THE NEW REVUE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 2, 4 January 1937, Page 6

THE NEW REVUE

"HELLO PROSPERITY"

What would a revue be without George Wallace?, For one thing it would not have the appeal, of "Hello Prosperity," the new Connors and Paul entertainment which commenced its season at the New Opera House on Saturday night. The inimitable George excels himself in his rollicking humour, and he is worthily backed by a first-rate bunch of artists, including Queenie Paul, Minnie Love, Lulla Fanning, Nellie Koile, and Mike Connors himself. Short humorous sketches, catchy song numbers, farces, and novelty turns follow one another with commendable rapidity, and the ballets by the "Sunkissed Beauties" are alwavs well worth waiting for. Leo Trenette. the leading tenor pf the companv, gives frequent items in between the "staged scenes, his songs being for the most part well-tried favourites. _ The audience is first taken for a trip to the beach, where, in a setting of blue waves, green palms, and colourful beach paraphernalia, the sunkissed beau'iies gambol and dance in the latent bathing suits—or perhaps they should be called swim-suits in these days. Following this tasty morsel Mike Connors, as a confidence man, succeeds in spoofing George Wallace and Will Miller, the lads of the village the act providing some hilarious moments. A short number by tapdancers follows, and then a military sketch is presented, this characterising the age-old wrangles between the dumb privates and the irascible military tyrant. Some excellent adagio dancing precedes some "short stories from life," humorous little excerpts performed on the stage by George Wallace and others. In these novelties Miss Lulla Fanning first makes her appearance, and this vivacious entertainer has many parts to play during the evening, investing all of them with her attractive personality. Queenie Paul makes her first appearance with the sunkissed beauties ana the men in a bouquet of memories, including the number "Thanks a Million," which is heard several times during the programme. "The Grudge Fight," a boxing farce, shows George Wallace in a role which gives plenty of scope for merriment, George, as Dreadnought, the Pride of the Force, being somewhat unwilling to come to grips with his opponent. Basher Lee (Terror of the Gas House), played by Will Miller. Miss Minnie Love, the musical comedy star, is heard in several popular numbers, and a sketch "Almost a Romance," written by George Wallace, is a well-executed piece of work containing a decided e.-ment o pathos. A musical number, Happy Hearts in Ireland." concludes the fijest portion of the programme. In "Just the Same, a clever skit on married life, the theme works up to an unexpected and humorous c l ' and the same might be said ot The Crown Prosecutor, in which Gcor^ e Wallace and Minnie Love are seen t - ffpther It was with relurtancft that The audience permitted Jimmy Coates ' the saxophonist, to leave the stage after his excellent number, which deluded some Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers favourites Other musical numbers include the Philharmonic Four, who cannot do much singing bc . ca^ s ®, Wallace's great dcsn'e to emulate Bing and 3 oa T =: »c L IS Tale of a Dog." '