SUCCESS ABROAD

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21371, 15 March 1941, Page 13

SUCCESS ABROAD

FORMER HAMILTON RESIDENT SEVERAL PLAYS PRODUCED Now on the Australian Broadcasting Commission's staff at Melbourne, Gordon Ireland hss won great success since he bega\i his career in New Zealand in 1926, says an Australian paper. Born in Dunedin and educated at the Hamilton High School and the Auckland Grammar School, Mr Ireland, after a brief experience in this country, went to England in 1933. where he entered the 8.8. C. with a musical production which was given six broadcasts over Empire stations. He returned to Australia in 1937. He is one of the most versatile fig-

ures in Australia, having been come* I dian, pianist, singer, compere and I writer and producer of such recorded features as travelogues with musical I accompaniment, as well as a play'wright. His most successful play was “ Wings Over Westralia,” the story of the Hans Bertram flight. It has been broadcast in Australia, New Zealand, England, South Africa, South America, Holland, Czechoslovakia, and Germany, and it is believed to be the only play by a Dominion writer to obtain a complete nation-wide hook-up in the United States.

“ The Dark Invader,” based on the exploits of Captain von Rintelen, is another of his successes. Others are “Storm on Everest” and “ Secret Informer,” which the war censorship has held up. “ The Cruise of the Chelyuskin,”

the story of the rescue of the Russian ice-breaker in the Arctic, was written especially for Belgian radio, and has never been performed in English.

Before going abroad, Mr Ireland was very successful on the amateur stage in Hamilton as pianist and “ silly ass ” light comedian. A few years ago, during one of my visits to Australia, I found him very busy at the Melbourne Herald Office arranging 4abloid versions of popular musical comedies.

New Zealand Marching Song A new marching song for the New Zealand troops, “ Song of the Diggers,” with words and music by Ernest Armstrong, of Whakatane, an exsergeant of the Ist N.Z.E.F., has just been published. It should prove very popular, for it has a good swinging melody.