Borge brings laughter

Press, 23 September 1980, Page 6

Borge brings laughter

By ■Howard McNaughton “Victor Borge with ■ Marylyn' Mulvey.” Omen International ‘ Productions, Christchurch Town Hall Main Auditorium, September 22 and 23, Running time: 8.30 p.m. to 11.05' p'.m. ' -■ yj; “It’s your language: I’m .' just trying to use it” was y.the catch-phrase of '" the bfeyening, as. Victor Borge, ®delighted a. ■ with • a . tangle ; of words, chords, and snorts: ;• i ’“The first piano,” he ex- ? plained to . us, “.was just (rone big black key; it wasn’t ' until someone invented the (cracks that they needed to use more than their elbows ,-°Whetfier Wl rtp/; promised from.ythe great Danish composer Hans .’Christian Bach ever even,, tuated .could only.’, be de? tected by a’ musical archaeologist, but there was no

mistaking Debussy’s “Clear the Saloon” or the Spanish maestro El Beethoven’s ‘■‘The Moonlight Sinatras,”. -. To what? extent the show was improvised., would bp hard to guess—we certainly heard well-worn” anecdotes " like the run-in with the' President, who picked Borge up by the : ears and him a “Great I Dahe,”. But at no time? did the' perfprmance lose . any of,' its' -'freshness; even the familiar television routine of “Hands off thy .piano.” was a thoroughly effective' continuity.; ihqtifkiEhd '< when‘ the ..talk lapsed'briefly there, -.was always ’Borge’s amazing repertoire of smirks, grunts, and philosophical • gestures; ’ Some of his piano playing was sustained at ’- sufficient length to generate its own atmosphere, but his keyhoard doodlings were equally popuTowards the .end of his

generously long performance, Mr Borge was joined by the young coloratura soprano, Marylyn Mulvey. Her function initially . was as Borge’s fall guy, her every phrase being insulted in terms that were as gross as they were - hilarious. Their best comic combination was in a furiously competitive operatic extract, Borge’s astonishingly athletic ‘ voice filling the auditorium, but she was allowed', some straight singing towards the end, £ arid ” excelled herself with a piece from “The Land of Smiles.” “Tonight, Borge will be back- again, wrestling .With his' “damned, piano,” cursing the “stupid page turner” (allegedly . his son), ' and strapping himself on to-his “piano bench” with a seat belt.Lit.is.?a shoiy.whjch nobody with a . .healthy contempt ' for - piano music can afford to miss.