THE VAUDEVILLE BUSINESS

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1674, 14 February 1913, Page 6

THE VAUDEVILLE BUSINESS

A CHAT WITH MR. BEN. FULLER. Mr. Ben. Fuller, managing 'director ol the Fuller-Brciman Company, which is well established throughout Australasia, is at present paying a . brief visit to Wellington, partly in connection: with the company's business and to see tho new theatre which Messrs. John Fuller and Sons have erected in Courtenay Place. Mr. .Fuller expressed himself as highly pleased with tho new building. As indicating the present popularity of vaudeville, Mr. Fuller stated that ■both the Fuller-Bronnan arid liickards managements had recently ritised their prices in Sydney, without any diminution, numerically; in audiences. So popular was vaudeville in Sydney mid Melbourne that Mr. Fuller said that; the time was not so far'distant,when two performances a day would have to be given,, and in view of that contingency, tho contracts of all artists to arrivo provided for twelve per,formanoes a ;wosk.. Later on' it might even be advisable to give two performances an evening,' as was done in many of the larger cities in America and England. That would mean that the show would begin at about 6.30 p.m. or 7 p.m., and continue until 8.30 or 9 p.m., when it wopld bo repeated for the public who find it more convenient to attend tho theatre later in the evening. The Fuller-Brennan Company were now importing a very fine clas3 of artist, and intended to keep up a good standard. Among tliose who had been engaged were tho Heraldos, a clever team .of aerial acrobats (now on their way to Australia), the Banzais, a team of seven Japanese acrobats, tho Franklins, Schepp's Circus (which includod ten dogs, a cat, ft monkey, nntl. four ponies), "Electra" (who does Bomo startling feats with tho aid of electricity,' including tho passage through his body of the full voltage from/the overhead wire of the street tramways), Do Lea and Norman, comedy artists, and King and Thornton, sketch artists. These performers will all visit Now Zealand during the'present .year. Mr. Fuller expressed ■ the opinion that the new His -Majesty's Theatre in Courtonay Place would mako an ideal house for _vaudOTille, and even ■ suggested < tho possibility of it being'taken over by tho Fuller-BrenDan Co.