"BRIGHT SIDE UP."

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 205, 31 August 1933, Page 3

"BRIGHT SIDE UP."

THREE HOURS OF FUN. REVELS AT HIS MAJESTY'S. 11l a whirl of colour, mirth, and melody the Rolls company of entertainers last night entered on the tenth night of their Auckland season in a programme entitled "Bright Side Up," which was characterised by all the verve, vivacity and attractiveness of the original bill, with the addition of commendable regard in most of the comedy sketches climaxes to family susceptibilities. From the rise of the curtain the fun jumps to top speed, and it never flags for a moment in the ensuing three hours' rush of revues, sketches, song scenas, dance specialties and striking ensembles, all set off to advantage by the beauteous ballet and the talented orchestration and general production, revealing the exceptional resources of the company from a new angle. Charles Norman, Jennie Benson and Rene Riano as fun-makers in chief, team up effectively in a really funny lingerie store revue, in which the chorus and skirted ballet add attractive melody and charming ensembles. Even more striking is the revue "Bluebeard's Eighth Wife," a sort of Arabian Nights fantasy, introducing exotic colour and dressing, with Rene Riano's peculiar brand of humour and grotesqueries as the great feature in a "Turkish delight" dance, following a creepy phosphorescent tango, and leading up to a strongly dramatic climax. Jennie Benson and Charles Norman keep the house convulsed in a series of sketches, most notable of which are burlesques of a legal cross-examination in the household, of the "plain English" spoken in England, and of the illusions of a broadcasting studio, Norman adds other sketches in conjunction with Rene Riano and Chic Arnold. Jennie Benson's eong specialties, with Albert Batcheldor at the piano, again were extremely popular, and Rene Riano put on an irresistible hiking sketch. Rivalling the revue settings in beauty are the ensembles of the song scenas "Trees," "Russian Moon" and "Pearl of the Pacific," the first and last of which are notable for strikingly novel and lovely tableau effects, while the Russian song of Marie Doran and Colin Crane is embroidered by a Cossack dance. The ballet, as in the opening bill, is a feature of the entertainment, and the costuming even more effective than ever in the accompaniments to the Lewis and Kershaw dance specialties. Another clever dance comedy is put over by Maie Baird, Archie Thompson and Harry Simmons in a Spanish tango burlesque, and L'Etoile and Laurence appear in a new acrobatic and balancing tableau dance. It is a complete change of numbers, and fully up to the high standard established by "Venus, Ltd.," both in general beauty and in enjoyable comedy and music. "Bright Side Up"_will be staged nightly and at the usual matinees for the next week.