ARTS BALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 143, 19 June 1931, Page 10

ARTS BALL.

BRILLIANT SUCCESS. The Peter Pan Cabaret was crowded last evening, when the annual Arts Ball was held under the auspices of the Auckland Art Society. Great preparation had been made for the function, and some of the sets provided striking effects when they joined in the grand march, particularly one which portrayed a circus, with a clown, ring-master, strong man, performing lion • and black bear complete. The whole arrived on the floor in an open circus van mounted on a low-set motor chassis, and the effect was very striking. Another set that added to the amusement of those present was a barnyard, with the poultry and their keeper following them to retrieve the egg which the rooster had laid. A quieter set, out one tnat was effective in black and white, was the Jazz Jockeys, who circled the floor in many a dance. The most artistic set, and one that was striking in its beauty and accurate historically was that of Henry VIII., followed by his wives, and supported by Cardinal Wolsey and Count Sporanza. The dresses were well chosen, and suited to their wearers, who looked dignified and charming as they walked across the floor in the costume of the most picturesque period in English history. The set was complete even to the headsman who stalked behind, dressed in black from head to foot, a grim reminder of the penalties attaching to political unorthodoxy in bygone days. Some of the dresses worn by the men present were also well chosen, and carried out with due respect to the personality of tho wearer. Mr. Kohn as a Mardarin was well within his character. Mr. Laird Thompson as a Pueblo Mexican, and Mr. J. A. Thompson, who made a fine Captain Kidd, were distinctive. Fine costumes were also worn by Mr. R. Aitkinson Abbott, a merchant prince of Bagdad, and Commander Prentice, a "Forty-Niner." That delightful old gossip. Pepys was there also, well dressed as he always was, and accompanied by his wife, who was wearing the green silk gown that cost her husband so much heart burning. ■ ..

The sets were: —Historical: Mr. A. J. C.' Fisher (Henry VIII.), Mrs. E. B. Gunson (Anne Boleyn), Mrs. Hugh Fenton (Catherine of Aragon), Mrs. A. Dignan (Katherine Parr), Mrs. A. J. C. Fisher (Katherine Howard), Miss Hetherington (Jane Seymour), Dr. Margaret Knight (Anne of Cleves), Dr. Allan Knight (Cardinal Wolsey), and Mr. Gillespie (jester). During the evening a very realistic scene of the beheading of Anne Boleyn was staged. Circus: Mr. David Nathan (clown), Mrs. T. H. Oakes ("Cora Kychupp"), Mr. D. Hudson ("Silvester Catchup"), Miss Jean Gordon ("Twinkling Trixi"), Major T. H. Oakes ("Tantalising Toni"), Miss Seth Smith ("Signora Leonora Rora"), Mr. Peter Nathan (a champion weight lifter, of most unusually fine development), Dr. Stewart Colbeck ("Horace Hyckupp"), Mr. Alan Donald ("'Erbert Ostler"), Mrs. Murray Benjamin (pierrette), Mrs. Alan Donald ("Hama Dryad"), Mr. Denis Nathan ("Abdullah"), Commander L. Berthon (black bear), and Mr. Murray Benjamin (very tame lion), Miss Marjorie Vaile and : Miss Jocelyn Bloomfield were two white horses. Poultry were: Mrs. D. Hansen (black hen), Miss E. James (rooster), Miss Anita Sutherland and Miss Marjorie McLaughton (yellow chickens), and Mr. F. Ansell (farmer). Jazz Jockeys: Misses Mary Milsom, Ruth Wilkie, Josephine Tolhurst, Margaret Segar, and Messrs. Cedric Hesketh, Warwick Stantoif, Arthur Morpeth, Dunstan Ely, and Douglas Morpeth. Prizes were awarded as follows :— Best lady's costume, Miss Edith Sutherland (Knight of the Arts Ball); best gentlemen's costume, Mrs. J. C. Smith (Charles I.); beat historic group, Henry VIII. and Court; best open group, 'Mr. David Nathan's circus. The judges were Mr. W. J. Crowther, Professor F. P. Worley, and Mrs. J. S. Brigham. Among those present were: Lady Robertson, frock of sea green taffeta; Lady Leys, frock of pastel blue satin; Mrs. E. B. Gunson, who represented Anne Boleyn; Mrs. J. S. Brigham, black lace frock; Mrs. R. Coleman, black lace with pink relief; Mrs. H. E. Vaile, wine red georgette frock; Mrs. J. F. Ewen, black lace; Mrs. W..J. A. Thomson, blue embossed georgette, with coatee; Miss I. M. Copeland, black georgette; Mrs. "G. W.* Hutchison, autumn toned floral chiffon frock; Mrs. W. G. Borrie, Naples blue velvet; Mrs. E. H. B. Milsom, Burgundy lace frock; Mrs. J. Stanton, wine red chenille georgette; Mrs. H. Corbin, green lace frock; Mrs. F. P. Worley, frock of floral chiffon; Mrs. Ely, black and gold patterned chiffon; Mrs. J. W. Bailey, representing Mrs. Samuel Pepys; Mrs. Cerutty, shepherdess; Mrs. Outram Hbrspool, black lace frock; Mrs. A. Bow, black velvet; Mrs. Foley, black velvet; Mrs. Farringdon-Smith, white georgette and lace; Mrs. F. Lintott, flame taffeta; Mrs. J. C. Hill, frock of black georgette; Mrs. Patrick, Spanish dancer; Mrs. J. D. Prentice, American settler's wife; Mrs. McLaughlin, washing day, old and new; Mrs. Kelliher, modern pompado.ur; Mrs. Jennings, Spanish lady; Mrs. A. Neville, shepherdess; Mrs. Ncllo Porter, Chinese girl.

Mrs. A. Hanson, Queen of the East; Mrs. H. Burton, jazz pierrette; Mrs. Ellison, Spanish' lady; Mrs.' M. Mitchell, Eastern lady; Mrs. W. A. Alexander, Polly Peachem; Mrs. Pearson, powder and patches; Mrs. Handsard, a rooster; Mrs, H< R. Hesketh, white georgette, embossed in chenille; Mrs. Noel Hockin, blue velvet; Mrs. Morpeth, black and white patterned georgette; Mrs. 0. Thedens, deep cream lace frock; Mrs. N. de Berg, black net and diamante; Mrs. J. S. Robertson, floral taffeta; Mrs. H. T. Merritt, blue ring velvet; Mrs. W. Miller, Spanish lady; Mrs. McCrone, salmon pink embossed georgette; Mrs. Nevins, rose taffeta and cream Jaee; Mrs. Swan, Saracen red velvet; Mrs. B. Rogers, blue taffeta; Mrs. F. N. Ambler, turquoise satin; Miss R. Coleman, gold lace over gold; Miss M. Brigham, frock of gold lace; Miss L. Cameron, blue satin; Miss E. Soljak, coster girl; Miss K. gipsy; Miss Hague-Smith, gold satin frock; Miss J. Horsley, frock of sea green satin; Miss R. Sidebottom, green chiffon velvet; Miss L. Kelly, shepherdess; Miss Consy Martin, 1830 lady; Miss Peggy Mehan, Nell Gwynne; Miss McGrath, rose taffeta; Miss Mere Vaile, primrose taffeta; Miss L. Impey, Madame Pompadour; Miss L. Skeels, snowball; Miss Hilary Bliss, blue taffeta frock; Miss Lesley Jackson, ivory crepe 6 M?ss Esme Wood, Old English lady; Miss Babs Challis, pink embossed taffeta; Miss Hildred Graham, deep blue chiffon frock; Miss Helen Glasgow, pastel toned taffeta; Miss E. Grattan, black o-eoro-ette; Miss McCowen, Nell Gwynne; Miss" Margaret Beale, ivory satin; Miss Marjory Cerutty, gipsy; Miss Lorna Reyburn, deep blue georgette; Miss Molly Woolcott, Spanish lady; Miss June Donald; black taffeta with floral design; Miss Joyce Porter, artist's model; Miss Carnegie-Brown, palest pink lace and o-eor^ette; Miss Olga Jackson, green net frock with frills; Miss Ardall (Paeroa), modern Spanish lady; Miss Snerrifls, Miss Old World; Miss D. Dixon, gipsy; Miss Annette George, rose pink georgette and lace; Miss Margaret Beale,