NEW OPERA HOUSE.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19726, 17 September 1929, Page 16

NEW OPERA HOUSE.

LAST NIGHTS CHANGE.

VAUDEVILLE AKD REVUE

•Several comedians, fix excellent dancer?, And a valuable notion of all the best elements that go to make up a really bright vaudeville and revuo programme, aro possessed by Nat Phillips's "Whirligigs" revue company with Hector St. Clair, now showing at fuller's Now Opera lloubc. Last night s presentation was to another full house, and w'<is well up to the standard set by last week'* performance. A curious tale of a lost manager and a hectic Bearch for the same, opened the new show. Into this brief character sketch crept an author, a wardrobe lady, and a boy, all of whom were given a considerable amount of running about before the recalcitrant was unearthed. And then he was disclosed as a long-lost star boarder from a boarding-house in Sumner, although why Sumner was picked out us the location of the gentleman s early youth was not announced. Brief but bright was the act, and in it were Cecil Scott, Nat Phillips, Daisy Merritt, and Jack Kelleway. Los Wharton, a man of powerful voice, and the Kadio Six (a preventable ballet), followed with a song and dance, "Swanee Babe,'' and a little story of success m money juggling, "The Thief," showed Cecil eJcott, Kitty Stewart, and Hector St. Clair to advantage. Telling of cotton-picking and beauties attendant thereon, was a song by Stella XiMnond, aided by the ballet, and then came Frank Wilson, with a turn, "Tramping Along," which allowed him to perform most pleasingly .upon saxophone, concertina, and trombone. Particularly good was his saxophouio exposition of "Valse Erica," a number composed exclusively for that instrument. Cecil fccoti, Sylvia Gardner, and A 1 il»ck were seen and heard in "Why So Bad!" and, iu complete con trust, came a song senna, "Memory of a Sons," by Bessie Blakq and the Radio Six. lor this number the clock was turned back to the days of the crinoline, end Miss Blake as the osntral figure, used her excellent soprano voice wtih very pleasing effect. The others made an effective moving background. The alleged domestic troubles of a commercial traveller saw Stella Lsmond, Cecil Scott, and JUector St. Clair in an amusing piece of burlesque, well presented by each character. In song, Kitty Stewart recounted the gastrio complications ensuing from the over-con-sumption of green apples by two small boys, and Nat Phillips, Miss Stewart, and Jack Kelleway followed with "The Widow," And Cecil Scott and the Kadio Six with "What'a the Usoi" By way of * change, Les Wharton, Hector St. Olair, and Miss Stewart delved into burlesque in a sketch showing how an irate father—once • prise-fighter—-was conquered by a weedy-looking suitor for hia daughter'* hand, which suitor turned out to be feather-weight champion of the world. A song and clog-dance, "Freda," by Sylvia Gardner, was a charming little Dutch number, and further amusing fooling with bank notes saw Messrs Bcott, Wharton, and St. Clair in ''Count 'Em." What mußt surely have been a libel on the characteristics of the Irish and the Scots was a sketch, "The Peacemakers,'" presented by Messrs Phillips and Kelleway, and Misses Merritt and Stewart. The nationalities were represented by two married couples living in adjacent fiats. A domestic quarrel caused the Irish to enter their neighbour's premises and remonstrate, the man giving up much of his time to expectorating violently on his friend's carpets. The latter replied, with considerable gusto, on a return visit. A copious supply of whisky was introduced for comedy effects, and for the duration of the sketch the audience laughed unceasingly.

The whole of the second haU was devoted to a potted revne, "Not GuiTty," being a tale of a inurder in a night club, the escape (<f the criminal, a blackmailing vampire, and much work for ever-busy detectives. Wives and others encumbered the doings of the men of the law, and opportunity was given for much laugh-producing "business" before the revue came to an end, with the innocent proved innocent, the guilty in charge, and mntual happiness for the reunited parties. Practically the whole- company participated, and, interspersed with song and dance numbers, the mnsical comedy made tho last half of the programme slip past with all too much celerity. Incorporated wiere the following musical numbers:—"Get Busy" (The Maids), "Chansonette" (Bessie Blake and ballet), "Baby Face" (Sylvia Gardner and ballet), "The Sun is at My Window" (Stella Laiocnd and ballet), "Misery Farm" (Hector St. Clair), "Sunday" (Cecil Scott and ballet). and "Mrs Mcßeath" (Kitty Stewart and ballet). Messrs Mack, Kelleway, Phillips, Wharton, and St. Olair were foremost in the comedy work, and Miss Gardner's burlesque maid was a clever piece of character acting. Thu programme will be repeated to-night.