MR R. G. KNOWLES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIX, Issue 8115, 9 April 1906, Page 5

MR R. G. KNOWLES.

♦ - "SONGS AND STORIES OF THE STAGE." The audience that greeted Mr R. Q. Knowles, who made pis first appearance on Saturday night in the Masterton Town Hall, under the direction of Mr J. O. Williamson, was a large and enthusiastio one, and judging by the pronounced success of the first programme, the brief season in Masterton, which concludes to-night, should be a successful one. The programme was opened in an original manner, with a bio* graphic picture showing Mr Knowles in his dressing room, preparing to face the audience. His toilet complete—in the picture—the entertainer himself appeared upon the stage, and was greeted with an enthusiastic) outburst of applause. In dealing with his varied subjeot, "Songs and Stories of the Stage," Mr Knowles gives his audience no breathing time, and seems to want none himself, and the rapidity with wbioh be rattles off one humourous story after another is such that the laughter of the ludieuoe scarcely ceases while this most versatile of entertainers is on the stage. Mr Knowles is gifted with the oapacity of seeing a humourous side to, almost, any subject, and in the audience itself he finds "foud for merriment," especially in the case of late oomers. This harmless banter was taken in good part on Saturday night. His humour is culled from that of numerous nations, and whether he was singing a song, relating a funny anecdote, or explaining a biographic picture, or dancing, be did not fail to please. Mr Knowles dwells to a great extent on feminine weaknesses, and many of bis songs are illustrative of alleged feminine failings, suoh as "The Girl, the Woman and the Widow," "All the Girls are Loverly," and "Love, Marriage and Divorce." Among the songs that he gave, all of which have a strain of originality about them, are "The Gay Kiver," and "Philosophy." Mr Knowles is I inimitable in his sketches of negro characteristics and of Irish and Scotoh wit. One of his best sketches was an English parson in France, who is described as preaohing a humourous sermon with the alphabet as his text. There are several very good moving p'otures shown in the entertainment, and in an interlude, Mrs Knowles showed herself an excellent performer on the banjo. She rendered several beautiful selections, 1 the best of which was "Home, Sweet, Home," for whioh she received a loud ovation. i To-night Mr Knowles will take j as his subjeot "Trifles that Trouble i the Traveller," and a visit to the : Town Hall is to be recommended. > 1

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