Not the least remarkable thing about "Heaven and Charing Cross," a new play of London life, which was produced recently at the St. Martin's Theatre, is the fact that it was written by a young Australian who gained most of his knowledge of London life from the pay-box of a small cinema in Kent, where he sat and observed the types of people who came to see the films.
Mr. Aubrey Danvers-Walker, whose play has been well received and shows promise of settling down for a long run, came to England, one year ago and took the cinema job at a small salary as a stop-gap while he wrote "Heaven and Charing Cross." "Iam glad I stuck at that job," he said, "because I know I have got the local colour correct."
There can be no question that the dramatist accurately depicts the atmosphere of a humble family in a London suburb. Most of the ection takes place in the back parlour of a small tobacconist's shop, where the loud. ring of the street doorbell precedes every transaction. Mr. Danvers-Walker tells a moving story, in which humour and tragedy are well mixed, and has the good fortune to be supported by an admirable cast He has already had a film offer for ihe play, from which he hopes to make thousands.
After the Lyceum, the Gaiety. One by one London's famous theatres are disappearing, to make for blocks of offices. Now itis the turn of the home of musical comedy in the Strand where so many celebrated hits have been produced.
The Gaiety was opened in 1903, replacing an older theatre of the same name which was pulled down when the Strand was widened. In the audience on that first night were King Edward and Queen Alexandra, Sir Thomas Lipton and Mr. Alfred de Rothschild, and the cast included George Grossmith, Marie Studholme and Gertie Millar.
White plays and mates in two moves.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.