"THE SENTIMENTAL BLOKE"

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2973, 10 January 1917, Page 6

"THE SENTIMENTAL BLOKE"

o MR. LAWRENCE CAMPBELL'S RECITAL. Perhaps tho most striking success ever scored by any publication by an Australian author was that of "The Sentimental Bloke," a book of verse by C. J. Dennis. Tho verses have been read by tens of thousands of people, not all' of them Australians, by some with curiosity, by some with amazement, and by most with somo sympathetic appreciation. For tho outpourings of tho Sentimental Bloke aro from the soul of a man. He is a crude untutored man, not always a docile, homo-keeping sort of man, -but the story tells of lvis regeneration, and his final development into a respectable, industrious citizen, a farmer, who grows fruit. As the title would indicate, there is much sentiment in Bill, for all his rudo ways and strange talk, and his own very frank account of how he Fell in love, and of how ho camo to marry and settle down, is flavoured with some queer musings on lifo as he sees it. His words are rough, but Bill is by way of being a philosopher for all that, s It is to interpret Bill, this very sentimental Bloke, to sneak liis confessions and liis soliloquies as Bill might have spoken them, that Mr. Lawrence Campbell has come to Wellington to give a series .of recitals. He gave his first in the Concert Chamber at the Town Hall last night, before a very good audience, which was distinctly appreciative. Mr. Caninbell is a clover performer, and he has ne'ed of all the tricks of his art to tell this story of Bill. Tho character is au obvious enough study,'but also it is absolutely unique. There, are no traditions to guido Bill, the citv larrikin, who tells of liis own reform in his own queer language, is the only ono of his kind thai) has ever attracted the notice of a verse-writing biographer. Mr. Campbell recites practically the whole book of verses, first of tho Bloke's hopeless outlook, then of his meeting with tho only women, of his love-making, of their courtship, 'of jealousy, and a tiff, tho "making-up," the meeting with "Mar," and the wedding. The storv goes that Bill once relapsed into evil, ways, went out for the night with his old pal Ginger Mick, and that ho suffered a painful repentance. After that things came his way. Somo hearty old farmer relative handed over to him the farm, and Bill gave up the city and its follies, learned about backache and blisters, prospered, and was happy. All this Mr. Campbell covers in his two hours' entertainment. It is a severe trial for an elocutionist to keen this same character for so long, and sustain an unflagging interest, but in this very difficult task he succeeded. In K the strange vernacular he found no difficulties, and for the rest he pictured the simple, tender-hearted "bloke"' with singular fidelity. Mr. Camobell is an experienced performer, and a v really | delightful student of such work as he ; undertakes, a. fact which his recital shows very clearly. The recital will be repeated to-night, and for the remainder of the week.