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Saturday 12 July 1952
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/»» t» , ¡a »? p .* * i -> < i-, »i iK
COMPANY TO* PRESENT 11 PERFORMANCES
The John Alden Shakspearean ( company ,is'living .up to itsiNren-, ..turesome reputation, by present-
ing; an 11-performance season in /Canberra starting "on" Monday
'night. '(- ,,'*, .*'. ¡¡ ,, , . ¡'
It reduced former plans for ,a longer seasom on the "advice of
J. local? theatre lovers, many of.1 Whom -are still ^.convinced that
^Canberra, '<and > district may not I ' .'.fully support three Shakespeare-1
'an plays"in'10'days during wirf-j. ,ter at Albert Hall.- , \ '
It. i has been suggested, that ' poor ( houses may dissuade the company from returning when Canberra, is ,,better able to sup- port t such a programme.
The Alclen company arrives m Canberra today ariel on Monday with a backgiound of mounting popularity and success.
Its programme in , Canberra comprises "King Lear,"i which' is
regarded as its finest -presenta- ] tion; the better-known "The Merchant of 'Venice," and the near - farce, "The Merry Wives of Windsor."
Tine company also plays "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and hopes to add s"Othello" to . its repertoire- shortly.
'It will be the first professional Shakospearcan company to visit enverra for many'years.
The company first took shape
as u sci/ii-pi'oiessional group in < 1949, but became a fully pro- i fessional Venture last year. (
John Ald'en, after three yeirs J in England, including parts, at
Old -Vic, ^'produced plays -at the '' Theatre Rpyal,., Sydney After . the war he'took a group to Ja- ' pan to entertain the' occupation ,
foi ces." - ' ' . '? i ' ' (
On his return he "started
Shakespearean productions at , the Independent Theatre, 'North ] Sydney. <- I
His work was noted by Miss -, I Elsie "Beyer, who toured with'i OHvier's Old, V^c Company 'as i general manager, When she re- 1 turned to Australia on a holiday. .
in 1949 < j; | In 1950, Alden' established "a ¡'
"little theatre" at St. "James £J fHall, Sydney, where the ,players, | ^ although' often well-known in the ;: j
"stage and radio fields, acted without payment. ' ^ . y
Miss Beyer, who felt that Aus',
-tralia would support a profes-ij sional company, persuaded Al- j den to carry out such a plan.,
'She succeeded in raising suffici- I ent financial backing for Alden ( to prepare for a Commonwealth
The lour started mililly at J ¿our as a professional company. * Melbourne, but' has 'more 'than ' recompensed trióse 'losses by sue- ] r-pssful seasons at Adelaide, Bris- t bane and Toowoomba , i
Co-producer and actor .with
John 'Alden is" James Mills, whom 1 Aldon" met When a member of ¿
the JEngTßhv Harrogate "Repert-| i ory Company. Mills was pro-;; ducer and director of production,
of this'igroup. .'He joined th,e"A.l->M den company ;iast year; ^qnVinc- *? ed tliat here is a real need for trália, patirculárly' for _the.-prés
entation of'Shakespeare. . <