BRILLIANT NEW REVUE

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22336, 25 February 1938, Page 5

BRILLIANT NEW REVUE

CONNORS AND PAUL COMPANY OUTSTANDING ENTERTAINMENT When the new Connors and Paul revue, “Hoity Toity!” opened at the Theatre Royal last night it brought a very pleasant surprise to the audience. Everybody expected good entertainment, but the number and variety of the acts, their novelty and high standard more than satisfied expectations. The show was lavishly and tastefully produced; spectacular song and dance -scenes were interspersed with bright comedy sketches, acrobatic turns, and a range of vaudeville acts of every kind which made those who saw the show fool that it would be impossible to think of any form of entertainment that had been left untouched. The personalities of Mike Connors and Quenie Paul gave a unity to the whole performance. The humour was in the capable hands of Syd. Beck, whose hearty manner and flair for burlesque kept the audience in high good spirits from beginning to end.

After an effective opening scene in which the ballet provided a very effective background for Beck, Connors, and Cecil Scott, the comedians had the stage to themselves in a hilarious farce. “On Trial.” A brilliant piece cf contortionist dancing by Davendo stood out among the items that followed. and ho appeared again with Paulette in an outstanding ballet scene, “Love, You Funny Thing.” After another skclcli or two and some tap dancing which reached the heights of virtuosity in this fascinating art, the seven flying Elmars concluded the first half of the programme with anexhibition of acrobatics that scarcely can have been equalled before on any Christchurch stage. The second half 'opened with a cafe scene that afforded the background first for an apache dance by Davendo and Paulette, and then for a completely farcical turn with Connors. Beck, and Miss Paul. The most novel of the ballet scenes was perhaps “You,” in which (ho ballet had an excellent opportunity to show its skill. Syd. Beck again distinguished himself in a sketch that followed, and then came one of the most popular turns of the evening, the “Four K’s,” girl instrumentalists, who were encored with great enthusiasm. The most spectacular item in the whole show was. however. “Moonlight Phantasy." in which the ballet, showing to its best advantage with Miss Paul singing, introduced Paulette in her famous fan dance. The whole scene was flawlessly produced, and Iho fan dance proved to bo the outstanding turn of the evening. A real novelty delighted the audience at the end of the programme, when Moran and Wciscr did their astonishing tricks with hats. Here the audience was allowed to participate and was put in a very good humour with a little pleasant bantering from the stage. A vaudeville show has to reach a very high standard before it will satisfy a modern audience, but there was no oucstion of the success of this revue. The producers understood how to appeal to every taste, and they offered a show which deserves and will undoubtedly receive, the approval of the public.