AMATEUR VAUDEVILLE.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3450, 1 April 1920, Page 7

AMATEUR VAUDEVILLE.

’ A ROWDY NIGHT. I LIBERAL FRUIT OFFERINGS. Doubtless anticipating a lively time, the Grand Opera House at Wellington was packed to the doors at 7.40 pm. on -Saturday for tile vaudeville trials arranged by Mr V. Spencer, and after that hour probably a thousand, mostly young men and youths, had to be refused admission. The first part of the programme, devoted to children’s trials, was allowed to pass oif witihout any marked demonstration, but when announcing lthe last item of the first -part. the stage director said ‘he would like to tell gthe audience :1 story. An over—ripe ..to-

mato of generous size, hurled from the ,gallery_. splashed merrily at his feer———and the story was left untold, the curtain being‘ lowered even before the final child competitor had her fling. During the int.er\'ul the scene was unedifying, to put it. mildly. Tomatoes, being cheap, were thrown from the gallery to the stalls. Some landed on the orchestra, and others in the boxes. A group of row-di-sg in one of the dress circle boxes became very offensive by dropping tomatoes on the people in the stalls. eAs the result of this fusilade, some ‘ladies left the ,theatre, and most of ‘the others put their coats on. The ‘second part of the programme "was lreserved for adult competitors, some {of Wllol]l.WCl'e nmdov targets for all * manner of fruit. One semi-nucle clemlon:<tr:ltor of physical culture made a tempting target, and although hit several times, Went -through his really interesting act-witih praise\\'orth_\f stoieisnl. Such was the condition of things during the second half of the programme that. dancers had to pick their steps to avoid the litter on the stage.