"LOOK WHO'S HERE"

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 13, 15 July 1918, Page 2

"LOOK WHO'S HERE"

A' BBIGHT ENTERTAINMENT.

■;.,Variety, is the basic principle of Mr. Jack Waller's "Look Who's Hare" entertainment. The programme is as bright, too, as it is varied, and, like the continuous 'cirouß, "there is positively no waiting." The interest is never for a moment allowed to flag, and swift passages from serious to gay, gay to •'serious, keep the interest at tension throughout the evening. At any rate, that, was so on Saturday night. Every , effort is, made to meet all tastes, to enlist all ■sympathies, to appeal to all emotions. Just when the house (on Saturday night) was recovering from a" burst of hysterical laughter, wiping its eyes, in point of fact, behold! the back, curtain lifts on a trio for violin, 'cello, and piano —some i classical, at any rate; semi-classical piece' —to which the audience is just about settling down, when the players without warning switch" off into some light and I airy . trifling rhythmic melody. That is I the' character of "Look Who's Here." i Most of those taking part in it—for instance, Messrs. Ivanoff, W. Watson, F. Dennett, Jack Waller, S. Waller, H. Hall, and Misses Cecilia Gold and Ada Smart—all give just enough indication of their respective musical capacities to let people know what really fine musical faro of a, serious sort Uiey could provide an they would. Much of the entertainment consists of burlesque. For this to be a success the play- or song burlesqued mujst be generally known, otherwise the point is missed, so it was ordained by Mr. Waller, in a pleasing little sketch, that ''Alice, -Where Art Thou?" ■ "Sweet and Low," "Sally in Our Alley," and " The Bay of Biscay" should be musically parodied, so to speak, and given a ragtime form. This went very 'well,. because the songs burlesqued were so very well known. Captain Bairnsfather's popular drawings of life in the trenches were also skilfully utilised in a sketch, into which the song, "The Trumpeter" (both capably acted and sung by Mr. Howard Hall), was introduced. The drawings^ of course, are in every bookseller's shop, so,those whoisaw the little sketch on Saturday night were acquainted beforehand with "Ole Bill" and "Herb," who had their due places in the picture. This innovation was suggested, maybe, by "The Other 'Ole," a Bairnsfather bantling now playing in London. The originator's humour as expressed in his popular drawings is unquestioned, but after nearly four years of war, the grim subject of trench life is, perhaps, become to many (in New Zealand, as elsewhere) unsuitable for funny treatment. But it was very well done on Saturday night. The whole entertainment is a judicious blend of cleverness and fun, suggesting good organisation and able direction. Everything went smoothly, everybody appeared to be very well pleased, and the gentlemen, unseen by the public eye, who handled and checked the receipts, appeared to have sound reasons for 'being gratified. "Look Who's Here" will be repeated this evening.