PLAYS AND PLAYERS.

Waikato Times, Volume 116, Issue 19462, 29 December 1934, Page 15 (Supplement)

PLAYS AND PLAYERS.

Duke’s Preference In Plays and Films. The Duke of Gloucester shares the Prince of Wales' 1 preference for plays of a lighter hind. He enjoys a good musical comedy, and when he aooompanied their Majesties to a command variety performance no member of the audience showed more enthusiastic appreciation of the humorous turns than did his Royal Highness. He is something of a film "fan, and occasionally drops into a cinema where a good picture is being shown. He enjoyed the athletic exhibitions of Douglas Fairbanks, and the riding in some of the Wild West pictures, but takes little interest in "vaipp films, or ip ultra-sensational pictures. The Duke has a pleasant singing voice which he rarely uses.

» N«yv Faces” In Auckland. Frank Neil’s revue', " New Faces,’’ has been delighting large audiences at Auckland during the week. An Auckland paper says: The revue introduces a new comedian In Joe y Porter. A diminutive young man \vith a roving eye, he has a style of comedy decidedly his own. Mr Porter blends subtlety, audacity and genuine high spirits in approximately equal measures. He is ione of the most com.c “•drunks’’ seen on the Auckland stage for years. For genuinely crazy dancing, In which comedy Is used to mask skill of a high order, it would be hard to improve the work of the American trio, Nice, Florid au4 Lubow. Without any eccentricity in make-up, tjiey contrive to make dancing really funny, and the efforts of a gentleman who occaslonaly throws himself head first over the footlights Into the stalls rjiust Inevitably be greeted by something midway between a laugh arid a Scream; •Other popular performers are:— Alee Halls, comedian; Doreen Ray and Nat Hopej sketch artists; Les, piamon-r djos, In beautiful living statuary: the Three Ambassadors, novelty Instrumentalists; Grace Hartington, Russell Callow and Ted Simpson, vocalists; Macdonald and Graham, tap dancers; 6ora Whitwell, soubrette; and a ballet. The strong orchestra is under the direction of Harry Lazarus.

m Roberta” in Melbourne. Last Saturday night, at His Majesty’* Theatre, Melbourne, the new musical comedy “ 'Roberta” was staged for the first time in Australia. With musio by Jerome .Kern and libretto and lyrics by Otto Harbach, V Roberta” is up to the standard of anything the composer and. librettist i have ever done. Headeid by Madge Elliott Rltohard, the cast includes Ethel Morrd&on (the New Zealand actress, vvho was engaged in New York for the role of Aunt Minnie, the modiste whose trade name % RoMga’ ’ Dorothy 'Dunolcley, 1 George Willoughby, Mary' Rigby, Marie La Varrp LesHe Crane, Mona Potts,, Mona Zeppel, Leo Franklyn, Charles Zoli, Phyllis Ferguson, Millie Engler and Arthur Clarke. New Zealander in London.

Robert Geddes, formerly of Auckland and for some years prominent on the English and American stage, was a recent caller at New Zealand House in London. Austral lans In New York.

Among New York’s millions there 1b ia little community of Australian theatrical artists, said Ethel J. Walker, Australian singer, who returned to Sydney recently by the Makura, after a successful season. Marie Burke, she said, had made a hit la ‘The Great Waltz," in the big Rockefeller Centre Theatre. Gwen Burroughs was doing well; Lorna Ambler had scored in a revival Ox “The Servant In the House,” and Judith Anderson had succeeded in new t)la.ys. A former office boy of J. C. Williameon, Ltd., Charlie Scott, was on the threshold of success as a playwright, one of his plays having been promised production on Broadway,

Vooallst Fine,d for Theft. Wilbur Harry Eddy, 23, vocalist, charged at the Central Court-, Sydney, ■\vlth having stolen, on December 10, a gold watch and chain and a goldmounted lion's claw, of the value of £9 10s, belonging to Ivor Verdun McAllister Phillips, was fined £2. Constable Malone said the defendant admitted taking the articles. He said ho had to sing at a concert, and !he took them to raise money to get his dinner suit out of pawn. The oilloer stated that Eddy came from Melbourne about seven months ago with a revue company, and was obtaining a living as a casual singer from broadcasting stations.

Australian Dancer Pleases London. The principal male role in the ballet, Tschalkowsky’s .“Lao vies Gygnes,” says a London paper, will be taken by Robert Helpmann, the young dancer, who has made an amazing name for himself with the Vic-Wclls ballet during the lasi year.

J, Q. Williamson, Ltd-, Finances. Shareholders in J. C. Williamson, Limited. Sydney, are to consider proposals by the directors lo cancel all arrears of preference dividend up to June 30, 103-1, and to authorise the issue of approximalely 20,000 bonus ■preference shares in the proportion oif one for every seven and a-half preference shares now held.

in fithUllon, preference shareholders are to he asked lo accept from June 30, 1931, a fixc»4 cumulative preference dividend of C> per cent per annum, with the right of participation -up lo 8 per cent when the ordinary shareholders receive more than 6 per cent. The preference dividend formerly was 8 per •cent.

In a circular to shareholders, the directors stale that arrears of preference dividend for the four years to June 30, 1031, amount to £10,075, and that- the profit and loss nc.eounl showed a debit balance ; of £52,012 ns at Juno 30, 1033, which lias -been reduced lo £.13,23-1 by a profit of £0378 earned during the year ended June 30 last. Contingent upon the acceptance of the proposals it is -intended, lo admit of dividends being paid from June 30, 103-1, that the deb! at pro til and b>ss account at Unit date will be extinguished by a transfer (from reserves, nnd that the preference dividend of 0 per cent per annum for the h.ulfvear ended December 31, 193-1, will be paid early next year. The company has a paid capital ot £525,000, £375,000 ordinary and £150,000 preference. The last ordinary dividend was 21 per ceut paid In 4930.

Why Doesn’t Hamilton Sing? At the picture theatres In Hamilton words of songs are often thrown on the screen, and the request made that the audience should join in the singing. , But the result is always —silence! Why? A good “sing" would be enjoyed by all, especially as the songs are melodious and familiar, and often bring back happy memories. Though people are longing to sing, no one cares to “ break the ice. Cannot something be done about it? It just needs a leader. William Heughan In London. ,

William; Heughan, the Scottish actor-singer, who was so popular in New Zealand a few years ago, in sending Christmas and New Year greetings, says— . | “I am sorry to say there is little chance in the near future of our revisiting New Zealand, though we would like to. Conditions are such that world-touring would be too difficult yet awhile, and we are comfortably settled in London, the best possible headquarters. Concerts are still not like they used to be. Ixget my share and sang at the promena'de concerts at the Queen’s Hall and at the great Scottish concert at the Royal Albert Hall, also at Glasgow and Edinburgh. I do quite a bit of broadcasting, being sometimes relayed to New Zealand. I wonder if you ever hear it. I have been heard in Canada apd United States of America. “I am always doing a little film work, and pang the Russian song at the beginning f ‘Catherine the Great.’ I am also the statue in the theatpe scene of ‘The Private Life of Doh Juan,’ dressed in armour and wearing a beard.

- “It is of interest perhaps that I was the on}y British singer to be invited! to give a recital at Salzburg Festival (Austria), and I had a fipe reception. It was an international programme, opera arias in German and Italian, German and Russian songs, and specially -selected Scottish airs, The pro-

gramme was done on the same lines as I did in New Zealand, and the Vienna critics were kind enough to say they had no bass like me in Vienna. I keep very fit. “Give my best wishes to all friends. I never forget New Zealand.” Mr Heughan closes with the following original lines: — “Friends in tlie far-off places, Friends in the near-by street, -As each year another chases In thought at least we meet. May life have clear skies o’er you, May our friendship’s chain be strong, May your path be smooth before you, And LVuld Lang Syne’ our song.”

Gladys Monorleff In New Play. Another original Australian play, with music by Varney Monk and book by Edmund Barclay, has been produced in Melbourne.

It is 'called “ The Cedar Tree,” and deals with the cedar-cutters and boat-builders on the Hawkesbury River in 1840.

Gladys Moncrieff has a fine singing role, and the principal comedian (owing to George Wallaoe being busy on a film) is Alfred Frith. Allan Priora plays opposits Miss Moncrieff, and Claude Flemming, besides producing the play, has a prominent role,

Now Play In Sydney. “Viktoria and Her Hussar," a spectacular musical play, was staged at Sydney last Saturday night by the company recently in New Zealand in “The Dubarry.” “Viktoria and Her Hussar" is one of the most melodious plays the stage has seen for some time. The story, which moves from Siberia to Tokio, to Pelrogad, and Anally to Hungary, is strong and colourful.

Sylvia Welling, John Mayer, Cecil Keifeway, Nellie Barnes, Sidney Bureliall and Jack and Sylvia Kelleway aro the principals.