The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-10
NEWS AND GOSSIP
OF LONDON STAGE
London Without It's Gaiety
Theatre for a Moment

Lohuon, March 9.-(Special. )--Probably
the first performance at the Shaftesbury
| of "Oh. OH Delphine" would have sur
prised American playgoers who appear
to have taken the piece so completely to
| their hearts. Evidently a goodly pro-
portion of the audience felt that Delphine
was not quite nice or proper young
person and that her behavior called for
severe condemnation. Anyhow, when the
curtain finally fell there were loud cries
| from the gallery of Censor! censor!'
conclusive proof that a number of the
gods considered the Lord Chamberlain
had scarcely done his duty in authorizing
the production of the play. But the piece
is sumptuously mounted and have no
doubt will enjoy a prosperous career,
although I should not like to predict for
it run even distantly comparable to
that achieved in New York.
1t is rather odd how, at the theatre.
or of failures At the present moment
We, are, apparently, in for a succession
OF the latter; it is rarely you meet a
manager who is not pulling long face.
Marie Tempest, for instance, has been
forced to acknowledge defeat at the
Prince of Wales, with Jerome X. Jerome's
latest effort, Esther Castways," which,
accordingly, comes off In the course of
a fortnight This is not to say that the
piece is being run to loss on the con-
trary, every week shows a profit But
Marie and her partner, Frank Curzon,
are much too shrewd and businesslike to
take any risks. They recognize that with
falling barometer the wisest course is
to run for shelter. So Esther Castways"
takes herself off in fortnight and is
at once to be replaced by a four-act
comedy named THE Handful" written by
a young fellow of 20. called Gordon Ed
wards" who has not, so far, single
production to his credit. He is. | be-
lieve. something in the city," but, ac-
cording TO Marie, he has written prom
Using play.
Arthur Bourchier also has awakened to
an unpleas SAINT discovery Only a fortnight
ago he rashly delivered himself of the
statement that Stanley Houghton's new
play Trust the People," was going to
be another walls of Jericho for him
The play however, is about to be with
drawn. This should serve as a useful
lesson to Stanley Houghton. who, like
that other young dramatist, Macdonald
Hastings, appears rather to have lost his
head over first success.
Trust the People" rs TO be followed
at the Garricl1 by an adaptation made
by the author himself of Temple Thurs
toms well known novel '"The Greatest
Wish in the World" In its original
form the story strikes me as rather
lacking in dramatic fibre. But possibly
Thurston has seen his way to elaborate
1t into something stronger. Bourchier,
of course, is attracted by the character
of the kindly old priest, Father O'keary,
who plays so prominent part In the
tale 1t ought to suit him. too, pro-
vided he is able to wrestle successfully
with the brogue. His study of the be-
nevolent old bishop in Mrs. Craigie's
comedy "The Bishops Move" still lin
gers in my memory as one of the most
delightful things ever done at the
theatre
l very much fear, further, that Wee
don Grosssmith is not fated to enjoy
prolonged popularity at the Globe with
the new farce ASK Quesbury." On the
first night it only played for an hour
and forty minutes, which, you will
admit, is rather meagre fare, even III
Lent. Weldon introduced to our notice
new" author called It. Herbert Lee,
whose work. alas, turned out most dis
appointingly old fashioned. There is
similar story to be told over the way
at the comedy where Cecily Hamilton,
abandoning serious work for the mo-
ment, gave us a chld's play named
Lady Noggs, Peeress," founded on
series of stories by Edgar Jepson.
Neither piece seems likely to attain
to anything like a length of happy
days.
Michael Faraday. who is still coin
ing money at the Lyric with The Girl
in the Taxi" has acquired the English
rights of ''Within the Law" from Al
Woods He has no intention of produc-
ing the piece at the Lyric where the
next novelty is to be a new musical
play by Oscar Straus. But. obviously,
If one has the money there are always
other theatres to be had.
So Cahrles Klein has determined to
shake the dust of America off his
feet and to make the old country his
home for the future. This fact he
announces to me in brief communi-
cation which leaves me unfortunately
uninformed as to his literary propects.
take it that Klein, whom l know to
be one of the best of fellows, was a
trifle disappointed with the chilling
welcome given to "The Ne'er Do Well
With the fortune he has amassed, Klein,
however, has very little to bother about.
Success or failure can make little dif-
ference to him financially.
The triple bill composed Of THE
Younger Generation" ''The Twelve
Pound Look" and 1.-THE Adventure of
Aristide Pujol" has not borne trans
plantation from the Haymaker to the