WILLOUGHBY AND WARD COMPANY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81881, 5 November 1906, Page 2

WILLOUGHBY AND WARD COMPANY.

ALSO MISS GRACE PALOTTA. Arrangements have been complctel for the appearance in New Plymouth of the above combination. That the Theatre wili be crowded is assured, for it is seldom that playgoers are offered an attraction of such merit as Willoughby and Ward promise in the Ne\v American farce, ''The Man From Mexico," which easily attracted record houses in the Other colonies. Referring vo the production, an exchange slates: "The trio starring in the farce has each a following. Miss Palotta always was a drawer, Mr Ward was ever a popular artist, and Mr Georgo WiUoughby is well and favourably known. But they could not have been prepared foi the compliment paid them through the booking office. They had a house that would have done honour to Bernhardt. Mr Ward never flagged in presenting the tragic-comio position Of Fitzhugh. He got off quaint "sayings with quiet grievance and just got the right note of the grotesque into the gaol scene. His description of the bull-fight he had never seen Ins cigar label Mexican, and his lugubrious song, 'Nobody,' were exquisitely funny. He introduced a couple of dances, and showed that lie could shake a leg as well as ever. With Mr Willoughby, who gave him excellent support as Majors Mr Ward took part in a couple of duets. One of these was 'Off to Mexico,' a catchy number, and the other "Nightmare Land.' Mr Willoughby has a voice and way of getting the point out of a comic song, as lie proved in his ren - dering of 'The Simple Life/ a happy skit. But as yet he only dances from the knee down. Miss Palotto preferred something less acrobatic. Her Spanish dance higs been featured, and it proved graceful and animated. It was danced in short skirls. Mr Ward lent colour aftd movement to it by joining in, dressed in his gorgeous Mexican get up from Murphy street."