South African Pictorial - Volume 17 (Jul-Dec 1923)

OcTOBER 20, 19238. SOUTH MAIL-WEEK IN LONDON. (Continued from Page 10.) “** Wheel Tracks,’ ’ by Miss E. CE. Somerville. Extracts from it have been appearing lately in that sane and sound weekly Time & Tide, whetting one’s appetite for the complete volume—which promises to give us a unique epitome of Irish country life during the past four or five decades. ‘Opening of the New Tivoli. After finishing my last letter a fortnight ago I hied me 2 the opening performance at the New Tivoli, an event of special interest to me as I spent three years in the service of the good old Tivoli of “ all-star ’’ programme memories. The new building is a massively beautiful structure with a simple, almost stately exterior, and richly harmonious auditorium with seats for 2,100 people—each of whom has a perfect view of the screen. After Mme. Kirkby-Lunn had ‘sung the National Anthem, the proceedings opened with “ Battles with Salmon,’’ one of the new series of those ‘amazingly clever ‘“‘ Secrets of Nature ’’ films; after which we had turns by Little Tich, Marie Dainton and Malcolm Scott—three of the many. famous favourites of the old Tivoli days—who were the mainstay of the evening, since the “feature ’’ film, ‘‘ Where the Pavement Ends,’’ proved a distinct disappointment, being but a series of beautiful views of a South Sea island drawn out by a slender and very trite . story. It was withdrawn after a week’s run. Miss Dainton drew many a tear of affectionate regret when impersonating the late Marie Lloyd singing * does yer Good,’”’ and Malcolm Scott, still using his Catherine Parr .make-up as a pretext for convulsing us with those brilliant sallies and mots with which he plentifully besprinkles his turn, did what is technically termed ‘‘ stopping the programme.’’ He-told me afterwards of his mixed feelings at participating in the opening of the new Tiv.— delight in the reception he had had in the new house and regret at the passing of the old régime. He is looking for ward very keenly to his forthcoming visit to South Africa Reese PUBLISHING Me A Little of What yer Fancy | AFRICAN PICTORIAL. 27 and wondering what coanee he will find since he was there in pre-War days. Paviova—and a Protest. Being unable to manage an evening during Pavlova’s fortnight season at Covent Garden, I went there for the Saturday matinée only to find that she herself could not appear in more than two brief solos in the ‘‘ Divertissement °’ and for a couple of numbers in her new Indian ballet ‘" Ajanta Frescoes ’’; the rest of the time being taken up with a tame, oldfashioned affair called ‘‘ The Magic Flute ’’ (nothing to do with Mozart), mainly remarkable for the many faux-pas committed by the corps-de-ballet. ‘‘ Ajanta Frescoes,’’ too, was not very entartaining; the introduction. of classical toedancing in an Indian temple setting striking. a very incongruous note. I have always thought that Pavlova, unless she can be properly presented in the Diaghilev ballets (in which we originally saw her here), Should: content herself with music-hall appearances on the lines of those memorable engagements with Mordkin at the: Palace. Her full-evening programmes, excepting when she. herself is on the stage, are invariably disappointing—which is a great pity, for in Pavlova, Lopokova ‘and Karsavina, we have the three greatest actress-ballerinas of the age. As. far as the aforesaid -matinée is concerned, I see that a correspondent of The Pall Mall Gazette has written a very plainly-worded protest against the perfunctory way the audience were treated by the star. — Somerset Maugham’s New Play. ‘“ Our Betiters,’’ the new Somerset Maugham comedy at. the Globe, has not had at all a good ‘‘ Press.’ Still,. judging by the full house I found there on Monday, it will apparently attain a certain succés de scandale from. its. daringly risqué plot and the fact that its advertisements all. carry a denial of the rumours that its characters were taken’ from living personalities! Personally I found it. boring for the most part. A bunch of entirely worthless American. parvenues marrying titled Europeans, and afterwards devot-. ing. their existence to illicit amours with society ‘‘ tame. eats "’ and portly financiers, is hardly a spectacle calculated. to thrill oes prayecers: Pau Pry. a S ft, ca ; Te ~y\he3 1AS NG ‘ah 3 | °Star’ Offices, Johanr ne sburg. E Plan, Design, Print or Lithograph Booklets, Catalogues, Folders, Show Cards, Window Cards, Posters, Hangers, Labels, Calendars, and Colour Inserts. We are prepared to supply you completely with everything you may need from the preliminary designs to the making of plates necessary for the finished article.