PLAYS AND PLAYERS.

Waikato Times, Volume 108, Issue 18159, 25 October 1930, Page 17 (Supplement)

PLAYS AND PLAYERS.

THEATRE ROYAL. October 28—Jan Kubelik, violinist. November 3. —Dance Extravaganza, “Happy Days," by pupils of Miss Isabelle Brook. November 12—Mavis Laurenson’s Eance Recital. "New Moon” for New Zealand. The gorgeous musical play, “New Moon.” with its haunting airs by Sigmund Romberg, who composed “Desert Song,” -will open a New Zealand tour at Wellington next Wednesday. Romola Hansen, last in New Zealand as leading lady with the “Desert Song,” will have the chief role, and will have support from Sydney Burchall, whose ringing baritone voice was also heard in “Desert Song”; Herbert Browne, the tenor of many Williamson successes; Jack Ralston, artist, singer and actor; Bernard Manning and Leo Darnton, hitherto featured in Gilbert and Sullivan roles; Don Nicol, of “Whoopee"; Amy Rochelle, Dulcie Davenport, and others. Jim Gerald, formerly of Fuller’s/ will have the big comedy part of the piece. Jim Gerald Returning. Jim Gerald, who was for so many years the best known comedian in Fuller Revues in New Zealand, is now under the Williamson management. He recently appeared in a "straight” part in the comedy “ Little Accident ” , in Melbourne. ! Mr Gerald returns to New Zealand next week as principal comedian of the spectacular musical play, “ The New Moon.” News of Former Favourites. The following items from the London Era give news of players formerly popular in New Zealand: — Oscar Asche and Mark Daly (the comedian who was here with “The ! O’Brien Girl” and other musical comedies) are in “Eldorado,” a new musical play at Daly’s Theatre. Sa>s the Era: “Oscar Asche had little -to do except delh-er resounding threats and insults at his stage adversaries. . . . Mark Daly contributed a realistic study of chronic alcoholism.” Connie Ediss (the fat comedienne of , “You’re in Love” and other musical comedies with Maude Fane) is in the farce “It’s a Boy” at the Strand.

Irene Vanbrugh, who left the cast of "The Swan,” last month, to go on tour in “Art and Mrs Bottle,” is back in London for a fortnight with the piece. Miss Eva Moore has taken up Miss Vanbrugh's part of the Princess Mai’ia in “The Swan," Mr Cci’in Clive (who was Captain Stanhope in the picture “Journey’s End”) returned to the cast after a short vacation. During his absence, Mr G. Byam Shaw played the part of Dr Nicholas Agi. The 100 th performance of “The Swan” will be reached on the 24th of this month. Herbert Mundin (the comedian of “Desert Song” here) is in a new musical comedy, “Open Your Eyes,” at the Piccadilly. The Era says: Herbert Mundin, excellent comedian if he has the material, manages to get some fun out of a comic sleuth \yho assumes a number of disguises George Vollaire (formerly here in Williamson musical comedy) struggled with an Italian accent and sang pleasantly as the Count who, owing to some misunderstanding, was parted from his wife.

Dennis Barry (so popular here with the Allan Wilkie company), after a successful tour of Ireland with modern plays, is back with Sir Frame Benson playing romantic lends in Shakespearean plays. Alan Kitson (formerly of the Humphrey Bishop Company) is at the Hammersmith Palace in the revue “Tune In.” His piano-dancing-sing-ing act with his stage partner Jack flayer is one of the hits of the show. In the revue "Reply to the Talkies” Barrett Lennard carries off many ot the honours, and his smart style of comedy proved very popular. . „ The Big Four, a novelty singing male quartette, arrived last week and will be seen in the West, End very shortly, says the Era. They have a nice act and fine personality and should be here a long time. Marie Nyman (for long with the George Wallace : revues), the Australian musical comedy vocal star, continues victoriously on her variety career, this week achieving a big bit at the Empire, Newport. It is possible that she will be seen in a big West End production before Christmas.

Frank Harvey’s Play In America. “ The Last Enemy,” by Frank Harvey (for 12 years a popular leading man in Australia and New Zealand) opened an American season at Hartford on October 20, and will later be seen in New York. It is described as a play of the next world.

Edgar Wallace Is Angry. All the bigwigs of the theatre are waiting for the next move in 'the piquant affair of Mr Edgar Wallace and Drury Lane, says a London paper. Sir Alfred Butt asked Mr Wallace to write a musical play as successor to “ The Three Musketeers,” which, quite apart from the merits of the quarrel, would have been a refreshing change from the American importations, good as “ Rose Marie,” The Desert Song ” and “ Show Boat ” undoubtedly were.

Now Drury. Lane is owned by a company, in which the leading shareholders are the brothers Joel—S. B. and J. B. The manuscript of Mr Wallace’s musical play was submitted to the nominees of these two on the board of directors, and directly that fact came to the knowledge of the author he promptly asked Sir Alfred to return the manuscript. “Why did I do that?” Mr Wallace asked the other day. “Not because I am annoyed with Sir Alfred, but I object to the humiliation of having my plays 1 vetted ” by guinea pigs. These directors had probably never seen a play in manuscript form before they got hold, of mine, and to read the script of a musical play, imagination and a 'thorough knowledge of the theatre are indispensable.. “ If I, as the author of several plays which have not been unsuccessful, am to be submitted to such treatment, what chance has a young dramatist who has yet to make his name? They picked on the wrong man in me, and I am now going to produce the play myself , -•—.

The “Joys” of an Understudy! A friend, who is understudy 'in a production in Australia writes: — “ Last Monday week was 8-Hour Day and we had an extra matinee. I was sitting reading at ...home about 10.30 a.m., when a taxi bowled along and the taxi-man gave me a letter. It was from the theatre; one of the principals had a cold and I had .to go and play a part at a moment’s notice. So I got into the taxi, went into the theatre, had a look at the part, walked through it once, got flttfed up with clothes, and was ready for the frayAnd then the principal managed to go on and I had my trouble for nothing! However, it’s all in a day’s work and I didn’t mind. That sort of thing happens fairly often in production.” “ Sons o’ Guns ” Clicks In Sydney. A friend in Sydney writes:—“Sons o’ Guns ” is a great success, and seems to have definitely clicked. It is a very funny musical comedy, the audience being in shrieks of laughter at the antics of Jimmy Caufleld (Gus Bluett), the raw recruit, and the hardboiled sergeant. (Leo Franklyn). The second act drops slightly, but the first is so good that the slight slackening is forgiven. >The show is likely to run for some months.”

36 Hours’ Theatre Walt. A queue for the first performance of the operetta, “Frederica,” in London, began to form 36 hours before the performance started. New Policy at Theatre Royal. Air Lionel Leary, who*has come to Hamilton from Hobart as assistant manager for Hamilton Theatres, Ltd., has had wide experience of theatre; management, and will he an acquisition to the town. The new policy of cheaper prices, better service, and greater comfort at the Theatre Royal will be appreciated by the public, and should result in increased businessPavlova Farewelllng England. Madame Pavlova has returned from the Continent and. has opened at Southampton Empire what may he her farewell tour of England, says a London paper. Happily, in a little talk before she left town, Madame Pavlova refused to stress the “farewell.” Anna Pavlova has long been the undisputed prima ballerina of the world. Her name stands for the dance, and where the .ancient Greeks spoke of Terpsichore we say Pavlova. To her all dancers of all nationalities look as the supreme practitioner of their art, and it is, therefore, interesting to hear what she has to say of young English dancers. They are, declared the great Russian dancer, every bit as good as the Russians; but—and it is a big but —they lack the opportunities for the cultivation of their art that only a national theatre can fully provide. In a way, of course, the famous Iflaghilelf’s ballet was an equivalent, though as the ballet became modernised its younger members must have missed something of that supreme technical training which only the classical tradition can provide, and it is of the great tradition that Madame Pavlova is the greatest representative. Madame Pavlova has her home at Cotdcl , ’s Green, and there, in her beautiful garden, with her swans and aviary of rare birds, she enjoys that life of the country which, next lo dancing, is her greatest happiness. If she were not a dancer, she says, she would be a gardner.

“ Stars ” Dispensed With. “ The Three Musketeers,” at Drury Lane has reached its. 200th performance, says a writer in a London paper. I am told that it is justifying Sir Alfred Butt’s experiment :n dispensing with “ stars ” by doing very well indeed since the change in cast. This is certainly. good news; the absence of “ stars ” engaged at enormous salaries means that expenses are lowered and audiences can be smaller without endangering the run of Ihe piece; that the minor parts can be better paid and consequently better played; and that the whole production gains in balance and all-round efficiency. It is a policy already successfully pursued by Mr Basil Dean and Sir Nigel Playfair, among others; in the interests of good production it is to be encouraged.

Footllght Flashes. The Humphrey Bishop Company, after a week’s stay in Hamilton, will open a three nights’ season at Rotorua on Monday.

Don Nicol, the clever young Australian comedian, who was so successful in “ Whoopee,” will return to New' Zealand next week in “The New Moon.”

Arising out of Music Week a strong Orchestral Society has been formed in Masterton. As a result of a short canvass of the town 150 honorary members were obtained. 1 Mr James Candy is conductor.. Victor Tatnall, who was stage manager of “Whoopee” in New Zealand last year, holds the same position with the new musical comedy, “ Sons o’ Guns ” in Sydney. Romola Hansen, who had the feminine lead in “ The Desert Song ” last year, and Sidney Burchall, who was the Paul Fontaine of that production, have the romantic leads in ” The New Moon," clue in New Zealand next week.