EX-RECTOR AS ACTOR

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 August 1932, Page 7

EX-RECTOR AS ACTOR

PUBLIC NOT INTERESTED.

The much-discussed" public appearance on the stage of the rector of Stiffkey, the Rev. Harold Davidson, in a series of recitals and sketches, took place on the afternoon and evening of July 6, at the Embassy Ice .Rink, Sparkbrook, Birmingham, before some of the smallest audiences the huge rink has ever had. A' record crowd had been expected. Seats had been provided for 2000 people. Over 10,000 hand bills had been sent out and a number of striking posters in eight-inch red letters had been displayed. The police had taken exceptional precautions to deal with large crowds. The superintendent of the division and a number of policemen were in the rink during the performances, and a number of constables were on duty outside.

Before the evening performance Mr Davidson was visited by Mrs Kate M'Kie, the chief inspector of public places and entertainments in. Birmingham, whose duty is to visit entertainment places which have special licences. Mrs M’Kie and her associate, Miss Cave, later saw the performance.

Mr Davidson arrived at the rink accompanied by a pretty girl of twenty, who spoke with a slight foreign accent. She was called Miss Carlotta, and was introduced by the rector as his secretary.

The afternoon performance took place before 46 people, who were lost in the huge auditorium- At the evening performance there were about 150 people. The actual performance was remarkable, and something in the nature of a personal triumph. It began in a depressing silence, and ended in laughter and enthusiastic applause.

The audience was one of the most unresponsive ever seen. It was made up mostly of women and young girls. The boxing ring of the rink had been turned into a concert platform, on which stood a piano, a chair, and a few pots of flowers. Mr Davidson followed a singer and" a violin. It was the first time he had appeared on any stage of any kind in 29 years. His first item, which was old-fashioned in matter and in delivery, aroused little interest and only perfunctory applause. The next item caused some embarrassment among the audience. It was a skit on a sermon called “The Sermon of Mother Hubbard.” In this skit, which satirised the manner and the matter of most sermons, Mr Davidson showed that he was an actor of merit Mr Davidson adopted the attiude, the gesture and the sing-song intonation associated with such discourses, and gave to the .mock of sincerity and deep feeling that it was difficult at times to feel that he was not in a pulpit preaching the Gospel. t ■ It was in the third item of His programme, however, that Mr Davidson excelled. Spectators saw the Rector of Stiffkey falling over invisible objects and rolling on his back on the platform, picking invisible objects out of his hair, his ears, and his nose. This brought down the house, and received’ the only, appreciable applause of the evening.

There are about 250 people at the third and last performance, who were more enthusiastic than the previous audiences.