The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-29


 to run. The original French farce held the boards in Paris for over a year and, a matter of course. everybody iconcerned is grievously disappointed that the English version should have done so poorly. The truth is "The Lit tie Cafe was essentially picture of French life, as difficult for English artists to realize as for playgoers to understand Moreover, tho adaptation was far from being q masterpiece even of its humble kind. Possibly when C. NJ. $. Mcclellan adds his lyrics and Ivan Caryn his music, t>sre will be q de- l sided change for the better and as musical comedy .'The Little Cafe lwill doubtless enjoy much prosperity. l For his next production Cyril Aaude has decided on a piece by WIlfred lColeby and Edward Knoblauch named The Head-AIaster." This was written lby Coleby some years ago for Lena Ashwell, whose literary adviser l<uob- l lauch was at the time Knoblanch Gn- dertook to revise the manuscript and put il into more dramatic shape, on the condition. of course, that his name Ishould be bracketed with that of Cole iby.
 At the shaftesbury Robert Court neidge is busy getting his eoripany together for "oh, Oh. Delphine," That lis no easy matter nowadays when the supply of recognized "stars' falls far short of the demand. Courtneidge las searched London and the provinces for a good low comedian, but his endeavors so far have not met with any tangi- ble reward. In. my last letter I men- toned that there had been some little lheartburning over "Oh, Oh! Delphine." Michael Faraday, of the Lyric, had his eye upon the English rights and, ln- deed, issued q manifesto to the effect that it only lay with him to say yes or no" He seems, however, to have reclxoned without William Boosey of lChappell & Co. who slipped in in front l of Faraday and carried the prize off l to Courtneidge.
 Trouble For Ready Money There has also been q little troebllng of the waters at the New Theatre where Ready Money" is still laying to good business. By the terms of his contract with George Broadhurst Wi.- 1 liam Brady had to produce at that house Fought and Paid For before the end of the year. A months ex- tension was, however, agreed to. On the other hand, Charles Wyndham had undertaken to find. if necessary, an other theatre for Ready Money" when lit had to yield place to Bought and Paid For" provided due notice was given him. That not being forthcoin' l ing he let his other theatre, the Cri- terion until the end of April. rlady and his partner, Allan Aynesworth in- sist. notwithstanding, that Wynd- hams responsibility toward them still holds good and that d West End theatre of one kind of another he must supply them with. George Broadhurst is, 1 hear, on his way over to London. Tonight Gertrude Kingston brings her peresent season to a close at the faf IDro l..Attt -.Jt Conversion has, she tells me. kept her going very comfortably; if she has not made a great deal Of money by it, she can boast at any rate that the balance l is on the right side. What the future i of the Little Theatre is to be remains for the moment indefinite. although 1 learn from Miss Kingston that there are certain biggish possibilities in the air.
 The public has found Lord Dun sanys weird little drama The Golden l Doom' not altoget ther to it's taste and 1 the piece accordingly has been removed l from the Haymarket bill. To fill it's place Charles Frohman has agreed to 1 let Frederick Harrison have J. NJ. Bar rie's one-act comedy "Rosalind," which is to be given the star position on the programme with Irene Vanbrugh in her original part Meantime, not to be caught mapping, Harrison Is pushing l forward preparations for the presenta- tions of Ibsen's historical drama The l IPretenders" This is . bequest inherited l from his predecessor in the managerial chair, Herbert Trench, who somehow seems to have disappeared entirely from the theatrical armament Lord 1 Howard de Walden, another director on the Haymarket board, has also been ] long in favor of doing Ibsen's piece which is to be presented on an unusual i ly elaborate scale.
 Rehearsals Started l Two days ago Charles Hawtrey start ed rehearsals of George Birmingham 5 Irish comedy General John Regan," which he is going to do in conjunc ton with Tom E. Davis at the Apollo on January 9. Davis's first impression of the piece was uncompromisingly un- favorable, but he has since allowed l himself to be converted to a more hope full view. Hawtrey, on the other hand, i has the utmost faith in the novelty and I sincerely hope his confidence will be justified. He has just revived the fairy play Where the Rainbow Ends"
 which last year. although the press
 welcomel it with a chorus of delight, showed loss of .s15,000 at the Savoy. At the Garrick, where it is at present. Tits chances seem much more encourage ling as the advance booking alone al ready amounts to Sl0,O00. HaWtreys s lucky has been rather out of late and it is high time the tide turned in his favor.
 1 This evening A. F. Matthews goes 1 into the cast of "Officer 666" in the part originally played by Wallace Ed dmger. The latter, much to the re- gret of his many English admirers, Is returning at once to America, despite the fact that he has firmly established | his popularity on this side. Officer 666" looks like staying at the Globe for some time to come; it is just the sort of piece that ought to appeai to holiday audiences.
 A Turkish Bread Line