CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XX, Issue 1112, 3 August 1911, Page 18

CHRISTCHURCH.

My Christchurch dramatic correspondent writes: —Fine weather for young ducks in this flattest of cities lately. After a week or so of frost, with the ground like cast iron, the rain came down in torrents, rendering the streets pools of mud and slush. Theatre-going under such

conditions pi'oved a rather trying experience, and the drivers of hansoms and taxies did a roaring trade. At the time of writing the “Arcadians” is drawing all the town to the Royal. The famous race-course scene is alone worth the price of admission. It is wonderful. . . • Huge

poster portraits of Sousa, of band fame, are already to be seen in the windows of our music-shops. The New Zealand tour commences at Invercargill on July 31, Dunedin and Christchurch to follow. . . . Said that the Sheffield Choir, netted £14,000 as the result of their recent tour of the Dominion. . . • The Fullers seem to be made of money, Suppose you have heard they are going to rebuild Wellington His Majesty’s at a cost of £25,000? . . . The “Tossing Testros” supply one of the best turns our Opera House has known. Their “last nights” here are now announced. Clever people. . . . August 5 will witness the opening at the T.R. of Anderson’s Co. in Nat Gould’s sporting drama, “The Chance of a Lifetime.” . . . Fuller’s Colos-

seum Pictures continue to draw big audiences. On August 2 the first instalment of the Coronation films were exhibited. Smart work? . • . . I hear Bland Holt’s old company is to be re-organised for a New Zealand tour, with Walter Baker and Frances Ross as the stars. The show will make another start about "Xmas time. It ought to go. But we shall miss “Yours Cordially,” and Mrs Bland, probably the most popular pair of pros that ever set foot in Maoriland.

*USTRAL!AN

(From Our Sydney and Melbourne Correspondents.)

What promises to be a varied and interesting programme has been mapped out by the J. C. Williamson management for their occupancy at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne, where they will take up the running from the sth August, the date on which Her Majesty’s will be closed for alterations.

Evidently Mr J. C. Williamson did not let the great heat which, according to the cables, has recently been experienced in America interfere with his business over there. He had hardly arrived in New York before a cable mesage came through to the effect that he had acquired the rights of “Every worn an,” the modern morality play by Walter Brown, which is at present causing such a furore in America, and is one of the big successes of the day in that country. “The Pink Lady” is another- of MrWilliamson’s acquisitions. This also is one of America’s big successes, and it is said of it that it may be bracketed with “The Belle of New York” as a typical American musical comedy. .-fc * * *

The Palace Theatre, Sydney, is to be the home of the Children’s Pantomime, “The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe,” during the season of William Anderson’s talented Lilliputian Pantomime Co. in that city, their opening date being fixed for Saturday, August sth.

Mr Gaston Mervale. who will appear in the forthcoming product:on of “The Speckled Band,” in Sydney, made the acquaintance the other day of a prominent member of that company. In a big glass case in the property room at Her Majesty's Theatre lies the snake which, for some time past, has been in the care of Mr Rocke Phillips. It is this snake that is to figure in the title role of the Conan Doyle piece and as Mr Marvale looked at it, he showed very plainly that, he was never likely to become very intimate with “The Speckled Band-”

During the time that Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne, has been under the J. C. Williamson regime, many changes have taken place in the construction of the building, which have added materially to the comfort and convenience of patron’s. One of the last big undertakings was to make the roof over the gallery movable, and thus keep that part of the house cool and pleasant during the great best of summer. But now a radical alteration is in progress, which will alter the whole contour of the auditorium and insure even greater com-

fort to the frequenters of the popular theatre. The idea is to erect a huge arch, after the style of American theatrical construction. Let in to the arch will be eight boxes, four on either’ side. Then the gallery is to be brought further out, and altogether the interior of the building will be much more compact and the audience will be brought more into touch as it were with the artists on the stage. In order to facilitate the operations, it has been decided to close the theatre for three weeks so that the work may go ahead without intermission. Accordingly on August 5, Her Majesty’s will close its doors to the public, and the J. C. Williamson Melbourne attractions will be transferred to the Princess’s Theatre for the time being. It will be reserved for the famous visiting artist, Mr H. B. Irving, to open Her Majesty’s after the alterations are complete.

A most interesting programme has been mapped out for the forthcoming occupancy of J. C. Williamson, Ltd., at the Melbourne Princess Theatre. During the season there two dramatic companies and one musical organisation will hold sway. On August 5 the dramatic company, headed by Mr William Desmond, will open for a week in the old and favourite drama, “The Silver King,” which will have the advantage of a very strong cast of characters. At the expiry of the week the company will go to Sydney to start rehearsal in earnest on “The Speckled Band,” the thrilling Sherlock Holmes episode in which the snake plays an important part. The next attraction at the Princess’s Theatre will be “Via Wireless,” by “The Whip” Company, who, in that big sensational drama, will play a brief ami farewell visit to Melbourne. The third attraction will be the New Comic Opera Company, who will follow the “Via Wireless” season with “The Balkan Princess,” in which they have been appearing with such success in Sydney.

No less than five William Anderson Companies will inaugurate new seasons at various theatres in the Commonwealth on Saturday, August sth, three of which attractions will make their first presentations in Sydney. The William Anderson No. 1 dramatic organisation will present “The Man From Out Back” for the first time in Sydney; the Children’s pantomime, “The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe” will be presented at the Palace Theatre, Sydney; and Joseph Biascheck, the famous society entertainer, will make his first appearance there at the Y.M.C.A. Hall on that date; whilst in Rielbourne, Mr Walter Baker and Miss Frances Ross will be presented with a new company at the King’s Theatre; and in New Zealand the Harry Roberts-Beat-rice Day Company will make their initial appearance in Christchurch in “The Chance of a Lifetime ”

Mr E. T. Steyne, who has come out to Australia under engagement to J. C. Williamson, Ltd., as stage producer, has spent practically the whole of his life in stage producing work. He was among the first to be offered a stage-managership at the Gaiety Theatre by Mr George Edwardes. He produced “San Toy,” in conjunction with “Dick” Barker, and some years later went over to New York where he put on “The Country Girl.” He was also the producer of the London version of “The Girl From Kay’s.” But at the present juncture it is his experience in pantomime work which is likely to prove of the most value to J. C. Williamson, as of course the forthcoming attraction out here will be in his keeping. He was part author of “Jack and the Beanstalk,” which he also produced at Liverpool, and for many years he was associated with Tom B. Davis, a name thoroughly well known in connection with pantomime ventures. For the past twelve years Mr Steyne has produced pantomimes, and a series of twelve such productions is surely a guarantee of his proficiency in this class of work.