NEW MUSICAL COMEDY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2144, 26 June 1920, Page 3

NEW MUSICAL COMEDY.

“THE BETTER ’OLE.”

Bill: “Boys, there is times when I wish I’d been born a girl.” Alf: “What’ud been the use? Ton’d only 'av ’ad Bert chasin’ you.” A fragment of humour from “The Belter 'Ole,” Bruce Bairnsfalhers great comedy, to be staged at the Town Hall on Tuesday night next, 29th instant. Bill’s quiet fund of humour dominates every scene its the moustached old walrus dominated the original cartoons in “Fragments from France.” There is the regimental merry-making with the French girls outside the Cafe des Oiseaux, just behind the front, where the heavy-weight, run-to-seed old regular disarmed the spy and appropriated his treacherous plans with an easy going and “soft cushion to you,” in response to the furious “Vous etes uu cochon.” Marching orders bring the audience nearer the firing line, The three Musketeers, tired and muddy, march onward .to the ehcer-o of Bill’s apt remark/ ‘Boys, we’ll miss this war when it’s over,” and join in song, "We Wish We was in Blighty.” The homely side of war is furl her illustrated by “In the Trenches,” with sandbags and a glowing charcoal tire near the dug-out, from which Bill emerges with.a loaf on his bayonet to “Toast the Staff of Life on the Point of Death.” Bill here gives voice to the tuneful ditty, “She s Venus de Milo lo Me,” in passages of honest affection in which he re- < alls his faithful Maggie (Mrs Bill). The hero’s arrest for suspected communication with the enemy on his return from the expedition in which he saved a French Battalion by blowing up a bridge, is preceded by a scone of farewell with Bert. Bill is court-martiallod, but ultimately decorated. The final scene finds Bill hack in bis village Somewhere in. England. Although Bill, Alf and Berturo the central figures in Bairnsfalhers play, the support - ing caste is a lengthy one, and cantribute in no small manner to the brilliant success of the comedy. The musical score is by those wellknown composers, Herman Da row - ski and Pereival Knight. The |"'esetil production is by arrangement with Charles B. (Tehran, of London. The play is (nil of heautitul calehy 'musical numbers, and-capti-vating dancing. Hr Lionel- A also plays Ihe part of Old Bill; Mr Hubert Lee that of Alf, and Mr George Edwards is ’Evb. Miss dune Addell is leading lady, and Miss Louise Pasca.il (lie principal soprano. Miss Lena Henry is solo dancer, and aimimrst her numbers is the Parisian and ball-room jazz and the tickle toe. The box plan is at Heaths.