THE LONDON STAGE.

Waikato Times, Volume 114, Issue 19010, 29 July 1933, Page 16 (Supplement)

THE LONDON STAGE.

MANY INTERESTING PLAYS. NEW ZEALANDER’S IMPRESSIONS. THE THEATRES ALWAYS FULL. Writing to me by this week’s mail from London, Mr Malcolm Miller, who left Christchurch at the beginning of the year to study abroad, says: “The theatres always seem to be almost full; it is marvellous.” Mr Miller has settled down to study singing under Fernando Autori, the Italian bass. Mr Miller sends some interesting impressions Of the shows he has seen, as follows: —

"Children in Uniform.” —This is a beautifully-played and moving tragedy, on a subject that has caused much •controversy. A fine female cast Is headed by Jessica Tandy (as the schoolgirl), Joyce Bland (with, a beautiful speaking voice) and Cathleen ■Nesbitt. The play is one of the outstanding hits of the season. “The Green Bay Tree.”—Very well acted • comedy-drama on a very controversial subject. Despite ; unfavourable comment, it has had a splendid run. Frank Vosper and Hugh Williams head the small cast. ~ • Most Beautiful Theatre. . “Roadhouse.” —A delightful farce at the Whitehall’, the most beautiful theatre I have ever seen. The plafy is charmingly staged, and played by an excellent cast, headed by the deliciously amusing Marlon Lome with Gordon Marker and Godfrey Tearle lending noble support. “This Inconstancy."—A very unconvincing play, made attraotlve 'by, the presence of Gertrude ' Lawrenoe, Hugh Wakefield and Nigel Bruoe. The first act (with the most hideous stage set imaginable) ' was clever light comedy. The other two were the most terrible mixture of faroe, comedy and drama—all in the wrong proportions! But they did not prevent me from becoming very definitely a Lawrence fan.

“How D’You Do?” —A revue which for the'first half-hour was unutterably dull, and then suddenly brightened and finished in a bla'ze. of glory. The cleverest sketches were “Rome” with Douglas Byng an uproarious Boedioea; “Mad About the Noel,” a Coward skit which was ttie hit of the show; and Douglas Byng’s “Tree” —more sinned against than sinning! In parts, very risque, but also amusing, with Douglas Byng and Frances Day carrying the show. A Boring Play. “It’s You I Want.” bored me a good deal. The combination of Seymour Hicks, as a middle-aged philanderer, and typical bedroom farce situations was rather too much for me, though I admit that the audience seemed to lap it up. 1 “Sometimes Even Now-” —A first play at the Embassy, with splendid character drawing. Rather an attractive play, with Celia Johnson, Marie Lohr (in a brief appearance) and Jaok Hawkins.

“Yhe Rats of Norway."—A tense drama of an unusual 'type. I had read the book and found that every character, as played, seemed to fit perfectly. There was fine dramatic acting from Gladys Cooper and Raymond Massey, and a brilliant piece of work •by Laurence Olivier. New Zealander Sings Well. “Music in the Air” proved slightly disappointing, though I imagine this was my own fault for expecting too much from a Cochran show. It was very well staged, with lovely scenery, and followed the modern trend of only Introducing songs where they normally fitted into the story. Mary Ellis was grand, and the New Zealander, Lance Fairfax, in a vague sort of part, sang extremely well. Bruce Carfax and Eve Lister, the juveniles, were both very poor vooally and only ordinary histrionically. The Ballets Jooss—Very clever and original German 'ballet, with a scathing satire on war, ‘The Green Table." The danolng was of a very high standard. In the Musical Line.

“Rosenkavalier" was exquisitely sung by Lotte Lehmann and Kipnis, though the ’Orohe6tratlon was a little too much for me. “Tristan and Isolde,” with Melchior and Trundt, was a magnificent performance. Both had Beecham conducting. “Boheme," disappointingly staged and sung by Pampanini and Mlnghetti, and "Aida,” with a poor tenor, Eva Turner and Muriel Brunskill, very spectacular and excellent choral work. All these I heard at Covent Garden. “Aida" was very creditably done at Sadler’s Wells. "Hugh the Drover,” was charmingly performed and sung at the Royal College, with speeches by Beecham, Vaughan Williams and Sir Hugh Allen at the close. " Hiawatha,’” at the Albert Hall, was a magnificent spectacle, witn Stiles-Alien the vocal star.

In the Brahms Requiem Keith Falkiner sang very well. “You may wonder that great successes like “ The Late Christopher Bean,” " Richard of Bordeaux,” “ Dinner at Eight," “He Wanted Adventure ” (with Marie Burke In the cast), and the like are not mentioned, but we feel that they will run for a long time, so there Is no need to rush them. There Is so much to do In this wonderful London 1" Charm of London and Countryside.

" Need I say that I am loving London? The English people we find charming and very 'hospitable. " And the country—it is marvellous. All the way up to London from Plymouth by train I was Impressed by the beauty of the scenery. Last week I went to Sevenoaks, in Kent, and while there went to see Knole House (the Sackville mansion described in “The Edwardians" and “Orlando"). It is the most glorious place you could imagine, standing in its own park of 1000 acres, and practically unchanged since the 15th century. That, and the thrilling Royal Tournament, alone were worth coming to England to see."