Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Saturday 23 February 1929, page 12


MUSIC AND DRAMA.

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"THE LADY WITH A LAMP."

In the Victorian era-and, indeed, until | very recently-Florence Nightingale lived in

the popular Imagination as an ethereal, sen-timental figure, drifting gently about the wards of the militar} hospital at Scutari with a lamp by night, and pausing here and there to lay a cool hand to a fevered brow. Then came Mr. Lytton Strachey with his book. "Eminent Victorians," containing a biography of Florence Nightingale. Very Judicially ho dispelled the mists of romance that had hid-den the real woman from view, and turned upon her the truthful and revealing light of historical research. Under that light she was seen to be much more hard In her out-lines than the lady beloved by the senti-mental Victorian public, but also much more human. ' The same method of approach has been adopted by Reginald Berkeley in his play, "The Lady with a Lamp." which was presented at the Arts Theatre last month, and enthusiastically received by the London critics. Like Mr, Strachey. Mr. Berkeley emphasises the fact that Scutari was only the beginning of Florence Nightingale's career. He allots to it a single one of the eight Bcenes. The rest of the drama shows her ceaseless ac-tivity after her return to England-how she used her prestige to force Cabinet Ministers to carry out her plans; how she wielded Sid-ney Herbert as a tool, and goaded him Into death from overwork; nnd how at last. In her closing years, when her mind had almost gone, gorgeous Court officials Invested har with the Order of Merit In her obscure apart-ment, and she was wheeled away murmuring "Too kind, too kind!" and wondering vaguely what all this commotion had been about. Even In the Scutari scene, Mr. Berkeley gives only a glimpse of her as "The Lady with a Lamp." The greater part of this scene he dovotes to her spirited struggle against the futilities of "red tape." But the scene does embody one apochryphal Incident of a romantlo sort, setting forth the arrival at the hos-pital of Henry Tremayne, the lover whom Florence dismissed In England, because he stood in the way of ber career, and his death in her arms Miss Edith Evans is highly praised for her Interpretation of the name

Part MR. CLAYTON GREENE.

Mr. Clayton Oreene, who plays a leading part in "The Wrecker" at the Theatre Royal, did not, like Miss Josephine Wilson, make up his mind at an early age to adopt a stage career, and then hold to his determination in BPlte of all obstacles. As a young man, he left London, his birthplace, and went to Canada to engage In lumber work, and In other activities, which he groups together under the term "roughing It." He made his first ap-pearance on the boards with, an amateur dramatic society In Winnipeg. This venture, however, did not lead directly to anything of consequence. For some time afterwards ho followed business pursuits. Presently he went to New York. A friend at the boarding-house where be was staying there happened to remnrk that an actor of his ac-quaintance was looking for a young man to appear In a one-act play based on the Ameri-can War of Independence, which it was pro-posed to stage on the Keith vaudeville cir-cuit. Mr. Greene made himself known to this actor, and duly appeared In the piece. He reached Broadway In a play entitled "The Price of Peace," which had been brought over from Drury Lane. Tben he want on tour as a member of the cast of "The Coun-cillor's Wife," by Jerome K. Jerome. His first English appearance was In MÍSB Mary Bessie's Shakespearean company as Orslno In "Twelfth Night." Next, he went to South Africa, playing there In a repertory company with Herbert Fleming, whom old playgoers here will remember as the partner of Robert Brough on the latter's last Austra-

lian tour.

EXPERIENCE IN LONDON.

Returning to London, Mr. Greene appeared under Charles Frohman's management at the Duke of York's. There, In Sir Arthur Plnero's "Letty," he was associated with Irene Vanbrugh and H. B. Irving. After "Letty" caine "Captain Dieppe" (once more with Miss Vanbrügb and H. B. Irving); tben "All-of-a-Sudden Peggy," with Marte Tempest; "The Amateur Socialist," with Lilian Braithwaite; "Mrs. Grundy," with Sir Johnston ForbesRobertson; "Mrs. Dane's .Defence," with Sir Charles Wyndham, and many other notable nppearonces. He played In "Paddy the Next Best Thing" at the Savoy; but It was at aD earlier production than that In which Miss Josephine Wilson took part. At the Savoy also he had a part In "Anne One Hundred Per Cent.," In which George Mulcaster (who will bo remembered here on account of "Bull-dog Drummond") played lend. Mr. Greene has been five times to America. Under YVInthrop Ames he took part In a nine months' season of "A Pair of Silk Stockings" at the Little Theatre, New York, and in a shorter run of "Milestones" at the Ptlncess Theatre, Chicago. Both these plays were Intensely popular In America, he says, because they wore so typically English, and, therefore, tfrom the American point of view) "different." During the war, Mr. Greene served as a lieutenant in the Gordon Highlanders.

A SHAKESPEAREAN ACTOR.

Mr. Augustus Neville, who is to give a Shakespearean recital on Monda} night at :.t. James's Hall, has had a long association Yvlth Mr. Allan Wilkio In performances of Shake-speare's plays. Before be lett Mr. Wilklo's company three yenrs ago, he shared with this well-known actor the distinction of being the only person in Australia to have appeared In a thousand consecutive Shakespearean pre-sentations. Sydney playgoers will remember him wearing the laurels and the purple ol Julius Caesar, nnd chuckling broadly as Sir Toby Belch. Bom In Christchurch, New Zea-land, he began his connection with the stage at the age of 14, as a call-boy in the service of Myra Kr-mhle, who was then touring the Dominion. His first appearances he made with Janet YValdorf. Then he played small parts with Matheson Lang, and larger ones with Alfred Dampier. On one occasion, be took George Rlgnold's place for three weeks in the leading role In a melodrama. "Man to Man," which was nnjoylng some popularity at the time. Mr. Neville Intends giving Shakespear-ean recitals throughout the State schools; and tv I r h this end In view he has Invited many headmasters to attend his recital on Monday. If will be given nmld the plcturcsqueness of

elaborate costumes.

NEW EDOAR WALLACE PLAY.

I'here seem to be few among the readlne public nowadays who have not mode acquaint-ance with the novels of Etlanr YVallace. As regards his plays, Sydney theatre-goers have been plensantly excited hy "The Ringer" and

'Tho Terror" At the Melbourne King's last Saturday night, Mr, Leon Gordon brought forward a ne»v Wallace melodrama entitled "The Flying Squad." It seems to have been replete with all the paraphenalia of the "thriller," including flashing lights, danger signals, and an Ingeniously devised trap In the door. YY'heu Mr Gordon, as the dqteetlve-horo. stepped in the trap, which might have pre

i-ipltatod htm to nn unpleasant death In 3'' feet of mud below, feminine shrieks showed that the audience had been worked up to a satisfactory pitch of excitement. Miss Mary MneGregor is reported to have acted con-vincingly enough to mask the rough edges of Improbability that weakened her part. The heroine had the blind trustfulness so often found In melodrama; so that when the vtllln.il told her that her brother had been murdered by the deti-ctlve-hcro. she asked for no proof, but readily took the brother's place as the driver of a cor conveying smuggled goods Only after the lapse of a year, after some startling occurrences, did she begin to sus-pect the truth.

MISS DOROTHY IIELMHICH.

Miss Dorothy Helmrich, tho gifted Australian soprano, »vho is returning' to give recllnls berl-in May. sends word uf her recent success In Amslerdnm where she sang at the Lyceuir, The local uewsp-pers were enthusiastic in their praise of ber; so ttiat she was fuclng the pronpert of a second visit and a relient re-ntal with fvery confident-«). Old English SOURS surli as Munro'a "My Lovelv Celia," "Ob Death Rock Me to Sleep" (itsi-rlbed to Anullolcyn). a Spring Song by Morley nnd Purcell's "Mad Hess." seem to have specially charmed the critics. On her way io Ausirulio. Miss Helmrli-h »»'111 give a number of recitals in the United Slates, where she had so success-ful a tour last year.