"THE DIGGERS."

Taranaki Daily News, 6 September 1920, Page 6

"THE DIGGERS."

A BRIGHT ENTERTAINMENT. j . j NEW PLYMOUTH SEASON. The phrase ''brighter than ever" should bo the copyright of the showman —it is just what yon expect him to say—but it can be employed here in all sincerity to describe ''The Diggers," that very entertaining party of New Zealand ex-soldiers who made many a weary soldier happy in the dark days of the war, and who have since been filling our little world with laughter and song, which is good for us ail. "Tile Diggers" commenced another welcome seasoti in New Plymouth at the Empire Theatre on Saturdaj' night, when a. crowded house—many had to stand —was thoroughly entertained with a generous progtaniuie, which was full oi good tilings, and whore variety was the keynote. It was rich in humor, which, for the most part, had a freshness which w often missing; the singing was of a high standard; the burlesques were distinctly clever; and the dressing was far above the standard aimed at by this company in the past. There may have been some regTets', before the entertainment, at the absence of one or two members of the company who were remembered as very clever performers, but the new member# of the company have 'brought a wealth of talent into the troupe, and, even at the risk of trespassing on the press agent's stock phrases, it must be confessed that "The Diggers" are better than ever.

11l a company so full of talent it is only individual tastes which will decide that one performer was better than another, but the outstanding impressions of the writer were the clever performances of Mr. Donald Stuart and Mr. Tano Kama. If Nature intended that Mr. Stuart should brighten the lives of his fellows she has done her work very well, for lie is gifted with mannerisms which give a touch of naturalness to his luimor, making it delightfully quaint. Mr. Stuart's conjuring was distinctly clever;, in itself it was good entertainment, but his eccentricities of posture and a stream of witty patter invested the performance with a charm which made this one of the most notable items. Later in . the evening we saw more of Mr. Stuart, in burlesque and comedy, and the audience acknowledged its gratitude for much of the pleasure of the evening. Mr. Faina is not new to New Plymouth audiences, but on this occasion he lias introduced a lot of new matter, which made his work very acceptable. His glimpse of the army was. splendid—there was a touch of "Old Bill" and Harry Tate in the performance which make the character full of humor, and he pictured the agony of the pessimist at the war with distinct success. Mr. Fama filled many other roles, and his humor was always clever, while his acting in burlesque was artistic. The remarkable impersonation of a girl by Mr. Stan Lawson, of which New Plymouth audiences have happy recollections, again proved an attractive feature of the evening. There was something even more effective about Mr. Lawson's acting 011 this occasion. "Her''' dresses embodied the latest fashions, and the.portrayal seemed more girlish. Mr. Lawson made a particularly fascinating girl in the' last scene. All this, because it was the brightness of the programme that made one glad, but one should hasten to record that "The Diggers" were helped a long way on the road to success by Mr. Frank Perkins, whose fine baritone voice is one of the best things that can be credited to "The Diggers." All his items were splendidly rendered. Mr. Wallace showed a fine appreciation of the dramatic art with his character song, and gave the recitation "Devil-may-care," bringing out all the pathos and tragedy of the character with telling effect. The musical portion of the programme was further enriched by Mr. George Proctor, who possesses a fine tenor voice, and 'Mr. Geo. Bosher. Messrs Gus Dawson and Len Walker, in the quaint song and dance, "Mister Trousers," provided one of the gems "of the evening. Mr. Gus Dawson also did some very clever dancing. The finale was a brilliant scene. It was the culminating point in a very bright revue which was filled with good items by all the company, and it sent the audience away cheered by a splendid evening's entertainment. "The .Diggers" appear again to-night and to-morrow night.