THE JULIUS KNIGHT COMPANY.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 978, 3 December 1908, Page 18

THE JULIUS KNIGHT COMPANY.

The Julius Knight Company has already been enriched by the inclusion in its ranks of that most popuar and experienced actress, Miss Beatrice Day who makes her debut with Mr Knight on Saturday next (December 5) as the Princess Flavia in “The Prisoner of Zenda ” which is to be revived for the last two weeks of the season at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne. Meanwhile the company are busy rehearsing “ The Sign of the Cross ” which is to be done when they change over to Sydney for a season at the Theatre Royal there commencing on Boxing Night. Several additions are to be made to the company for the cast of this piece, chief among whom will be Mr Eardley Turner who has just been re-en-gaged by J. C. Williamson for a further term in Australia. Mr Turner is a “ character ” actor of. outstanding merit, as those who saw his studies of Beau Nash in “ Monsieur Beaucaire,” Brunn Rocco in “ The Eternal City,” and Kato in “The Darling of the Gods” will readUy acknowledge. By a curious coincidence another recent engagement for Colonel Sapt in “ The Prisoner of Zenda ” is Mr Herbert Leigh who was associated with Mr Rurner in Mr Knight’s former company. “ The Breed of the Treshams ” Martin Harvey’s outstanding success in London will succeed the “ Sign of the Cross ” in Sydney with Mr Julius Kight as “ Rat. ” Reresby, the soldier of fortune who fights for the side that pays him best but in the end is awakened to a sense of patriotism and princip’e by the influence of a young girl.

The last four weeks of Margaret Anglin’s stay in Australia, commenced at the Sydney Theatre Royal, on Saturday, November 21. The season may be called a Shapespearian one for three-fourths of it will be devoted to “ The Taming of the Shrew,” which will be the initial play and to “ Twelfth Night ” in which it’ is intended she shall make her final farewell. The intervening week will be

spent in revivals of the three successful plays of her previous repertoire in Sydney.

The popularity of the romantic drama “ The Scarlet Pimpernel ” as presented at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne, shows no signs of waning. Mr Julius Knight as the mysterious hero and Miss Ola Humphrey as his fascinating French wife, are seen to advantage and are well supported by the strong company of clever players they have associated with them.

“ Miss Hook of Holland ” is having a triumphant career in Adelaide, where playgoers have taken enthusiastically to the bewitching Dutch maid and her admiring bandmaster. Popular opinion votes it to be one of the finest pieces of the kind ever seen in Adelaide, and the people of the Holy City are a critical lot, too. The chorus has come in for a lot of praise.

The same principle which guided Messrs Meynell and Gunn in the selection of their comic opera chorus with such excellent results, has been observed in connection with the choosing of those who will grace the chorus of the pantomime of “ Cinderella ” at the Theatre Royal, Melbourne, at Christmas. Some hundreds of voices were tried before the selection was made, and then good looks were made a necessary qualification before the girls were definite engaged. The result will be that the chorus of “Cinderella ” will be as attractive physically as vocally, and the “ gentlemen of the court,” “ huntsmen,” etc., shoud be as good to listen to as to look upon. This is not always the case in pantomime, in which, as a rule, every other qualification is made subordinate to that of good looks, vocal requirements being comparattively neglected.

The “Little Breadwinner” and “ Stepmother ” Co., under the direction of Meynell and Gunn, will complete their tour at Hobart.

The Royal Comic Opera Company are now looking forward to the definite production of “ The Duchess of Dantzic” on December 19th by which time it is calculated that Sydney’s enthusiasm for “ The Merry Widow ” will have waned sufficiently to justify the withdrawal, though there are no signs of such an event yet.