SOUTHERN STAGE NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1320, 12 August 1915, Page 30

SOUTHERN STAGE NOTES.

(By

“Lorgnette.”)

(By Telegraph—-From Lorgnette.’) WELLINGTON, August 11.

J. C. Williamson’s specially selected company opened a Dominion tour at the Grand Opera House this evening with Messrs. Lechmere Worrall and J. E. Harold Terry’s three-act drama, “The Man Who Stayed at Home.” The first performance was witnessed by an audience that packed the theatre to the doors. War seemed to be in every mind, and warm enthusiasm was displayed throughout the performance. The plot of the play is conventional in so far as it concludes with a victory for British cleverness over Teutonic unscrupulousness, but no British aud'ence would enthuse over any play that ended otherwise. What makes the great appeal is that the story bristles with incidents that over and over again have had their counterpart in various parts of the Empire. Thus, for instance, the secret wireless installation h’dden away in a little-used fireplace, and worked up the chimney; the carrier pigeon, bearer to Berlin of plans of ports and minefields; innocent

looking people, naturalised and apparently magnificently loyal to the country of their adoption, but in reality dangerous spies; and the signalling from the English sea coast to enemy vessels in the English Channel. The authors’ work has had its parallel in actual facts. Really it is more impressive than a score of cable messages about similar happenings overseas.

Christopher Brent, the secret service agent, has come to the hotel on duty, and is joined later by a charming accomplice. Secret service has, apparently, associat’ons which make it pleasant, if perilous; but Brent has fallen in love with the daughter of a peppery old patriot boarding at the hotel, who talks a good deal of England’s duty and helps materially the comedy side of the play. The girl’s regard for Brent is tempered only by two circumstances —his apparent indifference to the call of duty and his frequent association with his fascinating secret service colleague, Miriam Lee. The spies in the case are Mrs. Sanderson, a widow of English name and German origin; her son (Carl Sanderson), who is a clerk in the British Admiralty; Frauleir

Schroeder, who has aided and educated some of the best families with a dash of German “kultur;” while Fritz, a German waiter, completes the expatriated and decidedly dangerous group. Given such material, and also the ingeniously hidden wireless apparatus, which Christopher Brent discovers whilst casually knocking his pipe against the fireplace to empty it; the play early becomes interesting, and the interest increases to a finish with a juggle of revolvers and the complete breakdown of German espionage and its agents. Mr. Frank Harvey, as Christopher Brent, has a difficult part to sustain, as he is seldom off the stage. The vacuous idler is never overdone and he scores success after success. Miss Violet Paget, as his secret service accomplice, Miriam Lee, got a great reception on making her first appearance. She invests the part of the elusive widow with its proper importance. Mr. Austin Milroy gave a very creditable interpretation of the part of Carl Sanderson, whilst Miss Emma Temple gave a fine study of the part of Mrs. Sanderson. Two excellent characters of comedy are supplied by Mr. Arthur Cornell, as the delightfully pompous John Preston, and Miss Tempe Pigott, as Miss Myrtle. The other characters were well filled by Miss Dorothy Cumming, Miss Eily Malyon, Mr. Kenneth Brampton, Mr. Leslie Victor, and Mr. Charles Morse.

The piece is smartly staged, and the mechanical effects —the secret wireless, the flashlights, and the roll of the guns from the bay—lend it a semblance of reality. WELLINGTON, August 9. The question is often asked “Which is the worst show town in New Zealand?” and various are the replies

given. The other night I met two theatrical managers and the conversation somehow drifted on to the same subject. Both were most emphatic in giving the credit to Dunedin, stating that if they bad their way thej r would undoubtedly “cut out” Dunedin from all future tours. One stated that quite recently a highclass vaudeville show played six nights, and the takings for the week amounted to only £6O 10s., an average cf £lO Is. Bd. a performance. He said it would have paid the management better to have kept the theatre closed. Another big combination that lately visited the Otago capital to play a short season did such poor business that the season was cut down two nights. Two seats only were booked for the second last night, and none at all for the last night. Both gentlemen were agreed that at the present time Dunedin is the sure theatrical manager’s cemetery all right, and it seems like it.

The Allen Doone season at the Grand Opera House will be brought to a close this evening with a performance of “The Parish Priest.”

Mr. Bert Royle is now on the high road to a complete recovery from his recent severe attack of peumonia, though it will be some little time yet before he is able to attend to business again.

Barton’s Circus, which has been in camp at the Upper Hutt during the winter months, is ready to take the road again in about a fortnight's time. Some 12 new acts are due to arrive from Sydney by the Moeraki this week, which ought to provide a good show. The Red Dandies opened what promises to be a highly successful three weeks’ season in the Town

Hall Concert Chamber on Saturday evening last. The Wellington Professional Orchestra gave its fifth concert of the season in H s Majesty’s Theatre on Sunday evening. The programme was selected so as to suit all tastes, and included Beethoven’s immortal “Egmont” overture, Tschaikovsky s famous “March Slave,’ a Hungar.an rhapsody by Roberts, a Spanish suite by Leoncavallo, and the favourite “Zampa” overture.

At the annual general meeting of the Wellington Society of Musicians, held a few nights ago, the following officers were elected for the ensuing year:—President, Mr. Bernard F. Page; vice-presidents, Messrs. Robert Parker and Lawrence Watkins; hon. secretary, Mr. H. Temple White; hon. treasurer, Mr. Leo Buckeridge; council. Misses Kennedy, Segrief and Watkins, Messrs. R. G. Blow, Charles W. Kerry and Charles W. Stephens.

Mischel Cherniavskv to-day is recognised as being amongst the three greatest ’cellists in the world. The ’cello in his hand becomes a stringed organ, expressing every gamut of the emotions. Mischel Cherniavsky was born in Odessa, Russia, November 2nd, 1895, and gave early indications of coming talent. It is said of him that at the age of six. he was taken by his faher to hear a great Russian ’cellist named Wersbilowitz, and the little Mischel was so moved by the sad. sweet music that he began to cry, afterwards beseeching his father to buy him a ’cello and teach him to try and nlay “the same wonderful music.” After a brief period of home practising with his father, Mischel was sent to study under Professor Popper, of Budapest. Here he re-

mained one year, and was then made very proud by his teacher telling him “I have nothing more to teach you.” Mischel completed his studies under Herbert Walenn, of London.

Talking of “compliments” lately, Gaby Deslys, the well-known French danseuse and actress, told this one: “My very first compliment was paid me by a little boy at a children’s party. I had danced at this party, and afterwards in my dancing dress I sat amongst the children. I asked the children what they were going to be when they grew up. One said he wanted to be an engine-driver, and another an aeronaut, and so on. But when it came to one little boy’s turn he said he would whisper what he wanted to be, and standing on tip-toe he clasped my neck with his small arms, and breathed softly in my ear: ‘Your husband.’ ”

The Sydney “Sun,” in its notice of “The) Marriage Market” head-lined the musical play as being “Like the Curate’s Egg,” but in the' letterpress unaccountably forgot to point the allusion. Most people, however, know the story of the timid curate so accustomed to being grateful for small mercies from the vicar that when at one meal the cry was raised, “Why, Mr. Smiff has been given a bad egg,” the curate hastened to say with agonised self-abasement: “It’s really all right; the egg is quite good—in parts.” Musical comedy audiences are truly often like the cura + e taking with thanks whatever is offered them. — Sydney “Green Room.”

De Wolf Hopper, the famous American comedian, has agreed to act for moving pictures at a salary of over £25,000 a year.