THE KIWIS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 60, 27 March 1945, Page 5

THE KIWIS

SEASON IN WHAKATANE

PAVING THE WAY

One. of the brightest and best shows to visit Whakatane almost within memory staged a short season on Thursday and Friday evenings in the Grand Theatre. The Kiwi Concert Party whose member's, including the managerial staff consist entirely of ex-servicemen, was very well supported by both town and country residents and was universal, ly judged as being a top-line team. The quality of the company itself, was well up to city standard and although to some, the prices may have seemed high, in actual Whakatane patrons may credit themselves with the fact that it actually cost them less to see the show than ciy folks, who may pay two or three shillings'in tram and bus fares before they even reach the theatre. The original itinerary of the company did not include this town, but due to the enterprise of Whakatane Amusements they were prevailed upon to stage a show here on their way to Gisborne. On the first night the variety show' "Desert Days" was staged and drew a large crowd, while on Friday evening "Cairo Carnival" of a similar nature to "Desert Days" was played to a packed house. On the tick of S o'clock, the presentation started, and for two and a half hours the public was treated to a variety of refreshing, fast-moving entertainment. Although those who attended twice were not disappointed on either occasion Friday evening was very similar to the one before it in the fact that the costuming etc. was practically the same. Manv towns the size of Whakatane were passed by in the tour a and it is something in the nature of a win for residents of Whakatane who can boast of having had presented in their town a show which is in a grading high enough to be presented in any European country the world over. We trust that more such companies will follow now that the Kiwis have paved the way and thus helped to put Whakatane on the theatrical map.