CAPPING CARNIVAL

Evening Star, Issue 19000, 23 July 1925, Page 2

CAPPING CARNIVAL

' STUDENTS IN GREAT FORM A NIGHT OF GLADNESS The first of four concerts given in connection with the University capping carnival attracted an audience to 11 is Majesty’s Theatre last evening that would have sent oven the most affluent of theatrical managers away from his counting-house with a large-size Havana and a larger size smile. Perhaps it may bo interpolated here that “concert” is rather a mild term to affix do last night’s hectic and Ingblysoasoned feast, but whatever designation may bo found appropriate there can be no gainsaying the fact that the audience thoroughly enjoyed the confected titbits provided, though many of them, no doubt, wero themselves the target for a well-aimed dart, or two. As a fun show it was undoubtedly a huge success, and the students have given ns nothing hotter. Slapstick, with a very big stick, it might bo added, was the favorite weapon of those who essayed the not altogether enviable task of causing a succession of smiles to flit across the 1 faces of our citizenry. But the citi--1 zonry, perhaps, wero not quite such difficult subjects after all last evening, and a pleasantry that on other and less , noteworthy occasions would have been dismissed with a demure chuckle was accorded some more tangible evidence of its tintillating quality. This, of course, was a tribute to the enterprise | of the performers themselves, as well as I evidence of tho fact that they were | amateurs, and not professional quip and quirk mongers, and as such to be-cn-oouraged. One of tho emphatic successes of the evening was a real pantomime, with an authentic-looking fairy queen, a priu- | cess or two, and other royalty, including a prepossessing, red-visaged personage described as the Sultan of Gore. A ferocious betailed creature also loomed largo, and a reference to the programme revealed tho fact that ho was no less a personage than the Evil Spirit Malevolence. There was, of course, the premier danseusc, who ventured to favor tho assemblage with tho latest in tho gentle art of shimmying; but above ail there was tho dame, or if she wasn’t she was certainly “ sassy ” enough to he one. ’This lady, with the supreme effrontery of her kind, “ put over ” several stories that brought blushes to the cheeks of all but the policeman at the back of the stalls; but tho “ loidy ” had a rare humorous vein, and no wonder it was deemed advisable to have the interval shortly after her disappearance from tire stage. And—oh, yos! there was tho tomcat, a rather demure puss, who yet justified ids place, even if only by the witticisms that ho provoked. The musical numbers wore not of the tuppenny tinkling order cither, ‘ The Bamnaliua ’ being a zostfid affair that went with a desirable lilt, whilst tiio ‘ Shores of Old Lake Logan ’ was an old favorite in a very thin disguise. The electricians, stage carpenters, and scene painters had also got to work with a will, for “spasms” three and four must have been surprise packets for those who imagined that “The Firm” was the only concern that could stage and mount a panto. These departments were excellently managed throughout tin's excellent piece of fooling. Local celebrities wero subjected to a fearsome bombardment in ‘Typical Topical Tests,’ an exhilarating offering which was particularly severe on “ ilis Warshup the Ain re,” a gentleman, by the way, who came in for an inordinate amount of attention throughout tho proceedings. This time he appeared in person, or, at least, he was represented by someone who had made valiant and not altogether vain efforts to give a very passable personation of tho mayor. His rather massive figure hid for a time the fact that His Worship was there for the ostensible purpose of being “shot at” by a kinoma man, and that ho was a candidate for a place in moviodom. By and by sundry other more or less known personages lioated in and posed sheepishly for a moment to the accompaniment of much handle-turning and tho whirring of the _ internal mechanism of the stentorian-voiced Claud Damper, who looked like no one at all in particular, and less like a picture director, though he gave perspective to the scene. It was all good farce, particularly when two gentlemen labelled respectively Heugiiau and Lauder turned thoir countenances to the light. There were a number of mysterious entries in the programme simply designated “ interludes.” These proved very pleasing little offerings, particularly tho one dealing with tho inquisitive postman, who regaled the audience with, tho highly revelatory contents of sundry epistles addressed to some well-known burgesses. Tho letters in question had tho extreme merit of being pointed enough to pierce tho most calloused of epidermis, and when the audience naa recovered something of its wonted composure it was gasping for more. Tho humor in tho asylum sketch was of tho rougher-hewn type, though it was a,n excellent little piece of its kind, with an element of surprise at the end that added greatly to its merit as a laughtermiser. Six doleful parsons of menacing and murky miens strutted across the stage and commenced a melancholic anthem with an infinite number of “Yea, yea, verily yeas,” running through it. Unfortunately, the six soulful songsters’ harmonising exploits wero cut short by the stage curtain dropping incontinently upon them, and those present wore left asking: “Will ye no come back again I ” “Aladamo Distil” and partner presented, a well-worn psychic turn, though “ Alaclame ” thoroughly earned a bouquet of tho second class, at least, for the way she carried out her part during the time she was under the “ influence.” One of tho longest items on the programme was ‘The Compromising of Afoul moreiicy,’ a decidedly wordy business, with a lot that passetli understanding to those who do not patronise tlie frenzied fictions of the late Nick Carter. A horn-bespectacled Aniurrican sleuth, who hid behind tho household furujture of one of the dramatis persome’s homes, was the central figure, but exactly what ho or any of tho others had to do with each other or anybody else in tlio world remained as great a mystery to the majority as the crossword puzzle in the programme. Still, there was plenty of merriment, though a large pair of shears in tho skilful hands of a judicious wioldor of the same could turn it into sometliing much more acceptable. Tho show was at top gear all tho evening, but the students came with a

tremendous burst at the finish, the Long Tack Sam burlesque being easily •the most frolicsome event of the evening. Those who had seen the gonuino article no doubt took a lot of convincing for a time that it wasn’t the wilesome Celestial himself, so realistically did the chief performer carry out his contract. His voice was marvellously exact, Long Tack’s staccato style being particularly well managed. All his wondrous box of tricks were there, too, including that inimitable throad-ancl-needte stunt, and ho was surrounded by an entourage of gaily-festooned and equally realistic fellow Coufucians. The sestet, or rather quintet, as the pianist was more sung against than singing, looked at one stage as if they were just so-so, but they made a groat recovery', and tne Sistiuo Choir couldn’t have got away' with more applause. Their vocal venturings covered a wide field, their topicalities being in greatest supply. At various intervals the stage was invaded by a motley' crew of much bedizened vocalists, who raised their voices in pleasing harmonics. The excellent orchestra also added a quota to a joyous evening’s performance. The same programme will bo presented this evening.