VICTORIA LEAGUE ENTERTAINMENT.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2401, 5 March 1915, Page 7

VICTORIA LEAGUE ENTERTAINMENT.

The entertainment .which was given by the Victoria League last evening in the Sydney Street Schoolroom,, in aid of the Belgian Food Fund and. their own fund' as well, was distinctly unusual, and , was much enjoyed by the audience that entirely filled the schoolroom. _ Scenes from. Lewis Carroll's whimsical and delightfully fantastic books, "Through- the Looking Glass" and i "Alice in Wonderland" formed the major part of the programme, all of which had been carriad out from Tenniel's pictures, the performers being members of the girls' branch of the league. The stage, with lycopodium, bamboo, and flowering shrubs, made a charming background for figures whose oddities and general upside-downness are the delight of the youthful heart not always encased in a youthful frame.. Alt the old familiar friends were there: Alice, just as one might have imagined her; the March Hare, as frisky, as ever; the Mad Hatter; the Dormouse'; the Red and White Queens; and there must have been many among the audience upon whom tile old . fascination once more fell. The scenes which were selected were: "The Garden of Talking Flowers," which was quite the prettiest of all, the human flowers looking charming, particularly the row of human daisies with wide, innocent faces, backed by the tall yellow tiger lily; "Wool and Water" : "The White KingandMessengers," where the March Hare and the Mad Hatter made their first appearance; and the "Three Queens," which was an excellent scene. From "Alice in Wonderland" were taken the ' "Mad Tea Party," "The' Queen's Gardeners, in v-'hich a really clever acrobatic feat is performed by the gardeners upon the arrival 4?f the Queen, for. they have to prostrate themselves before her, roll over, and rise, a difficult thing for sandwich men to'do.with grace, for that is what they were, practically, and the "Court Scene," which was also,excellently carried out. The acting waß very good indeed, and again "illustrated the fact that the branch has some excellent talent in its midst. Miss D. Montgomorv, who was Alice, in all tho scenes save the fourth, the "Three Queens, in which Miss Gwen Shepherd took the part, might have stepped direct from the pages of "Alice m Wonderland in appearance and manner, and the same might be said of Miss Shepherd. Mrs. James Hannah and Mr. J. M. Clark assisted Mrs. Chatficld, the secretary of the Victoria League, with the production of these scenes, and as has been already mentioned they followed closely after Tenniel. Assisting with the programme, which was interspersed with songs and reoitatioiis, were Mrs. P. Nathan, who gave as a- monologuo a Hans Anderson fairy talc, "The Princess and tho Swineherd," with. Mrs. Fitzgerald at the piano; Mr. C. H. Stephens, who sang, and Mr. J. M: Clark, who recited. The singing of tho National Anthem ended'a somewhat ..uncommon ovening's entertainment. Mrs. W. F. Maescy and Miss Coatcs, the president of tho League, 'wero among those who were present, in tho audience. Mrs. Chatficld was presented in the interval, with a bouquet of pink flowers by "Alice" (Miss D. Montgomery).