SOUTHERN STAGE NOTES

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1244, 19 February 1914, Page 36

SOUTHERN STAGE NOTES

(By

"Lorgnette.")

WELLINGTON, February 16. The George Willoughby Dramatic Company opened its New Zea 1 and tour at the Opera House last evening in “The Beggar Girl’s Wedding,” and the success -which attended the opening performance augurs well for a successsful tour. “The Beggar Girl’s Wedding,” though containing a few improbabilities, is a positive triumph of virtue, and is a good, clean, healthy drama with an honest human throb in every act. The rich and thoughtless Jack Cunningham devotes himself, amongst other things, to cards, but after a night’s “ pleasure,” and after declining the matrimonial offers of Maud Villiers a fascinating society lady, who, thereafter conspires with the villain to work Jack’s ruin, wakes up and begins to devote himself to Charity. Distributing his cash among the poor on the Thames Enbankment, he meets the beggar girl. He had given away all his spare money and takes her to his home to gve her food, to the scandal of his servants. His lawyer surprises Jack in the morning] with the declaration that, by a clause in his father s will unless he marries on that day the residue of the estate will go to his cousin, Gilbert Lindsay (the villain). He desires Jack to marry Maud Villiers, out he declines, and produces the beggar girl, whom he marries amidst sensation. The next step in the drama is the discovery of the girl’s prosperity by her father, Joe Webster, a thief trainer, whose demand may be guessed. Lindsay overhears the interview and succeeds in part ng husband and wife. Failing in an attempt to murder Jack (after killing the lawyer, who holds deeds forged by Lindsay), he consigns, the hero and heroine to the care of the eccentric Dr. Millbank. The latter, a woman hater, says he loves to see them die. He places his prisoners in the dark cage of death, and causes them to beg tor water, which he administers diluted with a slow poison, leaving no trace. The rescue is effected in the most approved melodramatic style, the villain and the doctor replace the. victims, and husband and wife are reunited. Mr. George Cross, in the part of Jack Cunningham, gave an excellent interpretation of the character. He is the young gambjler, the thoughtless and generous youth, and the loving and jealous husband. Miss Vera Remee’s portrayal of the part of Bessie Webster, the beggar girl, was excellent in every way. The part of the villain, Gilbert Lindsay, was played by Mr. Rutland Beckett, his performance earning the evident tribute of disapprobation of the audience. His paramour, Miss Villiers, was represented by Miss Oriel Hutson, and Was well acted. The parts of Joe Webster (the thief trainer) and The Dodger (one of his pupils) were ably portrayed by Mr. Ward Lyons and Mr. T. C. Tilton. Miss Fanny Erris did fine work as Tina Tarkington, and Mr. Don Mathews, conductor of “The Land of Nod” Company for Mr. Anderson, in Melbourne, has his fingers insured for 50,000 dollars.

was ably assisted in several comic scenes by Mr. Frank Albert, as Richard Stormington, Esq. The other characters in a long cast were all well played. The second production of the season will be “No Mother to Guide Her,” which goes up for three nights on Saturday evening. Information was received in Wellington last week stating that Mr. Borneo Gardiner, the talented New Zealand siffleur, had commenced an engagement at the London Palace on the 12th January. Mr. Gardiner was given a most enthusiastic reception on his first appearance, and had to supplement his first selection with two others. Mr. William N. Batiste has arrived in Wellington to take up the duties of touring manager of the George Wi - loughby Dramatic Company. Amongst the passengers from Sydney by the s.s. Maunganui last week was Mr. Charles Knight, who will act as touring manager of the George Willoughby Ltd., “Aladdin” Pantomime Company, which opens its tour at the . Wellington Opera House on Thursday, the 26th inst. The name of Wirth in connection with circus matters is a household word in the Dominion, and the fact that the organisation, which is at present touring the North Island, is about four times stronger than when , the enterprising Messrs. Wirth Last visited us some twelve months ago, is proof that the proprietors have left no stone unturned to make their show absolutely up-to-date. Their motto seems to be “Nothing is too good for Australia and New Zealand.” The Wei ington season opened last night and every seat in the large circle surrounding the arena was occupied, and the show provided by the enterprising Messrs. Wirth was a revelation to the Wellington public. There is not a dull moment in the whole three hours’ entertainment provided, and the thrilling and sensational acts held the large audience in a continual state of tense excitement. The programme presented included some twenty-five acts. The Hobson Sisters are three clever wire-walkers who- do seme graceful work on the wire, the eldest concluding the performance with a cake-walk. Doblados’ flock of trained Spanish mountain sheep and Louisa, the pig-clown, do a very clever act that must have taken the trainer several years to perfect. The Nelson Family gave a marvellous acrobatic and risky performance, in which they introduce quite a number of new features. The performance of La Belle Victoria, a Mexican beauty, on a wire high up in the arena, without the aid of a parasol or staff to balance her, is simply marvellous. The trapeze performances of Signorita Dolinda, and the acrobatic and contortion act of the Stair Sisters were very graceful. The perilous feats of Alfredo, who styles himself the flying man, and the twentieth century mid-air marvel, did some astonishing feats on the trapeze. The Flying Cadonas do an act on the lines of the Flying Jordans, but much more daring. The audience last night was thrilled again and again ,as the performers swung through the air from one end of the tent to the other. The difficult feat of a double leap through space is absolutely one of the most sensational acts ever seen in these parts. The programme is concluded with a sensational feat by Daredevil Desperado. Diving from a dizzy height on to his • chest, he slides on to a wooden platform some 50 feet below in a most marvellous manner. The entertainment IS too (Global to refer to in deta : l, so I would advise all your readers to make >a point of seeing this year’s aggregation of sensational thrillers which the Messrs. Wirth have brought to their doors. The George Willoughby “ Aladdin ” Pantomime Company, which closes its successful eight-weeks’ season at the Svdney Adelphi on Friday, sails the next day for Wellington and arrives here on the 25th, which will give the company a day’s rest to get over the sea trip and open at the Opera House on Thursday, the 26th inst. The pantomime is being brought across in its entirety so that we will see the same production as that given in Sydney. A distinct novelty in the production will he two- principal “boys”—Miss Grace Palotta and Miss Carrie Moore. The principal girl is Miss Mabel Batchelor, who is said to be a very clever actress. Amongst the novelties to be introduced is a team of three trick horses, who do everything but talk. The Wellington season will be from the 26th February

to the 7th March, The Musical Kennedys arrived from -Sydney last week. They intends

opening their tour in Wellington, but could not get suitable dates, so have decided to go south. The North Island will be toured later on. DUNEOIN. (From our Dunedin correspondent). DUNEDIN, February 12. Among the passengers by the Wlllochra, which arrived from Melbourne yesterday,, was Mr. A. W. Batiste, formerly manager of the Margaret Cooper tour in South Africa for Messrs. J. and N. Tait. Mr. Batiste is not now with the J. and N,. Tait firm, having recently joined the Willoughby Co., Ltd., for which he is making his first tour of New Zealand as touring manager for their dramatic Company, opening. Auckland August and Miss Vera Remee. Last week Mr. George Buller passed through Dunedin en route to Wellington to take over the business

management of the Willoughby Dramatic Company, and this week Mr. Batiste goes through to act as touring manager. Mr. Batiste informs me that the Willoughby Co., Ltd., which recently took over the Marlow interests, has already arranged for the following attractions to tour New Zealand this year: —Dramatic Company, headed by George Cross, opening Wellington February 16th; Pantomime Company, headed by Carrie Moore and Grace Palotta, opening Wellington February 26th; Dramatic Company, headed by Cyril Mackay and Gertrude Boswell, opening Auckland Easter Monday; American Company, “The Rosary,” opening New Zealand July; American Musical Company, opening Auckland August 31st.

Mr. George Willoughby, the head of the firm of that name, proceeds to England Shortly to engage further attractions for Australia and New Zealand for the season 1915.

It is somewhat surprising, but not in the least alarming, that W. S. Percy, the well-known comedian, should have accepted an engagement in New York while on his twelvemonths’ holiday tour. Percy had decided to make this purely a pleasure trip, but the offer from Henry Savage, one of the best known of New York managers, was too good to refuse. The experience will be cf great benefit to the young comedian, but I believe that the thoughts of litUe Joan, his four-year-old daughter, who is in Dunedin, will try hard and bring him back before twelve months are over. Barrington Waters, late manager of the King’s, who has been transferred to headquarters in Wellington, was on Monday night met by a representative gathering of -citizens and pre

sented with a purse of sovereigns. The police force, with whom “Barry” is immensely popular, presented him with a suit-case. He left for Wellington by the Willochra yesterday, a large crowd of friends and well-wish-ers giving him a farewe.l. Barrington Waters goes into His Majesty’s for a start and will thereafter take a •.eat in high places. Two of the most popular of Fuller managers, who have been resident in D;nedin —John Hamer (now in Melbourne) and Barrington Waters — have left us within the past few months. Wirth’s Circus has come and 1 gone, and Dunedin will know it no more tor anothefr twelve months. After gathering in all the shekels that a packed tent for three nights represented, the canvas was folded up and the circus people, like the Arabs of scripture, stole 'silently away. AU that remains to remind one of the joys of the circus is the site of the tan-barked ring, a few wisps of straw and a broken bottle! J. A. Matheson, for some time in the intelligence department of Bren-nan-Fuller in Sydney, is now in New Zealand as touring manager for Stephenson and Linley’s Royal Pantomime Company. J. A. M. informs me that business has been so good in Auckland and surrounding districts that it is proposed to play return seasons in some off the towns. John Farrell herald-in-chief for the New Comic Opera Company, is due to reach Dunedin to-morrow to sound the loud timbrel on behalf of the' comics in “ The Count, of Luxembourg,’’ “Autumn Manoeuvres,” “The Chocolate Soldier,” and “The Arcadians.” Vocally at least, the coming season should bje an improvement on the Royal Comics’ season of a few months ago. For this our best thanks. The Royal Banzai troupe of performers is drawing all—men and women, too —to the King’s Theatre, where this ■clever organisation is playing a return season. Nothing better on the same lines has ever been seen here.