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New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1486, 17 October 1918, Page 32

Mr. Maurice Ralph, the manager of the “Peg o’ My Heart” Company, reports that business has been unfailingly big so far throughout the North Island tour. At the latest reports the company had descended upon Gisborne, after playing Rotorua, Tauranga, Te Puke, Whakatane, and Opotiki, so that no corner of New Zealand will not know the charm of “Peg” after th e tour is over. The dates for the provincial tour of Wellington are as follow: —Hastings, October 16 and 17; Waipawa, October 18; Napier, October 19; Pahiatua, October 21; Greytown, October 22; Featherston, October 23; Masterton, October 24; Carterton, October 25. Following this comes a tour of the Manawatu and Wanganui districts, with Wellington to follow. “Peg o’ My Heart” will be in Wanganui and Pa’merston North on the show dates. • • » • “The Thirteenth Chair” is a tense detective story, finely acted in every particular. There is only one regret after seeing the play (says “Pasquin” of the “Otago Witness”), and that is that Dunedin audiences did not have the opportunity of witnessing such a convincing actress as Miss Wycherly in other pieces in which she has gained fame in America.

Mr. John Farrell, business manager of “The Thirteenth Chair” Company, had a severe attack of influenza while in Dunedin, but is now progressing favourably. Private advices state that Mr. Harry Cohen, son of Mr. Albert Cohen, of the “Dunedin Star,” has been appointed manager of London’s National Theatre, Drury Lane. After a brief spell occasioned through ill-health, Miss Sara Allgood will resume her role of Peg in “Peg o’ My Heart” with the J. and N. Tait company at Hastings next week. During Miss Allgood’s indisposition the part has ben creditably played by Miss Madge Surtees, who will be remembered as the clever Australian actress who played the title role in “Sunday” recently. * * • * In Australia “The Thirteenth Chair” broke the records established in Sydney and Melbourne by “Within the Law,” which was written by the same author, Bayard Veiller, and it is only because Miss Margaret Wycherly. the leading lady, has to return to the United States almost immediately that the mystery play is not running on indefinitely in the Commonwealth.

Barry Lupino will produce J. and N. Tait’s next pantomime, “Jack and Jill.” * * * * “Kitty Nobody,” the playlet which is a feature of “Honi Soit,” at the Melbourne Tivoli Theatre, was written by two New Zealanders, Messrs. John Patrick and Hampden Booth, both of whom are in khaki. * * * * A big cake given to Mary Pickford by her godsons, the 143rd Field Artillery of California, before their departure, realised £lB at a Red Cross shop in Santa Monica. London “Times,” in its critique of “Shanghai” at Drury Lane, says that Miss Dorothy Brunton was delightful as Fantan, being full of charm and merriment. * * * « Mr. Roy Redgrave, who was a prominent member of the Kathlene MacDonell company, ruptured a bloodvessel while in Dunedin and had to be taken to the hospital. Amongst other fine portraitures he will be remembered here for his work as Van Tuyl in “Romance.”

Mr. Alexander Watson had to turn people away from the Burns Hall, Dunedin, so keen was the interest taken in his recitals. * * * * Miss Gracie Lavers is given an opportunity in “Oh! Boy!” now running in Melbourne. She has for some time been Mrs. Hugh Ward’s protege. Her voice is small but sweet, and has remarkab’e carrying quality. Miss Lavers is little more than a child. She played Wendy in the recent revival of* “Peter Pan” ‘at the Criterion Theatre, Sydney, and scored a big success. * • ▼ » Mr. Brinsley Shaw, leading man in “The Thirteenth Chair,” which opens in Auckland on October 26. was specially chosen by the author for the part of Tim Donohue, and he appears to special advantage in this part because he can depict it exactly as the author intended it to be portrayed. Miss Lizette Parkes appears in a role which a Sydney critic states might have specially been written for her. A A * 9 Mr. Norman Aitken, the well-known ■amateur actor and secretary of the Wellington “Charley’s Aunt” Club, has been rejected as unfit for active military service.

Mr. John Fuller, senior, is seriously indisposed, but hopes to be about again in a few days. • s * • The Dominion tour of the talented elocutionist Alexander Watson will be limited to exactly two months, the popular entertainer having booked his passage by the Makura the first week in December, for Vancouver, where he is due to begin a Canadian tour Christmas week. The Auckland bookings are November 23-30. At the conclusion of his Auckland season, in the few days before catching the Makura, Mr. Watson intends to make a pleasure trip through the Rotorua district. Mr. A. Brandon-Cremer, who has been doing sketches with Miss Kathleen Arnold on the Fuller circuit recently, is taking up the position of resident producer for Fullers’ shows in Sydney. ♦ ♦ * * Marguerite Clark, moving picture actress, was married last month at Greenwich Connecticut, to Lieutenant H. P. Williams, of New Orleans, who is attached to the engineering corps at Washington.

There were seventy-five applicants for the part of Peg in “Peg o’ My Heart” when, during the height of its London success it was decided to send out a touring company into the provinces, and in the end it was Miss Sara Allgood that was selected by the author, Mr. J. Hartley Manners. He personally supervised the rehearsals, and Miss Laurette Taylor (Mrs. Manners), the original Peg, was kindness itself in many ways to the new Peg. Miss Daisy Harcourt, who is back in Australia after seven years’ absence in England and America, confesses that she made her first professional appearance in a Sydney suburban show. “I know such a little bit about the game,” she says, “that I did’nt know how to make up and and little Violet Bishop (now dead and gone) came to my rescue and showed me what to do. That was a real bit of kindness from an established performer towards a raw amateur. I went on the stage and sang “Arrah go on.” When I heard the applause I thought I was made for life and I couldn’t make out why Violet was eying me so sorrowfully. With my riper experience I know now I was being unmercifully guyed.” * * * * Mr. W. Randall, an experienced showman with a knowledge of the old and new methods, is directing a Now Zealand tour for Terence Ram?dale, a gifted English entertainer, who has appeared throughout the world with distinguished success. The Auckland season will probably open in December. Meanwhile Mr. Randall is getting busy with the preliminary details. V K Miss Bessie Lester, a stimulating figure at the Opera House, whose unconventional entrance leads the wav for an unusual turn, wears an ultrasmart opera coat of dead rose charmeuse of voluminous cut, which she dons later to reveal herself in a glittering, glistening, diamante frock which seems to set o ff her sparkling methods of entertaining. * a. * * Mr. Victor Beck, who was touring manager for the English Pierrots, writing of their final season in Wellington remarks: —“We had t o close down eleven nights owing to several members being held up by the prevailing epidemic—influenza. First three were taken severely ill with it, having had temperatures of from 101 to 104. After four days off we made another attempt, and got in one night only, and had t o close down again till the end of the following week, during which time four others were taken with it. During the fourteen years the Pierrots have been organised it has never happened that more than one member has been absent at one time, but in the present instance seven were off at one time, and for eleven nights. However, we managed to get the final night in—last Saturday (sth) —and we left by the Westralia on Monday for Melbourne, via the Bluff and Hobart. Dates have already been booked for 1919, when the company are due’ to open at Wellington on May 15.”