PRINCESS THEATRE

Evening Star, Issue 17319, 6 April 1920, Page 4

PRINCESS THEATRE

Princess patrons wore provided with a full bill of holiday fare last evening, and it w--, a well-pleased - assemblage which vacated the house at the conclusion of the last act on the lengthy new programme by a good all-round band of artists. The fact that late-comers who had neglected to book their seatij were tjjrncd away furnished sufficient testimony to the quality of both the vaudeville* and revue sections of the programme. The principal now-comer on the vaudeville side was Louis London, an English cornediuTi, who proved himself a brisk and delightful entertainer. He has a good voice, and Ids songs are new, while his novel method and outstandjng personality thoroughly intrigued the audience. He rendered several songs, and was warmly applauded. The only other new-comcr was a dainty lairs, in the person of Katio Gourky, who sang several Scotch songs and danced nicejy;. She looked very chic in her Highland costume, but the real feature of her turn is her dancing. A new sketch put over by that clover pair of artist?, Edwards and Parkes, revealed them at their comic best, in a representation .of the confessions of a. married couple. It was a splendid niece of character acting, and they provided a very amusing 15 minutes 1 session. Jack and" Cora Williams, the other stop-over artists, sang and danced to thsr satisfaction of the audience, and brought their act to a conclusion with a sensational performance by the girl, which electrified the house.

Irresponsible hilarity was the keynote of the theatrical concoction presented by’ Mr Walter George and his merry band of Sunshine Players. Tire revuo selected was ‘ Tho Pearl of Persia,’ .and this clever Eastern revuo was responsible for providing mirth galore to ail parts of the house. Of captivating girls, catchy refrains, and pretty dresses there was an abundance. Mr George Storev, the irresistible and clever little comedian, who has become such n favorite with Princess audiences, was, ae usual, tho headliner in the way of fun-making. ■ The Pearl of Persia ’ is a musical comedy in miniature, with an Eastern potentate’s harem'for a setting. Into this gay Oriental scene buvst a party of vulgar Westerners, whose incursion, of course, provides the basis for the opulent vein of coinedv that causes almost incessant laughter from the opening scene,to the finale. Tho piece is brimful of melodious measures, and there are some particularly striking ballet diversions. Tho strong cho-rus and song repertoire of the company contribute in a large measure to tho general success of the piece, while the costuming is on a scale that is specially commendable. The various parts suit, the principals admirably, and there is not a dull moment throughout. The plot is simple. Walter George, the Prince of Ctanza, possesses a harem of beautiful 'wives, and he desires to add_ an English girl.to their number. The girl, however, has her own vjpws on the_ matter, and. she is aided in her determination to escape from the Prince’s design by the jealousy of his ether wives. Tho revue shows the company’, at their best, and gives pleasure toHie'ir patrons. The stage sotting is pretty, and the girls of the harem dance "in the* slow, seductive fashion of tho East. In a word, it is an entertainment briniful of rollicking comedy, with many pleasing musical numbers interspersed. Miss Hylda Shannon gave a delightful rendering of that popular song ‘ Destiny,' in which the full strength of her voice was heard tp great advantage. Another pleasing item was the spng ‘ In Monterey,’ sung by Miss May Geary. ‘ Impressions of Daily Life ’ by Georgie Martin and George Storey, ‘Down the Ispahan’ by Reg. Hawthorne and chorus, and ‘My Girl from Slumber Town ’ by A. Pace and chorus were also rendered in a manner which gave pleasure to the audience. Miss Polly M'Laren was most successful in her interpretation of an Eastern dance. Well-balanced music was. as usual, provided by Mr F. H. Stokes and his orchestra.

The programme is _ a particularly, commendable one, and -will be rop~toj every evening this week.