ENTERTAINMENTS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 13 August 1921, Page 9

ENTERTAINMENTS

WORLD-WIDE COMEDY SUCCESS. "THREE WISE FOOLS." ",- AUTHOR EDUCATED IN NEW ZEALAND.^

~J. C. Williamson's sensational success, "Three' Wige Fools/V will be produced at the Opera House, Hawera, on Monday, August 22. How the combined wisdom of three old men of learning and experience is upset by the simple faith and passionate action of a youthful girl is the central theme of the comedy. The piece is by Austin Strong, an American dramatist, new to these-parts though educated at Wellington College, New Zealand. Besides its strong vein of romantic sentiment it possesses the advantage of a gradual rise in interest to a telling last act. Mr. J. D. O'Hara, as leader of "Three Wise Fools/.' was warmly welcomed back to Auckland, as also were other members of the company, and the principal acknowledged the enthusiasm m a speech at the end of the eevning. Playgoers were pleased with Mr. O'Hara's serious study of Ifche cross-grained banker >in hjis savage encounters with his nephew, in. his vain attempts _to root out his love of expletives, his exuberant delight in the decorations for her birthday, and the subtle touches of humour by which he softened the angles of the character. Mr. Arthur ©ornell presented a complete foil as Dr. Gaunt, volatile, jocose, and with music in his voice; and Mr;. Fred Esmelton, who skilfully produced the play, was kindly and mellow as the judge whose artful cross-examination led to poor Sydney's undoing. Much was due to the breezy animation and frankness of Mr. Roberta Toms as Gordon and the honest love-making lost none of its poetry in his hands. The box plans open at Donnelly's on Thursday next. 16