AUSTRALIAN HAPPENINGS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIX, Issue 1101, 18 May 1911, Page 18

AUSTRALIAN HAPPENINGS.

(F’’om Our Sydney and Melbourne Correspondents.) There was a most enthusiastic and packed house at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne, on Saturday evening, when ‘‘Our Miss Gibbs’ made its first appearance in Melbourne. As soon as it was positively announced that the Gaiety success was to begin its Melbourne career, applications began to pour in for seats, and the difficulty that has faced the management has been how to provide anything like adequate accommodation for the vast numbers of patrons who have been ainxious to be at the theatre to welcome back the Royal Comics in this greatest of all Australian records. All the available seats have been reserved, and had the management chosen to do so they might have reserved the whole of the gallery and pit, but these portions of the house they chose to keep for their usual patrons. * * * * William Anderson’s Liliputian Pantomime Company has been playing overland to Brisbane, crowded houses being the rule all along the line. A fortnight’s season is to be played in Brisbane, at which city they opened on Saturday. One theatregoer, very anxious to be at the inaugural performance of “Our Miss Gibbs” in Melbourne, is said to have offered 30s to £2 for a couple of seats in the stalls, but the offer was refused. o * * * * George Marlow, Ltd., will shortly introduce to Australians and New Zealanders two of the best exponents of melodrama that the English stage possesses., in the persons of

Miss Louise Hampton and Mr Cecil Mannering. These artists are at present on their way to Australia, and Mr Marlow’s London agent, is sending with them several new spectacular dramas, in which they “created the leading parts in the initial production in London, and the English provinces in the subsequent tours. Miss Hampton, who is the only child of Mr and Mrs Hampton, supported her parents as a juvenile actress, both in classic roles and in melodrama, and is a favourite - at the London Standard Theatre, where she recently staffed in “The Girl Who Wrecked His Home” for 400 nights. Mr Cecil Mannering is one of the London leading juvenile actors, and his variety of parts is somewhat astonishing. His popularity, too, is said to be akin to the juvenile men of London musical comedy shows. i* * * John McCormack, who will be the leading tenor in the Meiba Grand Opera Company during the forthcoming Australian season, sang the tenor role of “Natoma” at the Philadelphia Opera House in March last. The opera was composed by Victor Herbert, one of the few Americans to turn h.s attention in the direction of Grand Opera. Mr Neil Kenyon, of Pantomimic fame, has in the past been connected with Shakespearian presentations, and the literary drama. But those days are gone, and the popular comedian bias not the slightest inclination to return to a class of theatrical production which is now without the slightest appeal to him. In fact he declares that in the future he intends to devote himself to pantomime, musical comedy, and music hall work. He is tired of the educative drama. Not so very long ago a gentleman met him at an afternoon and commenced to discuss Shakespeare and the wonderful achievements of the great English dramatist. Mr Kenyon, not being at all inclined to continue the conversation in this vein, appeared to think very deeply as if racking his brains to recollect who Shakespeare was, and then he said: “Let me see, he hasn t written anything lately, has he?” And the next moment he had dashed off into a glowing description of the pleasures of fishing. •Js * * * “The Bad Girl of the Family” stand in Sydney, during the great Hospital Saturday Fund collections on May 6, was one of the most prominent and successful too. It is said

that these ladies collected as much as any other stand in the city, though theirs was not the best stand by any means. Ail the ladies of the Marlow Company appearing at the Sydney Adelphi were in full array in a special costume with an artistic stand in the cause of charity. Frank Tyars, a leading London actor, who will accompany Mr H. B. Irving on his forthcoming trip to Australia, has had a very extended experience, and has played a. great variety of parts. His earlier theatrical experience was gained in stock companies, then after some time spent at Drury Lane he commenced an engagement at Lyceum Theatre, under the management of Mrs Bateman, as Dorval in “The Lyon’s Mail.” When Mrs Bateman retired from the management it was taken over by the late Sir Henry Irving, and Mr Tyars continued under his management playing in various Shakespearian presentations, as well as ‘ a number of wellknown standard plays. His engagement with Sir Harry extended over 2 7 years, which is an almost unique record, and on the death of the father he eventually joined the son. Some exceptionally fine voices have been culled from the ranks of the applicants for inclusion in the chorus of the Melba Grand Opera Company. Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide have been drawn upon, and the result is in every way highly gratifying. The sopranos in particular, both as regards numbers and the quality of the voices, are well worthy of the engagement which they seek. Mr Neil Kenyon who has become such a favourite out here as the dame in “Jack and the Beanstalk,” gives a humorous account of his first meeting with an Australian artist in London. He was playing at The Pavilion a.t the time, and one morning in the half-light was crossing the stage, when he suddenly collided with something moist. He stepped back quickly, because, as he said, it was no unusual thing to meet with polar bears and other wild animals at The Pavilion. He was greeted by a laugh on this account, however, and found that he had collided with Miss Daisy Montague, late of J. C. Williamson’s musical companies, who was just about to give a sample of her act (La Milo) to the stage manager of the theatre. k * * * Mr Jack Cannot tells an amusing story of the days when he was young and a little bit “green” shall we say.

He thought that he would like to go on the stage, so he began by borrowing £5 from a “pal.” Then he polished himself up and made his way to a theatrical agent in Maiden Lane. Several applicants were waiting, and had apparently been waiting for some time, but his Was quite a new face, and he was invited into an inner office to interview the agent. He sang and discussed his qualifications and evidently gave every satisfaction, for to his delight the agent told him that he did not know his own value —that he could get him an engagement with Geo. Edwards at £l2 a week, as Edwardes was on the look out for just such a .man. He walked on air for the next couple of days and returned to the agent on the day appointed to fix matters up. Then came the disillusion. He was informed by a clerk that the gentleman he had formerly interviewed had had to be taken away as he was quite mad, poor chap. * * * * The term “Horstralia” will have to be extended in future to “Horstralasia,” says Sydney “S. and D. News,” in order that New Zealand may likewise be honoured with the distinction •of being a sporting community. The Adelphi Theatre, Sydney, the headquarters of George Marlow, Ltd., is proving a greater success than probably the most optimistic believed. The opening production, “The Bad ■Girl of the Family,’ had been running six weeks when the mail left Sydney •on May 9, and there is no mention of a change being made in the bill then. The taxis of Sydney I’eaped a royal harvest on the afternoon of Mr Ger;ard Coventry’s complimentary matinee. Such an extensive programme had been prepared, including items from all the leading members of the profession in the city at the time, that there was not accommodation for all the visiting artists in Her Majesty’s dressing rooms. Accordingly it was arranged that they should “make up ’ at their own theatres, and then be conveyed to Her Majesty’s in taxis which were provided for their use by the J. C. Williamson management/ This fact accounted for the number of these modern vehicles, which were to be seen plying to and fro with drawn blinds. “ The Sorrows of Satan” is to be produced in Melbourne at the King’s Theatre, at the conclusion of the run of “The Squatter’s Daughter.” The forthcoming production is a new version of Miss Marie Corelli’s famous novel, written by Mr Roy Redgrave, who is to play the leading part, Prince Lucio, and Miss Duggan, the part of Lady Sybil Elton. Some new and ■ elaborate scenery is being painted for the production, a special feature being made of an illuminated Garden Fete. In this scene the centre of the stage will be occupied by a huge fountain, spraying about 50 jets of real water, through which coloured limelights will be thrown; this, combined with the effect of hundreds of vari-coloured lamps gleaming among the foliage of the trees, should create a very beautiful effect. Prior to her departure for Australia, a number of Australians in London presented Miss Ethel Irving with a silver boomerang as a token of their appreciation and admiration. * * * “The Bad Girl of the Family,” according to the Australian papers, has been the most remarkable success seen there for some years. It played to capacity in all the centres of the Commonwealth, and is now in its sixth week in Sydney to houses averaging over 2000 nightly. At the King’s Theatre, Melbourne, another revival of that phenomenally successful Australian drama, “The Squatter's Daughter,” is being played by William Anderson’s popular No. 1 Dramatic Organisation, which returned from the West on Thursday last, and opened at The King’s on Saturday night to a packed hou»e, which accorded a tremendous reception to the old favourites. v * * * The Hamilton, Plimmer, and Denniston Company are having a most successful season at His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth, where the combination are now in their fourth week. Their recent purchase, “Nobody’s Daughter,” wag played for the first time in Australia last week and met -with an enthusiastic reception. After their Perth season the company will play short seasons at Kalgoorlie and Fremantle before returning to Mel-

bourne, where they are due at the Princess Theatre on June 10 with “Nobody’s Daughter.” * . * * ® New Zealand friends of Mr George Darrell, will be interested to learn that the well-known actor author is at present general manager of one of George Marlow’s Companys. He recently produced one of his own pieces in Brisbane, entitled “ The Verge of Sin.” * * * It is calculated that haff Melbourne heard Mr Jack Cannot’s two songs, “What’s the Matter with Father” and “La La,' on Eight Hours’ Day. Every band included in the five miles’ long procession played both tunes, and at one point six consecutive bands were playing “La La.” In fact, so much was it in evidence, that thousands of the sight-seers along the route took up the melody and sang it to the tramp of the marching feet as one union after another passed. Thus do the pantomime songs go down to fame.