‘THE DESERT SONG’

Evening Star, Issue 20310, 19 October 1929, Page 13

‘THE DESERT SONG’

BEAUTIFUL AND ROMANTIC MUSICAL PLAY. ‘ The Desert Song,’ a J. C. Williamson special attraction, opens at His Majesty’s Theatre on Saturday next for, a season of nine nights and two matinees. The story ,opens in the Bin. ,Mountains, and is one of a young French officer, Pierre Birabeau (known later as ‘ The Red Shadow’), who, chafing under the injustice wrought by his troops in Morocco, becomes leader of a band of Riffs with a mission to set wrong right by the sword.. His identity as “The Red Shadow ” is unknown, hut his position is rendered hazardous by the fact that his father is appointed to exterminate the unknown leader of the Riffs. In order to avert suspicion when with his father Pierre assumes the role of a simpleton, and his father regards him merely as a milksop. Now Pierre is in love with his cousin, Margot Bonvalet, who is also being woed by Captain Paul Fontaine. The latter has contracted a mesalliance with a half-caste girl known as Azuri. Margot looks upon Pierre more as a brother, and treats his attentions with indifference; but presently her imagination is stirred by the deeds of the _ mysterious Red Shadow, and later Pierre in this disguise carries her off to the harem of his Arab friend, Ali Ben Ali. Here he declares his love for her, and Margot,_ whilst rebelling at her enforced capitivity, submits to the wooing of her desert lover. The Red Shadow then, finds himself in trouble with the Riff hand over Margot, but he defies and cows them; hut when later his father—the general—appears on the. scene and challenges him to a duel, rather than disclose his identity he refuses to fight him. For this refusal he is branded by the Riff leaders as a coward, and pays the penalty by being driven out into the desert without food and only a broken sword to defend himself. What would have happened if Azuri had not given the whole thing away in an hour of vengeful maliciousness is of no great concern, hut through her the general learns of his son’s. secret, and he decides wisely to keep his knowledge to himself, and not withhold his permission from the marriage. of . Pierre and Margot, who must have had a moment of delight when she learnt that the half-witted Pierre and the mysterious 1 ed Shadow were one and the same individual. The box plans open on Monday.