VARIETY ENTERTAINMENT

Evening Star, Issue 16780, 8 July 1918, Page 2

VARIETY ENTERTAINMENT

—* SMISS HEI.E'N GARD'XFR-'S PUPILS. Variety, quality, and quantity were. : words that could'be t'pLly applied to the two performances given in His Majesty's Theatre on Saturday afternoon and evening ;by Miss G. Helen Gard'uer's pupils, islisted by older pupils. Tho entertainment was t-romoted by_ Miss . Gard'ner for the pr.ifose of assisting the funds of tho Red-Cross and St. Paul's Cathedral, and received most generous support from the public. The. result must be very gratifying to Miss Gardner, who has always been to the fore to assist any deserving cause. Really clever jit'.'..nib: performers arts not common, but it may be said here that the entertainments given on Saturday were among the brightest ever given by juveniles in '"Dimcciin, and Mi<s Gard'ner and her merry band of pupils are to be congratulated on the ability and ! versatility shown. It was indeed an at tractive entertainment, ami the large audience present on Saturday evening were ■ most appro native, as was plainly shown. : by the reception accorded the perfoimers jin evtrv instance 'I'll? whole entertain ,'ment was a treat, and all those who have j not seen these clever juveniles should taka I the opportunity of doing so to-night, when I the performance will be repeated. I The children, under Miss G'irdhicr, had ! been practising assiduously for some time, ; and nothing had been overlooked thy ' preparation of th« entertainment. Frorn tho rise to the fall of tho curtain everything moved smoothly and harmoniously. 1 Then, again, the whole entertainment was shorn of that amateur touch which is generally so noticeable, with such performances. 'Miss Gard'ner's success with her pupils is widely ki own. and Saturday's performances si reoethened the high opinion formed of her wmk. Tin* entertainment was .trransred soh'ly by Miss Gcrd'uet, who had gone to no end of trouble to ensuro success. 'The small children \vero particularly successful, and several of them displnved unusual ability. Perhaps it is not fair to praise any individual child, but one or two of the litUo__ones mav be mentioned at thk juncture. Take. for" instance, the natural stage appearance and excellent work of Miss Roa Lambert in her humorous recitation 'Misunderstood '; of Miss Nancy Loir, who took the Ladine part, in 'Nancy's Nightmare ; and of Miss Je-sie M'Ara, who acted r.s the carnation in the scena 'Rose Petals' The names of the three little ones mentioned above are only given to vhow what can be done by Mk?'G«rd'ner with a. child who shows any talent.

Tho programme suTimitted covered a wide ranee, including humorous and serious sones, character sketches, and _ da-no ess. Tho spectacular element also received dm attention, several of the scene- being pre sented on a large scale. Our of the mos* plea-sing ite ns of tho evening was the sceua r ßose I'etals,' in which each performer represented a flower. Several of the costumes worn were used in the production of 'The Magic Carpet' in Wellington, but as all the costumes did not come to hand Miss Gard'ner and her assist ants were compelled to set to work on Friday night and complete the wardrobe with 'their own hands,* and they finished their task during the -early hours on Saturday morning. Tho feature of the second oart of the prci-rammo was the scene from ' Pygmalion and Galatea,'which was given bv request, and by permission of Mr J. C Williamson's representative. Owing to the indisposition of Miss Mona Wallis, the minor' part of Myrine was plaved bv .Miss Gard'ner. The cast in the pceho wa's as follows :—Miss Dorcen Hanlon (Pvgmalionj. Miss K. Glendininc (Leucippusj, Miss Gladys Black (Agesimos), Miss Irene Hevwood (Mimos), Miss Bessie Thomson (Cvnisia), Miss Helen Gard'ner (Mvrine), and Mi*s Loma Dick {Galatea! The first part of the programme was made up as follows:—Seena, 'On a May Day Morn' (soloist. Miss Vera Brook) ; song, ' Cheer Up.' Miss Alfie Wilson ; phanta.*y ; "Ncncy's Nightmare,' in whichMissXancy Low took tho leading part, with Miss J L Bell a- Fairv. Miss H. Johnstone as Doll, Miss R. Lambert as Frock, and Master C. Paine as Book; old English duet, •Gather Ye Rosebuds,' Misses M. and A. Eagar; son-r and dance. ' Carmemta," Nliss lilv Stevens (a pupil or Mrs W.>att) :_ huiroroua character =OO2, 'Skinny Piccaninny.' Miss Haze! Johnstone-""phantasy 'The" Storv of a Bubble and a Sunbeam,' in which Miss Winnie Beck took the part of the Bubble; song. 'Spring's Awakening.' Miss Ivva Scott; humorous vec-ita tion, 'Misunderstood,' Miss Boa Lambert; duet, 'Good-night.' Misses Flo and Jean Lennox; character sketch, 'Pierrot/ Miss U, Chambers; .-eena, 'Rose Petals,' with Mis* Doris Zaffer .is the Rose and Miss •T.ssie M'Ara as the Carnation; scena, ' Rendezvous,' Misses Lily Stevens and Winnie Beck; character' sketch, 'Mr.? Green;,' M.iss Audrey Lagf.r ; and the scena,' - Sleepy Time,''in which 17 children appeared, with Miss Jean Lennox as soloist. The orchestra, consisting of' Miss Queenie Foster (pie.r.o), Mts H. de C. M'Arthur and Miss S. Bayley (violins). Mr "Frank Drako ('cello!, Mr Percy Wood (clarinet), and Mr Eagar (bass), .supplied excellent music during the performance.-'. end contributed in no small way towards tho sucoces of the enteit linment.s. The limelight was under the charge of Mr \V Simpson, while the stat'e nroperhes were kindlv '/Tit bv the D.1.C., Messrs Paterson ;,n<\ Ban*, R." S. Black, Thonr-on a.nd Co., end the School of Art, am! the piano by The Bristol Mr E. S. Wil-on had contvul of tho financial side of the entertainment The afternoon performance resulted in tho sum of £6O being taken., while £93 was : taken in the evening. , Tho entertainment will be repeated tins evening, and it := expected that there will be a' crowded attendance, which the perfoirnance lulh warrants.