"MOTHER HUBBARD"

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 255, 22 July 1920, Page 6

"MOTHER HUBBARD"

4 A BIG LAUGHING SHOW "Mother Hubbard," a pantomimo in two acts. Cast i— Blnwhard Colin Orans Entwhistle Los Coney Dorothy Daisy Yates Cant-. Jack Mcrrywcathor ... Dorothy Leigh' Eltie Gertie Latchford Dudley George Moon .Fauntlero.v Dan Morris Mother Hubbard Barry Lupino Bully (the Dof?) William A. Kappan Harry Wildalr Nellie M'Carthy Mary Aileen Barton Mr. Hubbard Jack Cannot The Fairy Queen Ethel Walker I Colonel Belcher Bert, Nicholson An cole (Soloist! I Elsie Parkes Henand (Soloist) Kelso Henderson Door Mouse Hilda- Boat! Babbit - Wilpon Owl Florence Hayworth The Bailiff Herbert. Lancaster Ship's Slenallcr Peter Gordon The Monkey Ernest Stcbbin" Two pantomimes in one month is somewhat of a record for Wellington, but sueli is the attraction that this form of entertainment. holds for the Dublin that it is Impossible to cont.emnlatc indifference to its lure. "M«th»..' HiiWiarrt" is the first nantomime which Meiers. J. and N. Tnlt haTe sent to New Zealand, and if tho reception accorded to It by a full hmso last .evening be any criterion it is tho initiation of a successful season. Beyond the fact thnt the nursery rhyme tells that a certain Mrs. Hubbard went to tho cunhoard to ?et her noor doe a hone, with disappolntine results, there is merely bara hones to build a nantomime on, but such is the Ingenuity and resource of nantomime builders that the his audience was kept lauehinp until past, 11 p.m.. and were then reluctant to leave the theatre for more prosaic quarters. The Tait nantomime relies very largely on comedy, and with two brainy Binding comedians liko Barry Lupino and Jack Cannot to stoko tile smile fnrnncc. there were f.w dull moments. Mr. Luoino lias no rival as a dame in pantomime. His humour, always sifbtle and dujet. but penetrating, his excellent, make-up. his eccentrio dancing, his wealth of funny falls, and his sententious communings on I'.imostic and love affairs are sufficient to keep the house hubbling with merriment. He is, of course. Mother Hubbard, a laundress, gay and tearful, frisky and sentimental by turns, but always wonderfully .entertaining. Mother Hubbard at the washtuh. out in her side-car, on the pirate ship, .wash injr the baby, and on the enchanted island pervaded the nantomime. In "There's Nothing the Matter With lie," 'Poor Old Adam." and the burlesque love duet. "Now I've Got You," Mr. Lupino was excellent. Mr, Cannot meandered jovially through the show as Mr. Hnbl/nrd, to which character the popular comedian's unctions stylo and happv manner were s'ngularly Juiled. Apart from his full-blooded com edy sense. Mr. Cannot has, at the hack of his admirable foolery, on excellent voice. He made tho vocal hit of the evening .in "Signora." in which h? figures as a comic troubadour, lnterpoung a- stave or two of "La Donna e Mobile' by way of operatic burlesque. It was capitally done and earned the comedian much applause. He was also excellent in "How I Won the D.0.M.," and In the many comedy stuntß with Mr. Lupino pulled biß full weight. Whilst referring to the him comedy backbone of "Mother Hubbard," tha performance of Mr. William Hassan, as "Bully," tho dog, is not to be overlooked. "Buliy' is the best nantomime animal seen in Wellington. The children will dote on 'Bully" Just as much as Mother Hubbard doos. Another duo of com edians and dancers nar cxcellora'o are Moon and Morris, whoso "Mutt and Jeff" gag and dance turn stands out as a distinctly high-class specialty. There Is also the germ of humour in tho Creightons, two agile tumblers and jugglers; who were given a fino reception. Tht> principal boy is Miss Dorothy Leigh, who makes a trim-built Captain Jack Merryweather, sings tunefully, and otherwise docs all expccted of such a charactey. Miss Daisy Yates, a lissome blonde, combines the role of Dorothy (principal girl) with that of a dancer, and pleases in each department. Her modern dance inter-, lude with Mr. Kelso Henderson was ail enlivening feature of the second act. The premiere danseuse is Miss Elsie Parkes, an altogether delightful dancer, who cmbodies in her charming personality the spirit of youth. Miss Parkes was successful in her pheasant and fox and columbine dances (with Mr. Kelso Henderson), and made motion a thing of joy in the beautiful ballet,"Tho Pipes of Pail.' m which tho full strength of the ballet appeared as nymphs attendant in tho old goat-god of mythological obscurity. The dancing dnscmble waß a rare spectacle of dancing youth and beauty. The sceno was onhanced by tho 8010, "The Bag-timo Pipes of Pan," sung with, great gu6to by Mr. Colin Crane, who also figured as the Pirate Chief, who has designs on Dorothy Entwhistle (Miss Yates). Hts machinations aro responsible for the most picturesque Rcsne in the pantomime—a- full-deck view, fore and aft, of an old-tlmo, pirate rtiip, on winch occurs a lively nation, in \vhicn the audience become laughably involved. Miss Ethel Walker made a dazzling picture as the Fairy Queen, and Gang her solos artistically. Mr, Lea Coney appeared as the rascally Entwhistle, nnd Mr. Bert Nicholson was pood as Colonel Belcher in tho outrageously funny laundry ""Mother Hubbard" is produced, by Mr. Barry 'Lupino, and the orchestra 10 under the control nf Mr. ltobert Keers.