Entertaining Scottish Variety Show

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30145, 31 May 1963, Page 13

Entertaining Scottish Variety Show

Haggis-eaters from all over Canterbury put on their tartan ties, plaid trousers—and even a kilt or two—to see Andy Stewart at the Majestic Theatre last evening. They eame in full voice to give those curious Scottish whoops at appropriate moments, and ready to sing the choruses to all their favourite songs.

They were not disappointed Andy Stewart and his colleagues gave them all the right tunes —“Over the Sea tc Skye.” “Will Ye No Come Back Again.” “Charlie is My Darlin’." “The Dancin’ in Kyle,’’ and even Sir Harry Lauder's “Wee Hoose Amang the Heather.”

The stage was set with 13 local pipers skirling away and Later a Christchurch group of country dancers showed what they could do

But it turned out to be more than a Scottish national show Andy Stewart is known here mainly tor his popular song. “Donald Where’s Your Troopers?”, and in tact that gives a hint of his real ability a# a comedian.

He is a very funny man particularly in his character sketches. His “Old Andra" is the classical Scot who appears with the Englishman and the Irishman in all the jokes. The young entertainer becomes an elderly man so completely for this part that it is hard to remember that “Old Andra" is not an extra member of the company. Quite different is his characterisation of “Andy the Ploughman.” dressed in cap huge boots and bowyangs ready to tell the Stranges' stories of country life.

To make sur the customers get good value for their bawbees Andy Stewart throws in a bit of dancing as well as some enjoyable singing, and gives some hilarious impersonations. It must be the firs' time Elvis Presley has been imitated by anyone wearing a kilt and sporran—-it puts a completely different comolexion on the well-known pelvis = y rations. It is a well-balanced show and an enjoyable one—in spite of being framed in the heatre's dowdy Victorian drapes that look like bed spreads discarded from some dreary institution. It was no real help to pin on them cardboard Scotch thistles of a luminous shamrock green.