Greenroom Gossip

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1473, 18 July 1918, Page 27

Greenroom Gossip

Miss Margaret Wycherley and “The Thirteenth Chair,” the famous American mystery drama, have achieved a wonderful success at the Criterion Theatre, Sydney. It was, indeed, a triumph of the play and the famous dramatic star who created her role in America. The audience were amazed at the startling realism of the piece and the remarkable character acting of Miss Wycherley in the role of Rosalie Le Grand, the spiritualistic medium. It is long since such a sterling dramatic triumph has been made in Sydney.

Mr. George Tallis, writing from New York, referred to a number of productions which have been secured for Australia by J. C. Williamson, Ltd. Mr. Tallis said that “Oh, Boy,” the musical play to be staged in Sydney next week by the New English Comedy Company, was still going strong after many months, and was a phenomenal success. Another big musical hit is, “What Next,” and a musical play with a strong element of novelty was “Going Up,” a musical version of “The Aviator,” in which aeroplaning is introduced. Mr. Tallis found the “Potash and Perlmutter” play, “Business Before Pleasure,” doing tremendous business. In this, the two Hebrew partners are depicted with all their trials and tribulations in the picture business. Other comedies still running and which will be staged in Australia by J. C. Williamson, Ltd., are “The High Cost of Loving” and “Nothing But the Truth.”

George Welch, the diminutive comedian, has apparently solved the problem as to how to be in two different places at the same time. Welch appears as Knopf, the cafe manager, in “Katinka,” at Melbourne Her Majesty’s, and is also a feature of the cabaret scene in the Muriel Starr production of “The Man Who Conre Back,” at the Theatre Royal. In this scene the comedian does an eccentric dance that brought down the house on the opening night. He is billed on the programme as “The Unexpected Guest,” and introduces into the cabaret scene a good deal of enlivening humour as the inebriated guest who casually wanders in and proceeds to brighten things up in the vicinity.

The “Liverpool Courier,” a copy of which came to hand by the last mail, records the success of W. S. Percy in “The Boy,” the musical version of “The Magistrate,” which J. C. Williamson, Ltd., have secured for production in Australia. “The play’s chief figure,” said the “Courier,” “was a comedian who gave as funny a performance as anyone may ever hope to see. Mr. W. S. Percy, as Mr. Meebles, had not a moment during his long and frequent appearances that was not rich in comedy or by its delightful comicality did not prove an irresistible occasion for laughter. It was an extraordinarily good performance.”

A return was recently compiled by the Fuller office of the number of people employed on the circuit in Australia and New Zealand, when it was found that just over 700 artists, musicians, stage hands, front-of-house attendants and cleaners were, engaged, which is a pretty extensive. salary list in these times. In addition to a big list of vaudeville artists, the Fullers are directing the following complete musical companies: — Paul Stanhope Company in Melbourne, Walter Johnston Company in Adelaide, Jack Kearns Company in Perth, Bert Le Blanc Company at Fremantle, Stiffy and Mo Company in Brisbane, Tom Haverley’s Company in Auckland, Walter George s Company in Wellington, Harry Farrow’s Company in Christchurch, and Al Bruce Company in Sydney, all doing splendidly. In the domain of drama the Fullers are directing Allan Wilkie’s tour, besides playing a new piece every week at the Grand Opera House, Sydney, the Princess Theatre, Melbourne, and the Majestic Theatre, Newtown, so the executive -staff of the concern have their hands full.

“Why did the great pianist refuse to play?” “Temperament. Pie got mad because his name was printed in smaller type on the programme than the name of the piano on which he was io perform.”

Judging by the demand for the music of “Katinka,” the J. C. Williamson production at Her Majesty’s, Melbourne, is one of the greatest successes the firm has ever achieved. Thousands of copies of the complete score have been disposed of, whilst of the individual numbers, the pigeon song, “Rackety-Coo,” is prime favourite. One well-known firm of music sellers likened the rush on “Katinka” music to that which characterised the “Merry Widow” boom at its highest. Meanwhile, at Her Majesty’s, “Katinka” is still drawing packed houses, and is booming bigger than ever. Seats have to be booked days ahead.

The English Pierrots, who open in Auckland on Saturday, are not only decidedly musical and gifted with bright and breezy humour which is most infectious, but each member has the happy faculty of co-operating with his fellow in such a manner that the harmonious effect gained is entirely spontaneous. The repertoire of the Pierrots is most extensive, and many of the features have been written by the members of the company, of which there are ten performers, comprising singers, raconteurs and comedians.

Simultaneously' with the first production in Australia of “The Man Who Came Back,” the production of this drama in New York was to commence the twentieth month of its run in that city. It is also being played at the present * time in San Francisco, Boston, and in several of the stages.

Oliver and Lucifer Bing are discussing the attractions of life in their home town. “There’s the circus!” exclaims Mr. Holland. “But it only comes once a year,” retorts Mr. Cannot, “and the only flirt is the fat lady. No; I want to rise with the sun, and go to bed with the moon. It want to go to London to see the underworld.”

Miss Valeska Suratt is the first American actress to receive a pilot’s license to drive a hydroplane.

Lieutenant C. H. Bovill, Coldstream Guards, has been killed in action. He was well known as a writer of lyrics, and was associated with several popular West End (London) productions. One of his big successes was made with the Empire Theatre revue “Everybody’s Doing It,” which was written in association with Mr. George Grossmith.