STAGE ACTIVITIES

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21224, 21 September 1940, Page 13

STAGE ACTIVITIES

HAMILTONIAN IN SYDNEY BALLET IN NEW ZEALAND Hamilton Girl in Sydney Betty Welch, the Hamilton girl, writing from Sydney this week, says: 4 ‘lt’s a Girl’ opened to a packed house at the Minerva Theatre last week. It was the first time this j farce had been played in Australia, and apart from minor defects, such as the playing time, which was too long, and little bits of dialogue which were unnecessary and which now have been cut, it was quite a successful opening. “An unusual feature of ‘lt's a Girl’ i; the community singing by the players and the audience, conducted by Charles Norman after the finale of the play. And then down we go to the audience, distributing gifts presented by various firms and big stores in Sydney, and finally the presentation of a large tin bath by Charles to the person who sings the loudest. The audience, of course, just shriek with laughter at the unfortunate (or is it fortunate?) person who receives this unexpected gift. “Charles suggested this idea, as it was done in London when he starred with Frances Day in the musical revue, ‘Black and Blue,* and although Australian audiences were a little surprised at first they soon accepted this unusual idea, and thoroughly enjoy it. “Rehearsals are already under way for the next show, the comedy ‘Room for Two,’ which ran for two years in London. Marjorie Gordon is playing the lead; you will remember her opposite Don Nicol in “Balalaika’ when you saw it in Sydney (she did not go to New Zealand) and ‘Under Your Hat.’ I am understudying her and playing the Cockney maid, Mary. I remember you telling me how much you enjoyed the perfect team work of Marjorie Gordon and Don Nicol in the chief comedy roles in ‘Balalaika* in Sydney. With Marjorie Gordon in “Room For Two” will be Lloyd Lamble (vividly remembered as Danny in “Night Must Fall” in New Zealand a few years ago), who has just been given the longest and most expensive contract ever given by the Minerva Tueatre management, a year’s engagement, at a big salary; also Maxwell Osbiston, Eric Reiman, Gerald Kirby, Mary Ward (just from England) and Pat Twohill. “Charles Norman is going on tour with a company after ‘lt’s a Girl.* Sir Benjamin Fuller wanted me to go with them, but I prefer to remain in Sydney for the present, and of course with my commitments in radio with George Edwards it would have been difficult to go away. However if they tour New Zealand 1 hope to go then. “It’s a Girl,” with Charles Norman and Elsa Stenning, goes to Brisbane. New Zealand will probably be visited later. “Keith Priscott has been very successful over here, hasn’t he? More power to the New Zealanders!” Russian Ballet in New Zealand Members of the Russian Ballet will arrive in Auckland on Monday by the Monterey on their way to the United States. They are all very disappointed that a tour of New Zealand is impossible just now. A midnight matinee was given on Thursday night as a farewell to Sydney and there were scenes of great enthusiasm. Algeranoff (who was a very impressive Fate in “Les Presages” when the company was in Hamilton a couple of years ago) has been giving lectures illustrated by dances in several Australian towns while the company was waiting for the American boat—“pioneering work,” he calls it in a letter received this week. Musical Plays Revived in Australia In a season in Sydney lasting four months the new Comic Opera Company will revive “Student Prince,” “Vagabond King,” "The Merry Widow,” “The Arcadians,” “The Maid of the Mountains,” and “Desert Song.” The success of the Gilbert and Sullivan season has been so great that the management is convinced there are large audiences for the other old favourites. Ovation for Gladys Moncrieff Gladys Moncrieff heads the bill in the new revue, “Time of Your Life,” at the Tivoli, and a crowded audience gave her an ovation, says a Sydney paper. She sang with her old-time power and purity of tone, and her hearers insisted on more. The fact that her numbers were old favourites, which they have heard . her sing many times on the stage, and of which innumerable records are in use, only added to her popularity. At the final curtain, Miss Moncrieff’s invitation to join her in the refrain of “Land of Hope and Glory” was accepted whole-heartedly. The remainder of the well-varied programme introduces a number of first-class artists notably, Ade Duval, an extremely clever conjurer; Rene Rich, Rex and Ron, novelty musicians; Banner Forbut, who rides \0 cycle, and various parts thereof, as if the law of gravity had never been discovered; Syd Clarke, who talks, sings and dances while he fiddles; and Kenny Brenna, a very droll American comedian, who in at least two of his scenes had the audience convulsed with laughter. The Ridgeway Sisters, aerial traezists; Anita and Armand, dancers; Don Nicol, the versatile Australian comedian; and the Jenkin Sisters, t .p-dancers, from New Zealand, are other topnotchers. Don Nicol’s lightning sketches, drawn on six girls’ backs, form one of the hits of the show. Death of Actor in Sydney The death occurred in Sydney last week, at his flat in Macquarie House, Macquarie Street, of Alfred Field Fisher, well-known stage and radio character actor. Recently Mr Fisher played in “Anything Goes,” “Under Your Hat,” and other comedy productions for J. C. Williamson Theatres. His last appearance was as the valet in “Charley’s Aunt” at the Minerva—a role he played 46 years ago, in England.