By Royal Command.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVI, Issue 1, 5 July 1911, Page 15

By Royal Command.

MAGNIFICENT SCENE AT DRURY LANE

LONDON’S GREATEST ACTORS PARTICIPATE.

LONDON, May 19. XN Rl RY LANE THEATRE Ims I ■ -been the scene of many memory'A. / able theatrical performances by —S Royal comma.nd, but the “Command” performance of Lord Lytton’s.oldfashioned comedy “Money” last Wednesday evening produced a spectacle of overwhelming magnificence and charm, and unparalleled display of great personages, of theatrical talent, of decorative skill and taste, of costly jewels, delightful dresses and feminine loveliness—a theatre pageant unique in its brilliance am! bhauty. • The “command*’ performance was for <( one night only,” hut for that night the whole theatre had been converted

into a fairyland of the most beautiful Howers. There were flowers in banks and masses on the staircases and in the vestibules, bouquets of flowers on the backs of the seats in the stalls and on the lodges of the boxes, flowers festooned high up on columns and pilasters, and

(dimbing as it were to the ceiling, froi,. which masses of pendant foliage drooped between the wreathed electric* lamps. The deep rich colours of the tulips and earnations were well set off by the white and gold of seats and galleries rising from a sea of lavender carpeting. Flowerlike too were the occupants of the stalls ami balconies and boxes. Tier above tier, row by row, were gathered as it seemed all the most beautiful women in London, in royal blue and heliotrope, and purple and pink and shimmering silver, with the light flashing from tiaras of diamonds, from emeralds, rubies, an I sapphires. As for the num in inconspicu ous evening dress, they hardly seemed to count, save as a black and white foil to make the tints of the ladies and the

hues of blossoms and draperies more vivid by contrast. . It was a night of wonder and beauty, at which Royalty, London society, the and the scenic arts were all displayed in their most brilliant aspects. “ft wi.s well worth waiting for,” said an elderly lady, who had formed one of the queue which commenced to form outside the theatre at 11 o’clock on Tuesday morning, and had spent over 16 hours ’’vaiting to obtain admission to the gallery. There alone could payment at the door secure spats, and 5/ was the toll demanded and eagerly paid for them by people who had waited for 12 to 31) hours. They had their reward in witnessing the finest social theatrical spectacle of. at any rate, modern times. “Old Drury” was a glittering mass of people, the whole house blazing with diamonds ami splendid with gorgeous costumes. At 8.30 p.m. every seat was occupied save those in the Royal box, which for the occasion was a generous centre portion of the Grand Tier the dress cir cle of the ordinary theatre. It. is said that the 18 chairs in the Royal box were genuine Ixmise Seize worth £6OOO. It was just a minute to nine when a great crash from the band heralded lhe coming of the Royal party. At once the audieme rose to its feet to welcome the Royal guests. The King and Kaiser took their places in the centre of the row. with tin* Queen on the Kaiser’s right ami the EmpresM on the King’s left ; and on either side of these central figures were the Prince of Wales, Princess Victoria IxHiine, Prince Arthur of Connaught, Princes* Maud, the Duke of Argyll, the

Puke of Connaught, the Princess Royal, Princess Christian, Princess Louise, and the Duke of Fife, Behind were the Jhiehess of Connaught and her daughter, Princess Patricia, and the Duchess of ■Albany. Both the severe, gns were in evening dress, the King with the ribbon of the Red Eagle and the Emperor with that of the Carter, i’iic Queen wore a dress of blue, while sapphires and diamonds glittered in her hair; the Empress was in black I idle and white lace, •on which a great brilliant gleamed like a star, amid smaller stones and emeralds, and till the other Royal ladies were royally dressed and regally jewelled. The orchestra played the National Anthem, and the green curtain drew up to surprise and enrapture the audience and the royal party with the new act drop. The Kaiser on his white steed saluting the King on a gallant bay; Germania, a noble shield-maiden, gazing earnestly on Britannia, with helmet and trident; fair damsels scattering roses before the Emperor, while the Angel of Peace hovers overhead proffering laurel wreaths to the two potentates. The Kaiser seemed particularly pleased, nor was his pleasure lessened as the orchestra turned from “God Save the King" to the animated strains of his own “Song of Aegir.”

(As a rule the play is not “the thing'’ at these “command” performances, but on Wednesday night the play certainly attracted a great deal more attention than Lytton's old-fashioned comedy, with its artificial sentiment and stilted rhetoric, would usually command. But then it was “east” is no other play ever had been; for the very supers, the actors, who had only half a-dozen “lines’ or none at all, were gentlemen who were usually- seen only in the most leading of leading parts. You cast your eye on a butler casually crossing the stage, and found that it was no other than Mr. Lewis Waller. The crowd of guests aivAhe great club scene, most of them without speaking parts, included Mr. lAinlcy, Mr. Gerald du Maurier, Mr. ■Esmond*, Mr. Norman MeKinnel, Mr. Sam Sothern, and a score more of the bestknown actors on our stage. Mr. Alexander was Lord Lytton’s hero, Sir Herbert Tree played Mr. Graves, Mr. Cyril Maud the egotistical coxcomb, Sir Frederick Blount; Sir Charles Wyndham, Capt. Dudley Smooth. Miss Irene Vanbrugh played Clara Douglas; and then rthere were Sir .John Hare. Mr. Weedon G.rossmith, Mr. Charles Hawtrey, Mr. Fred Terry, Mr Bourchier, Mr Laurence Irving, Mr. Edward Terr.-. Miss Alexandra Carlisle, Miss Winifred Emery, and others, who all looked as if they might have stepped out of an early edition of “Pickwick" or “Vanity Fair.” In a leisurely fashion the five acts were played through, and it was well after midnight before Clara was at length gathered into her lover's arms. The curtain came down only in- order to “discover” the whole company grouped picturesquely on the stage, the gentlemen bowing in deep obeisance and the ladies curtseying to Royal guests. A long salvo of applause greeted them, the

Kaiser himself leading with a resounding “Hurrah!” Then came one more splendidly spectacular episode as the vast and brilliant audience rose and sang the National Anthem, and then cheer after cheer was given for the King and the Kaiser, while their Majesties bowed in gracious acknowledgment of the compliment. which brought the memorable festival to a fitting close.