WILLOUGHBY COMEDY CO.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1043, 4 February 1911, Page 6

WILLOUGHBY COMEDY CO.

"WHAT: HAPPENED TO JONES."

■ "What Happened to Jones," a farcical comedy by' Goo. Broadhurst. Cast: . £° nes Mr. Geo. Willoncliby iibenczer Goodly : Fred. B. Sham Antliony. Goodly Harry Hallcv Itichard Meatlierly Hugh C. liucltlcr : Thomas Holder Harry Overton William Bigbee Arthur Cornell Sirs. Goodly licatrice .bay .Cissy ~ Amy Willard jtarjono Agnes Keogh Minerva Florence L?itrh Alrxna Starlight Nelly Mortyne Helma (a servant) Stella Pa.vter The true test of almost anything is (how it lasts Be it f silk or dimity, soft :goods I[or.,hardware, 'comedy .or tragedy, timo 'is . tho ,soun'd<?'st' tist-'"of value. More years'ago than':bne c'Arfe to figure out one can remember jolly, audiences rocking with : uproarious litughter at "What Happened to Jones,"- and last evening an Opera House full of people laughed unrestrainedly at the farce, and tho. same, or nearly the same, jokes. Therefore, "What Happened to Jones" may .be. safely , appraised as a rattling jgqadfocomedy/; which' has Snap and bieezincss, a kaleidoscope .'o£ the fun-i niest situations and racy., dialogue. All save the younger '["generation know pretty' well what 1 happened to the merry glib-tongued baginan Jones. .How in a'scramblo from a' police raid on a clandestine prizo fight, lie finds himself in company with I'rof. Ebenezer Goodly, a prim old piece of parchment, who iiV ; ii'moincnt"of delirium .lia's'btfeYi iii'Sg'gkrtß'thfc. fight by young Richard Heatherly, , and how to" save himself and the others he assumes tho role of tho Professor's brother, the Right Rev. Anthony Goodly, then hourly expected from Ballarat. • - It is only natural when tho Bishop jjoes arrive that the. resourceful pass him off-as- the lunatic who has escaped from noxt door, while he keeps the distracted Professor "on ice" over the deception, lest, he (Jones) should give him away about attending the fight. So .whilst masquerading in the goodly broadcloth of a blameless life, Jones consoles the Professor's wife, daughters, and ward, and even takes in hand : the delicate task of keeping faith with tho Bishopls beloved, the elderly but romantic Alvina Starlight. The reckless effrontery, the quick design, and tho bubbling patter . which streams from tho unctuous Jones (who travels for a hymn-book firm, with playing cards as a side-line), all forms matter for merriment of tho brightest kind. . "What Happened to Jones" is happily cast. Mr. George Willoughby appears once more as the Yankee bagman, who never knows when ho is beaten. There is a fatness and a self-satisfaction about the actor's humour that fits the role admirably, and every "gag" and smart aside was made the most of. Miss Beatrice Day, as Mrs. Goodly, had little to do but appear astonished and distressed by turns, and this sho did admirably, whilst looking charming in a number of most becoming frocks. Mr. F. B. Sharp (of Wellington) was. specially designed for Professor. Goodly. His fragile frame, lugubrious expression, and hard .cackle, lent tho most uncommon distinction to a very clever character study. Another clever bit of character work was the Alvina Starlight of Miss Nelly Mortyne, who was richly comical in tho fervour and romanticism of tho ludicrous role she lifted into prominence. Mr. Hugh Buckler made a breezy Richard Heatherly; Mr. H. Halley a dignified dignatary; Mr. Harry Overton a comical policeman of suspicious nationality; Miss Amy Willard a smart Cissy; Misses Agnes Keogh and Florence Leigh two attractive daughters of the ' crinkled professor; and Miss Stella Payton, an amusing Dutch servant girl. The comedy was preceded by tho curtain-raiser,' "Tho. Grey Parrot," by W. W. Jacobs and Charles Rock, in which Mr. Harry Halley, as Sam Rodgers, and Miss Nelly Mortyno as Mrs. Rodgers were accountable for somo bright comedy. Mr. Leopold Stock, Miss Amy Willard, and Sir. Arthur Cornell also appeared. "What Happened to Jones" will run until further notice.