"HIGH JINKS"

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2600, 23 October 1915, Page 7

"HIGH JINKS"

BRILLIANT MUSICAL FRIVOL "High Jiuks," a riotous musical farce in three acts. Cast: — Dick Wayne C. H. Workman Dr. Robert Thorne Field .Fislier Mr. J. J. Jeffreys W. H. Itawlino Colonel Slaughter Alfred 'frith Johunio Doe William Wilson Garcou Chris. Wren Mons. Jacques Rabelais ... Paul Plunket Sylvia Dale Dorothy Brimton Adelaide Fontaine Florence Vie Mile. Chi Chi Daisy Yates Mrs. Marian Thorno Marie Eaton Floienco Gwen Hughes Mudame Rabelais Nellie Hobson Page , Cecil Bradley

"High Jinks," the rollicking American musical ferco, romped through by Williamson's Musical Company at the Grand Opera House, is a high-speed musical revel, besides which tho average musical comcdy is a tame, anaemic tiling. Almost from the time tlio ascending curtain gives the signal to go, tho play is a whirlwind of-bright and breezy fund and frolic, of twinkling feet and swishing skirts, and permeating tile whole of its deliriously flimsy fabric is the; luro of rag-time swaying the audience' as they giggle at tlie unusually clever fun-makers, who are all seen at the top of their form. It was a refreshing, exhilarating performance cf a class of entertainment that is a delightful mixture of musical comedy, revue, and burlesque that has Broadway Stamped all over it, with laughter-rais-ing antics and the catchiest of music. Tho task of explaining what it is all about is enough to malie one muzzy in the head, with 'the merry tunes still jingling, in one's brain, and with sides aching with laughter. It all hangs like chiffon round Diclc Wayne's amazing "High Jinks" perfume, the "sniffer" of which at once lapses into a state of the most amiable hilarity. Dick gives his friend Dr. Thorne a dose, and the result is that ho is seen kissing tho wife of M. Rabelais, who decides that tho doctor must die, if ho is not afforded the chance to kiss Mrs. Thorno. Dick and his friends decide on the latter alternative, with a'paid substitute for the doctor's wife. While Diok has fixed with the mercenary Adelaide Fontaine to pass off her ward, Sylvia Dale, as tho wife to be kissed, the doctor secures another substitute in Mdlle Chi Chi, a cabaret dancer. As there cannot be two, the latter is palmed off on' to J. J. Jeffreys (one of the doctor's patients) as a nurse, but she, true to her agreement, forthwith poses as .the "wife of the sick and wealthy lumberman, whilst Sylvia, hotly resenting Madame Fontaine's arrangement, becomes hopelessly involved, as she (Sylvia) is in reality in love with Dick Wayne. A further complication exists in the fact that the gay and buxom Madame Fontaine is in reality Mrs. Jeffreys, parted from her husband for twenty-three years. This expensive lady has' in a moment of pecuniary enibarr.isment cabled J.J.J, that there is a child, and money passes. With this as a starter the fun develops rapidly at a French seaside town. Dr. Thorne arrives to find that his jiseudo-wife is indignant at the position her "friend" has placed her in, Dick to find that the substitute he himself has beon the means of providing is his own sweetheart, and the big lumberman is floored at ascertaining that his nurse has. registered as his wife. Then the real Mrs. Thorne storms in to see another woman posing as her conjugal entity, whilst the irate Frenchman pursues Sylvia in soarch of oscillatory revenge. Whilst everybody is finding the world full of impostors, big Jim. Jeffreys (who gets tired of telling people that he. is not the ex-champion boxer), finds.his wife,,and demaijdsthe production of his daughter, and Sylvia is palmed off on him as the child that never' was, and so, as Sylvia is posing as Mrs. Dr. Thorne, he thinks he is the medico's father-in-law, which ho certainly is not.- Whenever things become too complex Dick appears with his magic perfume, and the merry musical theme attaohing thereto chases all care away. Under the glow of the terrace lamps, with the distant sea bathed in tho soft turquoise light of a perfect summer's evening, big Jim gives a banquet in honour of his pseudo daughter, where riotous speech and song is rudely disturbed by the entrance cf Mrs. Thorne, whose advent ultimately leads to the complete satisfaction of everyone, thanks mostly to tho wonder-working "High Jinks" perfume. The farce is played by the best company the Williamson ' firm havosent us for a decade. Conspicuous among the successful performers are Miss Dorothy Brunton and Miss Mario Eaton, both . Australian girls, and well able to hold their own with the best of importations. It would bo impossible to find a. moro suitable and entirely fascinating little actress and singer than Miss Brunton as the muchkissed Sylvia Dale. Whilst she flirts, dances, and sings adorably, there is always a nice sense, of reserve in her work. Her numbers include the haunting "Is This Love at Last" waltzsong, the merry "By tho Sea" frivol, and the pretty "Bubble" song, in which coloured toy balloons are used with striking effect. Miss Eaton scored most distinctly by the animation that sho infused into her acting and singing, and the general excellence of her conception of the role of the outraged wife. The little bit of dramatic acting that fell to her lot in the final act was absolutely convincing in its virile intensity. The same quality jtood to her in her singing, namely in "Dancing the Blues Away" and "Sammy Sang the 'Marseillaise.'" The "Faust in Rag-time" number was merely a jargon of unintelligible shout, which, of course, has no Dealing on Miss Eaton's strenuous endeavour to make it otherwise. Miss Florence Vie made Adelaide Fontaine a jolly,. wellfed adventuress, and was immensely amusing in her encounter with the lumberman. Another delightful performance was that of Miss Daisy Yates as Chi Chi, who danced with graceful abandon and exhibited a fresh, healthy soprano voice in a clever duet with Mr. Workman.. Her ragging, with Mr. Sydney Yates as a partner, was a feature of the last act. Mr. W. H. Rawlins was siiited to a nicety as J. J. Jc-ffreys, his ripe gift of comcdy never being at fault. He danced and catherine-wheeled like a two-year-old, and bis speech at the supper was a scream. Mr. C. H. Workman was as bright as a new pin as Dick Wayne, and showed that a comedian may sometimes be a singer of quality. It is he who gives out the "perfumo tlicmo," and was the rag-time Mephistopheles of tho tabloid "Faust." An excellent performance must bo attributed to Mr. Alfred Frith as Colonel Slaughter, a fiery soldier, who falls an easy victim to the perfume. His inobriation in the supper scene and its aftermatli was good mumming. Mr. Field Fisher : had a congenial role as Dr. Thorne, and Mr. Paul Plunket was fiercely aggressive as iM. Rabelais. The speed of tho comedy was brightly sustained to the fall of the curtain, which reflects credit on the producer, Mr. Harry Burcher. A feature of "High Jinks" is the ballet, which is requisitioned for nearly every number. Tho quaint manoeuvring at the bracing finale of the Second act produced a veritable storm of applause. The niouftting, too, was on the samo lavish scale that is common to the firm's productions.