"THE LITTLE SHOW"

New Zealand Listener, Volume 1, Issue 17, 20 October 1939, Page 53

"THE LITTLE SHOW"

Christchurch’s Saturday Night Feature

ERHAPS the phrase "a shop window display" best describes the performance of the "Little Show" in 3ZB Studio every Saturday night at 9.30 o’clock. Anyway it is as good a name as any, because 3ZB certainly puts its goods in the shop window for this very entertaining local feature. The art of "@adio production is receiving partiattention by the ZB Stations, and it has always been the contetiPy,

Aa _tion of the Controller, C. G. Scrimgeour, that New Zealand will ‘ultimately be able to provide its own features for sponsoring, in competition with the recorded discs at present being imported. Ample proof of the popularity of local shows is seen in the wide interest the "Little Show" is receiving in Christchurch, The studio

is packed every Saturday night, and although spacious, it is not large enough to accommodate all those eager spectators who are anxious to see as well as hear everything that is going on. Those, however, who manage to find standing room are not at all backward in showing their appreciation of good numbers’ and a _ secret microphone has been installed in the lounge which is switched on to

record the applause at the conclusion of each item on the _programme. THE MAN RESPONSIBLE Station 3ZB has made quite a reputation for itself in studio shows during the two years since its inception. "The Little Show" has added to that reputation consider-

ably, and during the three weeks it has already been running, it has attracted intense listener and audience interest. That brings us, in a natural sequence of events, to the perpetrator of this bright show, Eddie Hegan. To use his own expression, Eddie has been through the entertainment game, "from soup to nuts." For many years he toured the Dominion in the "legitimate theatre," and lately he has been earning favour for himself as a dancing teacher in Christchurch. REHEARSAL MOST ESSENTIAL It is his contention that rehearsal is even more necessary with radio than stage production, and that best success comes from a careful pre-arranged scripting of the broadcast. To complete "The Little Show" for a half-hour broadcast on Saturday evenings, he stipulates that the whole of Saturday afternoon be devoted to auditions and instruction in little points of microphone technique, so that the finished product will be a well-balanced and smoothly running whole, SEARCH FOR ARTISTS In conjunction with Harry Bell, the Station Director at 3ZB, Eddie is at present instituting a search for microphone artists who can be trained to build up studio performances. The search has had a great response, and already quite a lot of interesting material has been discovered, Several tyro performers have been introduced to the microphone with great success am medium of "The Little Show," and it seems that Eddie has started something big in the way of entertainment. Station 3ZB has the facilities to cater for studio broadcasts; and it must be encouraging to the authorities to have such demonstrations of enthusiasm for the programmes provided in " The Little Show." This success in Christchurch should be very encouraging to 3ZB. The plans for their new premises in Durham Street include a theatrette, but there has been some doubt in the authorities’ minds as to whether New Zealand listeners would desire or support such an innovation. However, after the demonstration of enthusiasm at 3ZB there need be no further question. It may be that a broadcast auditorium will meet with even greater success in New Zealand than at 2KY, Sydney, where Connors and Paul co-operate with the sponsors in producing and broadcasting a regular nightly show at that station It looks as though it will not be very long before Mr. Scrimgeour gets his wish, and New Zealand’s local shows are brought triumphantly into the limelight, as serious rivals to imported transcriptions.