THE COURT THEATRE

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIII, Issue 769, 1 December 1904, Page 20

THE COURT THEATRE

The one-time prosperous and some-time unfortunate little theatres in Sloane Square, which appears io have found a new fairy godfather in Mr J. H. Leigh, has now been redecorated and greatly improved, and with Mr J. E. Vedrenne as business manager and Air Granville

Barker as producer-in-chief the Court Theatre should gain prominence as the house of earnest endeavour. On October 18 the house re-opened with a series of special matinees every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. On October 29 was given a revival of Christopher Marlowe’s The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus,” which will afterwards be taken on tour. For the Christmas season a play by Messrs Laurence Housman and Granville Barker, entitled “Prunella ; or, l ove in a Dutch Garden,” will be produced, with music by Mr Joseph Moorat.

Miss Carrie Moore has been engaged to play the title role in “ Aladdin ” at the Shakespeare Theatre, Liverpool.

Miss Ada Reeve has concluded her London season, and taken “ Winnie Brooke, Widow,” into the provinces again.

On the last night of September “ The Prince of Filsen ” closed down at the London Shaftesbury Theatre.

The Musical Johnstones have gone to West Australia for a season at Cremorne Gardens, now under the management of Len Davis, of the late Hawtrey Comedy Company.

The new musical conductor, Alexander M’Cunn, who has been in South Africa for some time, shortly comes to Australia under engagement to J . C. Williamson.

The Anderson Dramatic Company is still doing good business in Adelaide. The last attraction was “ For the Woman He Loves.” Miss Fitzmaurice Gill is now the leading lady.

The Sheridan season in South Africa, which closes shortly, has been fairly successful. In some cities money has been made, in others business has not been good. The weakness of the company (says Melbourne “ Punch ”) is put forward as the cause of the uneven business.

The Sydney Royal is at present undergoing alterations and renovations, which, when concluded, will cost £4OOO.

Tom Fitzgerald, whilst on his travels in the East, has secured a new turn in the shape of live performing elephants, which will join the Fitzgerald Brothers’ Circus here.

Norman Partridge, lead with the Musgrove Shakespearian Company, is appearing in the English provinces in a playlet entitled “ Betty Pounder, the Laundress,” arranged by Robert Courtneidge for the starring of his sister-in-law, Miss Ada Blanche.

The Moody-31 anners Opera Company is coining money in South Africa. The advance booking in all the big towns ensured the success of a season which, at first looked upon as an experiment, has turned out a triumphant success. Our old friends, Miss Lilian Coomber, Salvi and Max Eugene, have all made popular successes.

Some recent facts about Mr A. W. Pinero disclose that he is not a theatregoer, and rarely sees a play, except at rehearsals. He never deliberately thinks up a plot ; he finds his characters first and lets them work out their own story in their own way. In a common-place book, called “ Every Day,” he jots down sketches of types, characters, incidents, situations which he picks up from newspapers, in trains, omnibuses, etc.

The late Mr J. Hollingshead possessed a useful faculty for scenting out public opinion on new plays. One way was by o-oing to the gallery and hearing the opinions around him. It was in this fashion he discovered the weak spot in W. S. Gilbert's first play, “ An Old Score,” which was the abuse hurled by an indignant son on a rascally father. This drew adverse comments from gallery critics, and the author, by Hollingshead’s advice, subsequently altered the scene.

George Brandes has an interesting appreciation of Renan as a dramatist in an American review. In discussing the philosophical literary dramas of Renan, Brandes describes him as “an idealist without imprudence,” and “ a Romanlicist who spent his life in fighting Romanticism.”

The following par from the “ Australasian " will be read with great interest by New Zealand playgoers, particularly the concluding sentence :—A new firm of theatrical managers intends to cater for the Australian public next year. The partners are Mr Robert Brough and Mr Herbert Flemming. ’They propose to organise a comedy company on the lines of the Brough-Boucicault Companies. It is understood that the first engagement made was that of Mr G. S. Titheradge.

l he friends of Miss Hilda Spong in Australia will be glad (says the New York correspondent of the “ Argus ”) to hear of the very successful appearance here of this charming- actress in Henry Arthur Jones’s new comedy, “ Joseph Entangled.” The verdict of the press is indicated by the following opinion of a leading critic : —“ The chief acting honours must be accredited, without hesitation, to Miss Hilda Spong, who has had m> part to suit her so well since the days of ‘ Lady Huntworth’s Experiment.' Her Lady Verona was a most dainty specimen of a woman of fashion, brilliant in decoration, relined and delicate in manner, arch, vivacious, piquant, ntischievour, and essentially feminine in quick alternations of high spirit and tearful collapse. From beginning to end this was a delightful impersonation.” Miss Spong is a great favourite in New York, to which she recently returned after an extended tour of our western cities.

The old order changeth, giving place to new. Still another theatre has been drawn into the vortex of the variety world. Mr Jack De Freeee has been givino- at the Metropole two performances

nightly of a programme which evidently finds great f&vour with the inhabitants of Camberwell. On the occasion of our visit (says a London correspondent) the premier attraction was 31 r O’Brien .McCullough and his Company in a sketch entitled “ The Winner,” written by himself. The scenes, of which there are four, are laid in and around. Epsom, rhe finest of which is undoubtedly the one entitled “ The Facing Stables,” which is a replica of Lord Rosebery s at The Durclans, Epsom. The characters are all in the hands of capable exponents, who render Mr McCullogb every assistance in the playing of the sketch. Space will not permit of our givinp- details of the plot, which concerns the tampering with a horse, but, of necessity, virtue is in the end triumphant. The Cotham Quartette, as usual, provide a turn second to none in their own particular line. The San Remo Girls give a display of dancing above the average. Clifton and Gibson’s patter is smart and up-to-date, whilst Miss Army Lauriston and her five Gibson Girls are a perfect galaxy of beauty. 3Jiss 3laude Nichols, Mr Dave O’Toole, together with 31 r Harry Martell seemed quite at home with their audience. Saxo Instrumentalists, 3lr Harry Calvo, double-voiced vocalist, and Percy Victor’s dog minstrels complete the programme, which is carried through with the assistance of an efficient orchestra.

A comic operetta, in three acts, composed by the world-known composer, Haydn, and called “ The Knight Boland,” has been discovered in the Palm Garden Librarv at Frankfort.

Mr Chas. Stine, of the Stine-Evans American 3lusical Comedy Company, stated, before leaving Australia, that he would return about July, 1905, with an entirely new company.

Speaking at a dinner recently, 3lr I. Zangwill, the noted author, made a 1 few remarks on the drama well worthy of noting. Referring to the musical play, the speaker said it reached its zenith in the admirable wit of 33 . S. Gilbert, and the sparkling music of Sir Arthur Sullivan. Since then we had degenerated in our theatres to a series of hotch-potch productions, which were nothing but a succession of music hall turns. The theatre had abandoned the drama, and. when the music hall wanted to produce drama it was prosecuted by the theatre. In the music hall there was drama with tobacco, and without the censorship. Therefore, drama must be either expurgated or fumigated.

“ His 31ajesty's Servant,” Mr Lewis ’'Valier’s new production at the Imperial I heat re, London, is in four acts and five scenes, the first of which represents Boscobel Wood, with the Royal Oak. The seine has been painted from sketches taken in the neighbourhood. The second act takes place in an old book shop in London. In the third act the famous gilt room in Holland House will be shown. This scene is an exact reproduction of the original, and Mr Hann, the artist, and 3lr 3Valler were most courteously allowed every facility from Lord and Lady Ilchester in order to obtain a faithful representation of the historic apartment, which is now exactly in the same condition as it was during the reign of Charles I. The lust act takes place in the grounds of Holland House in wintertime, painted by 31r 31eCreery. Mr 3Valler plays the part of Mohun, one of the King’s players.

On October 12, in London. Mr Laurence Brough recovered a sum etjual to two weeks’ salary, from 31iss Singleton, who gave up her part prior to the close ‘of her engagement. Plaintiff stated that defendant informed him by letter that she could not appear any longer, as she was ooing abroad ; that it was not a matter of money, as the new engagement would not be any more profitable than the one she was giving up. As a matter of fact, he (plaintiff) had discovered that the defendant was fulfillihg an eng jg >mcnt in Australia at a higher salary, and he sued for the amount, in accordance with the usages in the profession.

“ X 3Vife 3Vithoiit a Smile,” A. 33. Pinero's new piece, was produced at Wyndham last month. The principal characters in the piece have been allotted to 31 r Dion Boucicault, 3liss Marie lllington, 3liss Lettice Fairfax, and 3liss Dorothv Grimston.

The other day the announcement was made of the death of James Rhodes, the oldest showman in the world. A correspondent of the 3lelbourne “Sporting and Dramatic News ” writes of a visit to his “ fit up ” in days gone by. He says : — “ I visited the ‘ theatre ’ just outside Leeds (Eng.) ; the performance wasn’t due to commence for an hour, as I saw by the announcement outside. It was written in chalk, on a blackboard, and read. ‘ To-morrow night, at 6, “ Sons of the Sea ; or, The Ship on Fire. ' At 8, “ The Dumb 3lan of 3lanchester ” and Farce.' Presently a concertina and a drum struck up a tune outside, and one

by one people wandered in, paying twopence for a stall, and a penny for a seat behind. Rhodes, with an eye to business, delayed the performance until he was satisfied with the takings. Eventually the concertina orchestra came inside, the curtain went up, the soul-stirring drama, ' Sons of the Sea,’ commenced. It was intensely dramatic, or, rather, it ought to have been, but when the heroine gets her teeth stuck together with a piece of toffy she is sucking, and has to remove it with her fingers before she can say her lines, and one of the characters lying stabbed to the heart on the stage, continues to smoke a short, clay pipe, then the romance, somehow, departs. Yet, rough and ready as the show was, the audience appeared to revel in it.”

Some extraordinary scenes were enacted in the grounds of the famous Palace of 3’ersailles a few weeks ago. A firm of biograph film manufacturers managed to secure permission to operate there, and, with over a hundred supernumeraries, some of the ancient Louis XV . carriages, and the palace as a background, a scene representing Louis X\ . and his courtiers watching a ballet was einematographed. Next, the party proceeded to the famous Colonnade Grove, where, in the beautiful marble bath, with its fountain, a number of women in the scantiest costumes were photographed in the film as a group representing Prosperpine being carried off by Pluto, the women representing the water nymphs. The party then invaded the spot known as Apollo's bath, where a duel, supposed to have taken place between women in the presence oi the King, was photographed. The proceedings lasted from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and are said to have created great commotion at Versailles. After this, people may easily be excused for doubting whether many of the bioscope pictures shown are genuine or “ fakes.' One is inclined to put most of them in the latter category.

Miss Grace Palotta is playing in the “33 est Orpheum Circuit Company,’. a well-known American variety enterprise. Her “ turn ” is called ‘Grace Palotta and her 3lillinery Girls,” and the principal is supported by lour oretty girls. Mme. Slapoffski is also appearing on the American music hall —otherwise “vaudeville ” —stage.

The “Daily Mail” critic on Mrs Frown Potter’s renowned failure, “ The Golden Light.” at the Savoy “ There was only one effective curtain, and that was fireproof.”