TREADING THE BOARDS

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 29 May 1935, Page 10

TREADING THE BOARDS

CAREER OF CLEM DAWE THEATRICAL FAMILY Although he is now only 32 years old, Clem Da we, the noted actor and comedian, has been on tho stage for 24 years. He and the members of his company, which lie justifiably claims to be a “happy family affair,” will present h spectacular review at the Opera House, Hawera, on June 12.

Mr Dawe comes of a theatrical family. His grandmother had the distinction of being the first woman to sing the “Marseillaise” in English on the stage. His mother, Mrs EV White, was first on the stage at the age of three. She is now 72, enjoys the best of health, and is travelling with the present company. There have been many exciting incidents in her life, and once when she was playing a season in Dublin there were serious riots there, and she had always to go to the theatre under police protection. Mrs White is, in fact, the mother of the company. One of her sons, Mr E. Edglcy, produces all the shows. Her, daughter, Miss D. White, who is known as the “Cecily Courtneidge of Australia,” is married to Mr G. Ivanoff, a talented violinist who appears in the jiresent revue. Another son, Mr Leslie White, assists his brother in comedy sketches and is an accomplished dancer.

Then there is Mr Clem Da we himself. He made his first appearance on the stage at the age of eight. That was at Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, where he was a member of a dancing troupe known as the “Eight Lancashire Lads.” It was as a member of this troupe that Charlie Chaplin made his first appearance on the stage. Mr Dawe and his brother were the youngest members of this troupe, afld when the Great War broke out the older boys enlisted. Mr Dawe and his brother, as Edglev and Dawe, appeared in dancing acts in most of the theatres in England. Mr Dawe then appeared in the Alhambra Theatre in Loudon in the revue. “Now is the Time.” Leo White, Beatrice Liiley, and Clyde Cook were members of the cast. When the show finished Mr Dawe toured in vaudeville for a few years. It was when he was appearing in pantomime in the King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, that he came under the notice of Bert Bailey, who took him to Australia to play in pantomime. That was in 1921, and the original contract was for six months, but Mr Dawe has never returned to the stage in England. Mr Dawe was first in New Zealand in 1921 and has made several tours in the Dominion since. After . the present tour in New Zealand the company will probably go to South Africa and then to England. A Te made a business trip to England and the Continent in 1929-30 to engage new artists.

More than anything else in his possession. Mr Dave values a pair of hi" hoots which he wears on the stage. He bought the boots at the foot of the Kh.vber Pass, in India, 14 years ago. Although they are worn only on the stage, they have now been soled and heeled eight times. They have been through fire, flood, and earthquake, and Mr Dave declares that they could not be replaced. He has other spare pairs, but they have not, lie says, the same expression as liis favourite pair from India.