"THE FORTY THIEVES."

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 45, 14 July 1914, Page 8

"THE FORTY THIEVES."

AN EXCELLENT EXTRAVGANZA. A pantomime.' by the .1. C. Williamsor, company, vvitli ita accompanying jingli of fajitius'tic nonsense anil farrago ol far-fetched extravaganza is always sure of a good reception at the hands of J New [Plymouth audience.; and lasl i.ightV pevti.itnanco of the "Fort) Thieves" in flu- Theatre Royal was n< except i<ia Co this rule. The well-kjiowi slory of the tribulations of "Ali Haba' was interpreted by an excellent combina tion. "The l'crty Thieves" is for tin nuisl pari a bustling production, witS glowing oriental street scenes, exquis itelv painted, several beautiful ballets mid overllowing with ' clever corned; business. Admirably played by Barr l.upino and Kdwin lirctt respectively Ali Baba and the dame are the begin mug, the middle, and the end of tli

comic side of the production, and t'hey work hard, harmoniously, and with Much success. Mr. Lupin's central effort is a .sketch of a befuddled club-man homeward wending witlh- a bunch oi chrysanthemums tor "the wife." Bis troubles ale the impossibility of pronouncing with due dignity the name of the flower, and the incomprehensible behaviour of a shirt-cuff out of place. This piece of something white wihierc l.Uu-k should be horrifies the inebriatefl one: and the artist's l alarm is so real that lie almost makes his audience share his nightmare. Mr. Brett's Dame though .red-nosed, is not coarse, but genially feminine. He readied his to| in "Wriggly Hag," tine triple-rhymed lyric* ("then shake like a snake till youi sides fairly ache") neatly enunciated i,ud the, riiythm of "Mr. Cunn's" ehav n.ijijr example of',ragtime properly emphasised. At the end of the evening Mr Brett, with Mr. Lupino as a thoiightfu tud cynical commentator. held a smgin< class for the audience, and worked then up to the choral appreciation o: "Whoops. Let's Do it Again!" MisMarie Eaton proved a handsome, sol dicrly Abdallah, in command of th< forty in superb costumes of gobl anc siive r ornaments over black tights witl small emerald green cloaks, and beside! her effective "Loveland" eong, witl electric light, effects, was warmly eiicor eil for "Tli.- Navy," in which s'he appear ed as a naval lieutenant. The smar' and pretty girl# as bluejackets at cut lass exorcise, and diminutive representa fives of the flag-signalling corps, wer< backed by a tableau of 11. M. S. Nev /(-aland, and the item was' heartily ap plauded. Miss Winnie Volt, well-placei as principal hoy, was always graeefu and alert. Miss Dorothy Firmin prove an attractive and sympathetic, priivipa girl. Miss Dolly iiarmer was droll ii an important low comedy character tu the weepful Lizzie Ann. Miss Gerti< Latch'ford. a handsome comedienne a ; , Rose cf Persia, Miss Ruby Kennedy ai Fairy of the Gorge. and Mr. -Rupert Dt rrell a.s Hassarae. were in the eapt "The Three Rubes." comedians in tl:< ' character of elderly, way-back Ameri r can fa liners, provided a wonderfully ; smart. tumbling; and dancing specialitj ' act. throwing Bomersanlts with on< hand on the ground, or with no support '• ->nv kind, and indulging in a trav i--fv rn the trapeze business, wliiet ; brought down~uiic house. The new ' nock-about aitists entered one againsl 'he other in a step-dance competition •ml literally captured t.he house. Ter ' ' aps the most beautiful scene was thai ' -'i the caves, where-Mi-fi Dick ii.-on as the Spirit of Mischief, display i-d some clever dancing and tailed u[ from the nei/bcr-world troops of fairies tvpifying the rose, the fern and th-' • -nc. The last splendid scene on which the curtain fell illustrated "Tliie Drum# of All Xatiom,"' with two ot three ore of drummers in stage adaptations of military uniforms, gaily beating down the martial march-stTains- of the orchestra. Though reserved till the last for mention, Mr. Hassan's donkey ' impersonation was one of the most ' ] opular of the performance. He ' was as laughable as ever. ' "The Fortv Thieves" will delight Elthan. to-night.