Halswell variety show

Press, 2 October 1982, Page 6

Halswell variety show

“Some of Those Wonderful Songs,”. Halswell Drama i Group's Twenty-first Birthday Variety Show, beginning on October I at the Halswell : Community Hall. Reviewed by Allan Francis. Sing what again, one wonders?,. Nostalgia can.be a telling : force or it. merely leaves us in a torpid state of relief that the times reflected by the songs are over and we. don’t, have . to go through all that again. But far from turning over a batch of stale chestnuts, the Halswell Drama Group took full advantage of the medium and the .occasion to get as much spice as possible . . from a. programme of rous-ing-entertainment The atmosphere was ebon-

try but the routines were pure city music hall. Kids crunched Krispies and on the strength of two stalwart lady pianists and a colourful chorus line, the show, got under way, a production that was obviously the fruition of a long, hard; trail of solid preparation. . ? . If there were any opening night jitters they did not show, the procession of acts .slipping easily and adroitly from the sophisticated .to the bucolic with a nice touch of professionalism: Sound ■' effects showed a high/ degree of imagination and the costumes were outstanding. mind but at *2l - surely dolhrs don't , matter.

Some of those wonderful songs went back further than I care to remember; the Colonial Boys didn’t look a day past 1860, coming up to Cathie Harrop’s personal “Day Trip to Bangor” and a non-stop host of the. earthly and the ethereal in between. The humour was laid on with a trowel, both the ladies ... and gents; getting much out of the bar scenes, the “classic cal” orchestra and the perennial classic of comedy, ;“Nqone Loves a Fairy,” and so ■ on. Fun and colour made happy, companions through- ■. . out the whole'evening; r .There was a lot-going on :.-,ip the three-part programme, • and iti'will for 10’> perform- ' ances. It is well worth the Trip out? y ;