"LOOK WHO'S HERE"

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 254, 15 July 1918, Page 3

"LOOK WHO'S HERE"

A BRIGHT NEW VEBSIOX.

Jack Waller's "Look Who's Here" Company is no novelty.in Wellington. It was, thereforu, with all the moro pleasure that lho largo audience presort on Satttrdny evening were entertained by a programme that was coinnosed of many new element, parliculnriy in the comedy department, which vie for promience with tho purely musical part of the performance. The opening was distinctly novel and attractive—three ladies, representing Miss Past (with billowing trills and pantaloons), Miss Present (a breezy golf girl), and Miss Future (a fantastically-costumed damo, who would make Paquin stare). Tho three express surprise at one another, as the ages do, and make way for a serenading pierrot (Mr. Wylie Watson), who, in a voice somewhat harsh by cold, sang to hio lady-love, to the accompaniment of his own 'cello, and danced a measure- with the niry-loecl'denioii-ellc (.Miss Dot White) from tho black-ami-white castle in the background. Syncopation and how it cmi be applied lo any of the old ballads was amusingly done by a male quar. let. "How to Control the War Loan" needs the comedy doctor here and there to tone it up, but the'comic scene, "In Ihe Trenches," in which Mr. Waller figures aa Ole Bill, Mr. Les. White a* Erb., and Mr. Wylie Watson as 'Arry— characters created by the gravity-destroy-ing brush of BairiisiaHier—was"capitally done, and shouid work up into something quite good in topical front-line humour, beloved of the multitude. The audience roared when 'Arry. recumbent iu a tiny dug-out, mildly remarked: "Say, Bill, would you miml rcmovin' your boot out of my ear-'oler" To' which the Walrus replies: "You get yer e.ar-'ole aht of my boot!" When 'Jirb.'s voice is strengthened some points of the Tommy talk will bo made -cleans. Mr. Waller was quite admirable as Ole Bill, and the dry style of Air. AValson got home in 'Arry's limited chances, and also in the "Conscientious Objector" song. Mr. Howard Hall's voice in "The Trumpeter" appeared to be suf'fering from the general seasonnl complaint. Tho dancing of the Dick-Dorothy Trio is a pure delight. The lady sang, or rather, spoke, a lisping song," making a play on tho spelling of the word Mississippi, and followed it tip with a quaint eccentric dance that captured tho aitdi,'cuee completely. The staccato golliwog and doll dance was a tickling oddity in torpsichorean fancy. The Dutch diinco of the trio was not so appealing. Clogs as footwear would make all tne difference. At. Gregory Ivanoff, the Russian violinist, is an established favourite in Wellington. He is splendidly equipped Icchnicall.t, and it is a valuable lesson to all budding violinists to note the perfection of his harmonics and the even toning in double-stopped passages. M. Ivanoff played many 'solos, including a beautiful gutting, of "'Home, Sweet Home," and was a conspicuous adjunct in the concerted music, with Mr. Watson ('cello), and Mr. F. W. Dennett (piano). 'Jhe medley- of good and popular songs was especially interesting to playgoers. Mr. Dennett* played the Weber "Con- ! certstucko" with his usual brilliance, and had to respond to an emphatic enocre. A Ilawaiios interlude, with a ukelcle accompaniment,- was very pretty, There was ample comedy compensation in tho succeeding number, "P.C. Dinky Doo," which is almost ns comical as Mr. Watson's firemen's song. Mr. Hall was excellent as- the bullying burglar in this sketch. Mis 3 Ada Smart is tho outstanding singer of the company, and Miss Patsy Hill and Miss Cecelia Gold assisted in a soubretto capacity. The first-incn-tioned of the two is tho brighter _and moro vital per f ormer. Miss Marjorie Sims is a handsome show girl, who posed as Miss Future. The biggest laugh of the evening was the comic orchestra at ichearsal, with Jjr. Hall as the conductor. • Not a word is spoken throughout ilie twelve minutes, but the audience roared itself into tears at the farcical 'nonsense. The programme concluded in the first half with "The Lost Chord," pumped out by the fullest blast of tho company, which treatment was al-;o accorded (on an encore being registered) to the Pihrims' Chorus from "T.innliausor." "Poet and Peasant," iu slabs, rang down the curtain. The drtssing is admirable throughout, and the new revue lias not been mounted without considerable expense.