “Under the Red Robe,” and will also be seen as Cardinal Wolsey in “Henry V111.’,, a Shakespearean production. Edith Campbell (Mrs Faversham) will be the leading lady. Strella Wilson In London. Strella Wilson, well remembered here in Gilbert and Sullivan opera, is having a very pleasant time in England. “One sees of Australians in London,” she says. “Whilst lunching the other day Madge Elliott and Cyril Ritchard walked in; later in the day I met Biddy Tallis and Dot Brunton. The world does seem small.” Strella makes a dreadful confession. Her long, golden hair is off. She simply couldn’t get a hat to fit. It nearly broke my heart,” she adds. “ ‘Bitter Sweet,” the Noel Coward revue, is still running to enormous houses, and the Gilbert and Sullivan revival is doing big business in London; but it is hoped that when G. and S. plays are revived again in Australia the dressing will not be altered, as has been done in London. In 'The Mikado’ they are wearing long trains, and no fans are used by the girls—only Katisha.” Strella has been. staying for some time with Mr and Mrs Anthony Princep (Margaret Bannerman) at their beautiful home in ' Buckinghamshire. On New Year’s Eve they had a big party at the Savoy—Fanny Ward, Phyllis and Zena Dare, George Graves, James - Hay and Frederick Hobbs were among the merrymakers.

r.lcscovltch In New York. Maurice Moscovitch, the well-known actor, who was so popular in New Zealand, has impressed critics in “Jew Suss” in New York. Byrl Walkely, the Australian girl; has a part in the play. Moscovitch has three sons._ One, as is well known, is the actor Nat Madison; a second is Anton Maaskoff, a violinist of repute; and the third, Harry Maaskoff, "is in the pants business in London,” says the New York Times. Maaskoff is the family name.

Musical Comedy at Auckland. The Fuller Musical Comedy Company, headed by Freddie Forbes, the English comedian, and the Big Four, humorists and harmonisers, will commence a season at His Majesty’s Theatre, Auckland, to-night. The opening attraction ..will be “Lido Lady.” The company includes Catherine Stewart, Betty Lambert, Vera St. John, Verna Bain (dancer), Aster Faire, the Arnley Brothers, and a ballet.

Elsie Prlnoe In England. Elsie Prince, who was so popular here in musical comedy, writes from Birmingham to the Sydney Sun: “After all my terrible rush I arrived home too late l'or the musical comedy I came for, and then Julian Wylie asked me to oblige him by playing Boy for Christmas in Birmingham. Elsie said yes, so-here I am. Was very excited seeing the ‘Old Country’ once acaln; also my two sisters, who have sung in two English talkies. I couldn’t express how I’m missing Ihe sunshine and all my dear friends. My one great wish is to return and remain there permanently.” Her pantomime is “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” Wat Madison In America.

Nat Madison may appear in one of A. H. Wood's forthcoming productions (says the New York Times). After "Recapture” Mr Woods will proceed to the presentation of a play now known as “Man’s Enemy,” in which Alice Brady will have the star role. It is a piece from the French. The rumour about the play has it that, like “Outward Bound,” all its characters are dead people. Theatre Changes Its Name. Fullers’ Theatre in Sydney, which had housed vaudeville for many years, recently closed for renovation. Under the name of the Roxy it reopened last week as a picture theatreHuge Profits from “Chu Chin Chow.’’ The inside story of “Chu Chin Chow r ” ’ is told in Oscar Asche’s memoirs. The total cost of producing the great spectacle was exactly £5356 17s 9d. It ran for practically five years, played 2235 performances, without a break, and in solid cash the public paid £3,000,000 to see it. Aschg admits drawing £200,000 as his share, although he had no money invested in the play. Huge Melbourne Theatre. The Bijou and Gaiety Theatres, andoiher structures owned by Fullers’ Theatres. Ltd., in Melbourne, are to i razed. The organisation has in |Heir replacement by a huge .ern theatre. ;t is understood that present plans are being laid on a basis of an undertaking involving about £1,000,000, but nothing definite has been decided.

Made Him Forget His Hat! When Ernie Lotinga visits Hamilton on Monday there will be at least one well-known Hamiltonian present who will have the memory of a lost ha! through forgetfulness, brought abou: by continual laughter whilst the wellknown comedian occupied the stage at the Leicester Palace, England, some twenty years ago. A mislaid or wrongly-taken headpiece is of fairly constant occurrence, but it says much for Mr Lotinga’s mirth-provoking humour that he should have caused a seasoned variety "fan” to forget all about his “Stetson” until he was a mile away from the theatre. Swinging Back to the Stage. There are indications of a swing back to the ‘/legitimate” stage in most parts of the world. The talkies are still popular, and are likely to remain so, but now that their novelty has worn off people are seeking variety in entertainment, and stage shows of the better class give every promise of coming back to their own. Allan Wilkie Turns Hundreds Away. So great was the interest displayed in Melbourne in the Allan Wilkie Company’s revival of “The School l'or Scandal" that the King’s Theatre was crowded out .an hour before the show was due to commence. Hundreds were turned away, and the management decided to give additional formancesThis is regarded as a good omen in the battle between the stage and the talkies. N.Z. Actor awarded £560. Robert Geddes’ two-year contract with Guy Bolton was upheld 1 'by a board of the American Arbitration Association. Geddes was awarded £560, the balance due him under a 15-week guarantee covering last season, and the agreement for '2O weeks’ employment in the season ending October i, 1930, held to be in effect. Geddes (who was at one time a member of the Auckland Operatic Society) was brought over from England by Bolton in 1928 to play in a contemplated muscial. When the muscinl was not produced Bolton farmed out Geddes to Arthur Hammerstein for “Golden Dawn.” Geddes played some few weeks in that show and was then let out. When he demanded additional work from Bolton or salary under his contract, Bolton replied ihal Hammerstein had taken over the contract. Hammerstein denied lie had done so. Jimmy Godden in London. Jimmy Godden, who was associated with Elsie Prince in “No, No, Nanette,” “Archie,” and other successes in New Zealand, writes to the Sydney Sun: —“I wallowed in London for three weeks when 1 got Home, and spent a wonderful Christmas with my old mother (looking younger and better than ever, thank goodness!) To-day I have signed a contract to play in ‘Blue Eyes.’ a musical comedy with Winnie Melville and Derek Oldham playing leads. They, at present., are playing leads in a Gilbert and Sullivan revival at the renovated Savoy. You will be pleased to hear that Billee Lockwood, and possibly Noel Allan (the New Zealander) are in.the same company with me. Elsie" Prince is principal boy at the Theatre Royal, Birmingham, and Charlton Morton is touring with ‘The Middle Watch’ —a comedy which has be'en filling the Shaftesbury Theatre for months. Australians are holding their own very well here in the theatres. Although I am, of course, delighted to have ‘my foot on my native heath’ I still hold wonderful memories and a very great affection for Australia and Australians.” Shows In Australia. The outstanding attractions in Australia are:— Sydney.—“ Journey’s End,” with Reginald Tate as Captain Stanhope, is nearing its 100th performance; “New Moon,” with Marie Bremner, Sidney Burchall, and Frederick Bentley, in its last weeks, to be followed by a,revival of “The Belle of New York”; "Murder on the Second Floor” with Leon Gordon; “The Prince and the Pauper,” with William Faversham, supported by Ann Davis, Edith Campbell, Mary MacGregor, and others; “My Old Dutch,” with Nan eye Stewart, Mayne Lynton, and H. LaneBayliff. Melbourne. with Mary Lawson, Molly Fisher, Gus Bluett, and Cecil Kelleway; “The School for Scandal," with Allan Wilkie; “Lombardi, Ltd.,” with Leo Carrillo. >

“Let Him Go, You Big Stiff!” Everything is in the point of view, says Sydney Sun. The*other night in “Journey’s End” a perfectly normal middle-aged man was greatly engrossed in the piece, sitting in the stalls, but when it came to the episode of Stanhope pointing his revolver at the coward, Hibbert, and offering him half a minute- to make up his mind to stay with his mates and take his chance of being shot there and then as a shirker, this man hall" rose in his seat and hissed furiously, “Let him go, you big stiff.” Had he, maybe, known what Hipbert knew'? And sympathised? Guy Bates Post in America.

Guy Bates Post, well remembered here,”was in Portland, United States, when the mail left, playing in “The Masquerader.” Mr Post estimates that he has acted the dual role of Chilcote and Loder nearly 1,700 times, the play having proved the most popular of his starring repertoire. Footllght Flashes. “New Moon” broke the record for a musical play in New York by running for 15 months. Ann Seymour was recently granted a divorce from Henry Santrey, head of Santrey’s Jazz Band, which w’as in N°w Zealand a few' years ago. Alexander Watson, elocutionist, is now in Dunedin, after a successful season in Christchurch. He is due in Hamilton shortly. “Diversion,” a play by John Van Druten, author of “Young Woodley,” will probably 'be staged in Australia shortly. Lewis Shaw, who was Young Woodley here, appeared in this play in London. Tap dancing, which has become tremendously popular during the past year or two —most of the talkie films feature it —will be seen at its best when the Ernie Lotinga company appears in Hamilton on Monday night. John and George Hardgrove, the clever young American dancers, with the combination, make a special feature of it.