"THE WHIP" IN BEING

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1134, 23 May 1911, Page 3

"THE WHIP" IN BEING

WATCHING THE WHEELS GO ROUND. "Cut out that bunch! That light there —cut it out. Cut " It was the stentorian voice of tho stago manager of "Tho Whip," crashing through tho din created by tho collision effect in operation. It was night', and the box containing "Tho Wnip," favourite tor the Two 'lhousand at .\ewmarkcr, had been detached by no end of a scoundrel, who had calculated that if he could but perform tlio operation, the box, horse, and jockey would be pulverised into a jelly by tlic fast express. And it looks all very real and is most exciting l'rom "the front." It is equally as exciting behind, but hardly for tho same reason. On the stage of the Opera House thero is not' much room to inanoeuvro with such florid effects as are required in "The Whip." The scenery stacks are in everybody's way and everyono is in somebody's way. It is a push and a scramble for the sixty odd stago hands to build a wooden track and get it to meet at the points as a well-behaved railway track should, and then to haul a great canvas and timber horse-box backwards nnd forwards over the track as the exigencies of the drama required. To the stranger, venturing behind "the funny little row of lights," the scene at such moments appears to be one of indescribable chaos. The small army of men who are engaged in fitting tho timber track together appear to be engaged in the same hopeless task as a youngster trying to repair a 2s. toy track of tin that had been trodden on by the washerwoman. Yet, amidst all the din, thero_ is order. Dimly the voices of those acting in the "front scene" aro heard telling oif the moments to the spoken "cue" for tho stago manager to utter tho words —"Black out!" Then for a second or two all is dark; there is a rush of dark forms, your tees are trodden upon without apology, and then—a flood of light, nnd tho next scene is revealed in profile. The train scene is preceded by a black out," and then in response to the order "Blue foots!" a dim blue light is thrown on the scene by coloured electric footlights, the panorama, wrapped in two great rolls the width of the stage apart revolves, electric energy is applied to the wheels of the lighted carriage and horsebox, and the effect of nn express tearing through the night is admirably con\ejed. After the villain has detachcd the horsebox, tho fake carriage in which lie is travelling is pulled off by half a dozen pairs of brawny arms. Next comes tho collision. \V ith tho country revolving rapid," the horse-box, which by this time wears quite a jaded look,, is slowly dragged on by the simple expedient of a rope leading to the aforesaid brawny arms on the opposite sido ot tho stage. It slow 9 down stop?, then behind tho canvas screen which represents the tunnel a red ' lime heralds tho approach of the express; the Whip is "saved"; ami great canvas and paper i maclie engine is pushed on, a detonator lis fired, some ropes are pulled, and the I horse-box falls to pices in a glare of a horrible wreck. A few minutes later it is pieced together, and is found taking a rest against the bare, brick wall of the theatre. . . , But train collisions in plays are ordinary! Tho race is the thing in the Whip." The feat of presenting horses in full gallop while keeping in the same position lias'bsen most ingeniously come. Thare is a raised platform extending . across " 10 ,, sta £°> containing four oblong patches that icseinblc nothing more than ancient \enetian blinds,, with padded laths. Each of these patches is a machine in itselt controlled by a separate clectric motor, lhe horses are placed.on theso machines (or travelling platforms), and as they run backwards the horse gallops forward faster and faster as the power is applied until they are going at top —and yet not budging a foot forward. Indeed even if they could boat the machine—they often break them—they could not get away, as each horse is strapped on either side from tho belly-band to the solid platform, and could hot go forward if the machine were -to ,stop. The machines ' do. not always work sweetly. One evening, for instance, The Whip must have lost twenty lengths, as tho machine did not commence* to revolve on the cne. and the comical sight was presented of threo horses striding freely, and yet not gaining an inch on tho one standing still. In this predicament The Whip's jockey jumped off, gave his mount a couple of cuts with his whip, and immediately tho favourite "got going," and, of course, won with the greatest of case. One thing that is evident in this production is the groat use mado of electricity. No fewer than five motors aro in use in "Tho Whip" to work the panoramas, the rail, and tho. racing machines. It is a far cry from "The Whip" back to "lolanthe," in which opera electricity was first used to bespangle the fairies. It is almost needless to say it has revolutionised the mechanics of stagework, and most beautiful and artistic effects can bo got in stags lighting, adding rnuqh to the completeness of the illusion that is being presented.