NORMAN POPPLE

MR KENNETH DOUGLAS

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Mr. Paul Rubens is making history in the lyric drama. Out of the musical comedy he has fashioned the original comedy with music. There are worlds of difference between them. The inversion alone of the

words "music" and comedy" raises impenetrable barriers. In the classification of plays shades of distinction are outlined by a word, a punctuation mark, an accent.

The broad feature of differentiation between the old form of entertainment and the new is the abolition of opening chorus and finale. For years the opening chorus has been the "Tally ho!" of the musical comedy. With the opening chorus the composer made the running. Even if Fate should proscribe a check long before the list of solos, trios, quartets, sextets, etc., had been worked off, playgoers were never permitted to complain of a poor pace at the start. In the opening chorus the composer was paramount. The lyric-writer might put into it his wittiest and most audacious verses, the singers throw from their chests their most resonant notes, but at the least sign of lyric-writer or singer getting too lively, the conductor's baton would whip up the orchestra into front place in such wise that, for all the audience could make out of the purport of their song the chorus might be singing the Greek alphabet, though every now and again, after a lyric of this species

Mr. Poppie (of Ippleton) opens upon comedy lines with a dialogue between underlings; there are no music cues to bring on the principals; nor fatuous lines of dialogue to bring on the songs. The fun of the piece devolves upon Mr. G. P. Huntley as the countryman from Ippleton. He is the mainstay of the comedy. We watch for his entrances, and eye him nervously when he gives signs of making an exit. There are many smart lines in the piece, but few humorous situations. Consequently, the actors have to manufacture comedy, where possible, out of their personality. This is a light task for Mr. Huntley,

who keeps the audience in a roar. Mr. Kenneth Douglas, not gifted, as is Mr. Huntley, with a humorous personality, has a harder task. He is always bright and pleasing, and when the lines are smart, he evokes merriment, but it takes gifts of a different order to convulse the house with the simple remark, "What a rough journey," or "I'll give you a good topping time with the rabbits when you come down to Ippleton." This comparison is made merely in order to show that, with the exception of the principal comedian, who would hardly be at a loss if Mr. Paul Rubens had written him a rôle in words of one syllable or in Esperanto, the rest of the characters are not provided with much opportunities for fun-making.

With dainty songs of the Paul-Rubensian school they are well provided, especially Miss Ethel Irving, who can talk and act a song far more effectively than anyone else can sing it. Her rendering of "O! la la la!" gave a fillip to the third act when that tired feeling seemed to pervade the production.

Mr. Lionel Victor and Miss Coralie Blythe play "opposite" characters with neatness and vivacity, but with the exception of these and the three principal performers already referred to, the rest of the cast make no peremptory claim upon our attention. The two juveniles, Mr. Leon Rennay and Miss Olive Hood, show unmistakable signs of inexperience of the stage, and the London stage is rather a stern school in which to learn the paces. But they both sing well, and that is the main thing, even in a comedy with music. The two flighty husbands

and their two wives, the one pugnacious, the other lachrymose, created a tedium in which even Miss Marie Illington's delightfully incisive manner was swamped.

The dresses designed by Mr. Percy Anderson were wonderfully neat and smart. The designer contented himself with the very simplest combination of colours, and his "line" was most telling, especially in a wonderful scarlet head - dress worn by the girls of the charity theatre, and reminding us of those quaint

VIOLET BRINTON Miss & Olive & Hoods &

Norman dames who decorated the pages of our

"The

That sprightly and ever original troupe, Folles," are now appearing at the Palace Theatre in an operetta, entitled, with malignantly punning intent, O Pieretta, the writing and composition by H. G. Pelissier, the lyrics by Arthur Wimperis. Burlesque is its intent, both musical and poetic, and the intent is realised. What it is, however, that is burlesqued in the former direction is a little difficult to detect, for the music soars up and down the octaves, and is of a plaintive weirdness like unto nothing we know of except itself. Perhaps that is the joke-a burlesque which burlesques itself? "The Follies," anyhow, may be trusted to

know, and though the hour of the production (from 11 till 11.45 or thereabouts) was late, the show provided the audience with many laughs-puzzled, inquiring laughs, perhaps, but laughs; and that, after all, is the MISS main thing. There was ETHEL also presented for the IRVING first time Mlle. Juliette,

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LA

BOLERO

and some highly intelligent sea-lions.

"The Little Michus"

The changes made in The Little Michus have greatly improved the play. The suppression of the entrance of the hussars in the first act has quickened the action. The comedy scenes and situations are brisker and brighter. "Two Little Hearts," the beautiful duet for

Blanche Marie and Marie Blanche, with which the first act opened, has been translated to the second Mlle. Genée also act, to the general advantage. appears in the second act. She is a revelation to those who have been accustomed to the average dancer of light opera. Miss Denise Orme has a new number, "A Grand Lady," in the second act, and interpolates Gounod's Serenade in the third, playing the violin obbligato herself with enchanting effect. Mr. George Graves, as General des Ifs, still convulses the audience with his story of The Gazeka, the wonderful little creature who is to occupy the place of honour in the toy-shop windows this Christmas, to say nothing of the rollicking humour of his attempt to swallow Madame Michu's home-made wine. André Messager's music grows on one at every visit. With all its added exuberance of fun, The Little Michus has lost nothing of its natural daintiness and charm.

Where Shall We Go To-Night?

"BYSTANDER" THEATRE GUIDE

DRURY LANE, at 8: The Prodigal Son.-Hurry up and book seats, for even a Prodigal Son has to make way for Christmas

Panto.

HIS MAJESTY'S, at 8: Oliver Twist.-Adaptation a series of excellent "bits," especially Mr. Tree's Fagin.

HAYMARKET, at 8.30: Privy Council.-Neat Pepysian piece, played before the King by command. 9.10: Lucky Miss Dean.-Successfully produced in town, was whisked off to the country, and now returns to town with Charles Hawtrey

in the cast.

GARRICK, at 8: The Merchant of Venice.-Beautifully staged, and an interesting reading of Shylock from Mr. Bourchier.

ADELPHI, at 8.30: Dr. Wake's Patient.-Simple domestic comedy, with interludes of sentiment, always finds a large public.

ST. JAMES'S, at 8.30: The Housekeeper.-Mr. and Mrs. Kendal in a well-fitting play.

WYNDHAM'S, at 8.45: Public Opinion.-An amusing farce, with one situation running through three acts without slowing down.

NEW, at 9; Captain Drew on Leave.-Going very strong. COURT, at 8.15: Man and Superman.-Intending Benedicks should see it before taking the plunge.

DUKE OF YORK's, at 8. 15: Sherlock Holmes. -- Mr. William Gillette talks in this version.

IMPERIAL, at 8.15: The Temptation of Samuel Burge.-New farce by W. W. Jacobs and Frederick Fenn. At 8.45: The Perfect Lover.-An ethical play, with good situations and well acted.

SCALA: At 8.15, Carrots; at 9, Mrs. Grundy.-Madeleine Lucette Riley's new play.

SHAFTESBURY, at 8.30: The Walls of Jericho.—A permanency. May move to another theatre, but will never stop. WALDORF, at 8.45: Lights Gut. -The first dish of the strong meat drama with which playgoers are now to be served.

Musical plays at DALY'S, CRITERION, GAIETY, LYRIC PRINCE OF WALES'S.-Take them in order named.

A Good Start

In hunting as in most things a good start may be reckoned as being half the battle. For the enthusiastic Nimrod there is scarcely anything more irritating than to be hung up at the very outset of the season by some abnormal weather conditions. There have been occasions on which hunting has been delayed in November on account of the waterlogged country. In some years, too, drought has precluded the possibility of regular work out of covert until half the opening month has slipped away. Fortunately, everything has been couleur de rose for hunting people so far this season. Huntsmen growled at the short supply of rain during the important work of cubbing, but just before the time fixed for the majority of opening meets, the

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the frost does not come to make the turf rattle beneath our horses' shoes. Up to the moment of writing there has been very little to complain of so far as sport is concerned. In the Shires, most of the packs have been able to run well each day, without achieving anything that could be styled sensational. Things are progressing very smoothly with the Quorn under Captain Frank Foreşter's leadership, and already his good qualities are being warmly spoken on in the Midlands. The Cottesmore Hounds, too, have shown several runs worthy of the high reputation the pack has won, while Mr. Fernie's brilliant hour and forty minutes without a check on the 9th inst. over the choicest of their Thursday country, ending with a kill close to the cemetery at Billesdon, was a performance speaking

welcome moisture came copiously in all parts of the kingdom, bringing with it an improvement of scent, as well as better conditions for riding across country. Doubtless, we shall not get out of November without a few fogs, but these are nothing more than must be expected at this time of the year, and we can afford to greet them philosophically so long as

eloquently for the merits of the Market Harborough hounds.

The North Cotswold Hounds and their Retiring M.F.H.

Having definitely decided to give up the Mastership of the North Cotswold Hounds at the end of the current season, Mr. Charles McNeill has already placed