MUSIC HALL STAR

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 152, 24 December 1931, Page 13

MUSIC HALL STAR

PASSING- OF 'WISH WYNNE

According to1 the London representative of "TJhe Post,'? ; the favourite performer, Wish Wynne, suffered much before her death, and yet "kept going" and would not disappoint any of her countless? admirers over tho air or on the stage. ' ' She. was the wife of Mr. Bernard Kitchen; a New Zealander, and was 49 years of age. She was born in London, of Scottish parents, and made her first success on the stage at Drury Lane, when she was only twelve years of age, in the pantomime "Dick Whittington." She went on from one success to another, in a numbe: of wellknown plays, and one of her greatest triumphs was as "Janet Camot," in "The Great Adventure," which ran for over 600 performances. Later she abandoned- the stage for the concert platform, and became a music hall "star." Several times she toured the United States, South Africa, South America, Australia, and New Zealand, and three times toured tho world. •In 1928 she published a successful book, " 'Ere,'_' a volume of ''confidential chats." Wish Wynne wrote.fairy stories and sketches for the stage,' and carried a note book with her that she used so freely in order to jot down anything amusing she heard. Mr. Bernard Kitchen was her accompanist, and went with her on all her tours. She was one of the earliest broadcast performers, and over keenness regarding this form of entertainment was so great that she risked losing more lucrative'engagements on account of it. Her daughter, Zoe Kitchen, tells of the immense number of correspondents and friends Wish Wynne made "over the air," and the gifts sent by listeners-iu as showing their enjoyment and admiration for her work. Tho last year of Wish Wynne's. life'was full of terrible suffering, and yet, as long as she possibly could she broadcasted, and was at her best, so far as the listenersin knew, and gave hei* inimitable Cockney sketches and other work in a wonderful manner. This went on till one day she collapsed and had to be taken to hospital, from which she never emerged. The London "Times" pays a fine tribute to Wish Wynne for her genius, her work, and her heroic courage in her terrible illness,, which she insisted on having concealed from her thousands of admirers. It was a case of "seeing it through." She filled her world with laughter and joy as long as she could, and would not allow anyone to detract from its joy on'account of her suffering.