SUCCESSION OF LAUGHS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 4 October 1927, Page 2

SUCCESSION OF LAUGHS.

GEORGE WALLACE IN REVUE

APPEARANCE AT HAWERA

A constant ripple of amusement which, swelling in spasmodic outbursts to uproarious laughter, swept in repeating waves through pit, stalls and circe, gave evidence in the Opera House !,ast> evening of the irresistible nature of the entertainment provided by Geo. Wallace and his merry band Under the aegis of Sir Benjamin and Mr John Fuller, the company opened a two-night season last evening, and from their extensive repertoire of revues, the merry-makers chose' the double attraction “Happy Times” and “Off Honolulu” for their introductory appearance. . , _ ' , By the clock they occupied the boards for some two and a half hours, but the periods in between lauglis were, so brief that it was not until tlie auditors, nursing aching faces and sides, sought the exits with the final curtain that the passim* of so many moments was realised. Musical turns, dancing acrobatics and .song numbers provided a leavening to the element of comedy Which pervaded the performance, the whole being combined in fascinating manner to give success to the production. Described on the programme as “Happy Times,” the features of the first session proved deserving of the title, the infectious humour of the players extending across the footlights and convulsing the house till it literally Shook with hilarity. In a swift succession of absurdities, George Wallace li ini self a Aussie” —proved inimitable, his stories, actions and droll mannerisms being the mainstay of the show, and smashinor all records as agencies for exciting tbu risible faculties of a Hawera audience. Drifting carefree around the stage, he showed ais an accomplished comedian, and, in addition to his plot"ted items, rdefis-ed succession of inipromptu sallies at which thp performers themselves very often could .scarcely refrain from sharing the delight ot the audience. Aehie and Bertie, “happy but dirty (Tom Lincoln and Frank Haining) were entertaining in a. duo number describincr vagaries in the lives of the Kings of the counter-lnncli ” and were screamingly funny in a ballet burlesque. In ten minutes’ song and patter in “Topicalities.” the two Daleys scored many hits in which clever reference was made to a considerable number of local identities.

Lefty Croydon and a ballet of graceful “rascals” added a piquant flavour in various attractive numbers, and were particularly .pleasing when, as a croup of ‘‘Jolly Rogers,” wearing the traditional headgear of the ancient searovers, they performed the hornpipe. The vocal gems were the songs, of Marshall Crosby, a baritone possessing a wide range, who was popularly received when lie interpreted the wellknown ballads. “Off to Philadelphia, “The Mountains o’ Mourn,” and Shipmates o’ Mine.” The first portion of the programme concluded with a live’y exhibition by the ballet and a .sketch entitled The Labour Bureau,” in which George showed further originality m solving the unemployment problem. Though the earlier sketch might reasonably have been expected to exhaust the laughs of the audience, the everbreaking bubbles continued with even o-reater consistency when the. company presented “Off Honolulu.” From the time the curtain rose until it was finally lowered on Geo. Wallace —he was never absent for more than a few seconds, and his every effort was the. signal for roars of laughter and applause. No sooner would the mirth subside than George—“the pride of the Navy,” according to himself, but referred to in less euphuistic terms by the ship’s oiiieors —would turn up from some unexpected spot, organise, a mutiny, .recount one of his inexhaustible store of anecdotes, or go hurtling in a graceful nose-dive to bring down the. house afresh. His dancing was extremely clever and his imitation of a baboon was almost life-like. A constant source of annoyance to everyone on the. ship, he finally is placed on the pedestal ol hero, worship, through liis action in retrieving some mysterious plans which, 'eft in the safe keeping of the captain, bad been filched by the sinister agent of a foreign government. Win in unmasked the spy throws the plans overboard, and tlie captain is in a state of distraction till George climbs over - the taffrail with the plans- in. his hand and produces his final laugh as he announces be caught them while “manicuring the porthole.” To-night the company will prerent tlie further* revue. “At the Cross Roads, and if the general opinion of last evening’s audience is to bo. taken as a criterion, the accommodation of the ihousp should be taxed to capacity.. Tire only fault which may be found with George and his company is that as a laughproducing element they set a .standard which their successors in revues of the future will find extremely difficult to approach.