THE AL FRESCO SHOW

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1449, 25 May 1912, Page 14

THE AL FRESCO SHOW

ITS GENESIS IN AUSTRALASIA. It 16 not generally known that Mr. Will. Thomas, the manager and part proprietor of the English Pierrots, was an officer in (ho Jtoyai Nary. Originally in the merchant service, he qualified for officership in tho examination's held tit Portsmouth, nml joined tho Colossus, of the Channel Fleet, as « sub-lieutenant. Subsequently lie s-erved as a lieutenant on tho Un(liiuiited and Grafton, on tho China Station, under Admiral Fitzgerald. After an interesting period in the Fur East he was transferred to H.M.S. Illustrious on the Mediterranean Station, and afterwards put in time on H.M.S. Hood. After serving throe years in the Navy, Mr. Thomns retired, and was posted to the ]?e.-erve, of which, of course, ho is still an officer. Having always had a lovo for entertaining and entertainment, both ho and his brother thought of turning their talents to some account, and wiien at Harro»ato some eight years ago they Hero stronriy advised by a lady who had resided'at Melbourne to try tho al fresco chow business in Australia. jN'o sooner said than done. They were soon on -route for sunny Australia, and landed in Svdney in I9(U rJiey played a month's engagement at tlie Queens Hall, then toured for three months, found Poverty Point, nnd returned to FydnejN After threo months' private work (parties and "at homes") they went to Melbourne, where tSiey were engaged by Mr. A. L. Bnird to perform at the Lalo Chantant at Prince's Court, which they did three times a day for threo months. While in Melbourne they often visited St. Kihla, and had in fancv selected a likely site on the teach for til fresco work in pierrot guise After the Court engagement was over they resolved to try their luck, and waited on the Lands Department to got permission to the beach. The Surveyor-General of victoria was consulted. He pointed out that the site was an impossible one, for it was just there that they buried tho drift se.aw.eed, and that tho mussels were thrown up by the tide. "Wβ per.si.sted, however." said Mr. Thomas, "and eventually they said it would be all right. 'lint we can't charge them rent, said one official. 'We'll have to charge them something—make it nominal!' bo they charged us .£2 a month. So wo commenced together with Mr. W. P Turner of Jlarrogate), Mr. Leslie Austin, Miss Xellio Holdon-tho English Pierrots were born!

"A crowd of young larrikins escorted jis to the pitch, and seating themselves bang in front, practically took charge-. But the people from the I'nrado began to accumulate on the bank, ami there was a Rood crowd by the time we were hnlf-way through. Our collection amounted to between 2s. and 3s. Next night there were more liHTikins and more people—collection mean. On the third night we were deputationiscd by the 'push.' When were we going to change the , programme? That was pretty tough, as they had not paid a cent. I reminded them of the fact. 'Yes, but wo'ro goin' to give you a quid at the end of tho season! said tho leader. "It was inborn on us that we would have to do something to get the money in —after raking in 9!d. from nearly 'IOCO people ono night—so we made a little enclosure with a picket fence and lirovidecl a few eeats which were charged for. From that out we never looked back, and I suppose 200,000 people witnessed our performances that summer. Ther* were 90 applications for sites on the beach next season! I should tcil you that at the end of our first season ive gave a farcwel show in the rriihan Town Hall, (m<l packed it nt 35.. 25., and Is. "Next year the Lands Department asfcpd us not for .£ll, but .for ,875 and-taxes lor our old pitch on the beach. We had to develop the show, so engaged Avalon Collarcl and Olive Merton, and provided a. good deal more accommodation to be paid for. We did very well indeed, and inado many friends and were called on to perform at Government Hotiso on occa-

Aott- we havo a pavilion with six tiers and an arena (behind n wall 20?t. in height), which accommodates ICOfl people In I'M my brother and I went Home to look for a comedian, nnil engaged Mr jMnyiiftTd Dakin, who has been such a bi" success everywhere. Now our rent is •S\V eas ?V f 5i months A 3 0 3), for what we got originally for j>ll. Where wo had St. Kilda to ourselves, tUoro are dozens of other shows now. Still om; last season was tho best we have had—played 14!) nights, and only had to put off 18. nights on account of "bad weather. We don't deal with the Lands Doparrment—we were responsible for the creation of the Foreshore Trust, which id ministers tho beach, and all the rents derived from the shows go towards the beautifying of St. Kilda-and it is now a vtry beautiful place."