BALLET “GASSED”

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 7 May 1924, Page 5

BALLET “GASSED”

A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE OF HUMPHERY BTSHOP COMPANY BUT PERFORMANCE WENT ON One of the unique experiences we have met with during our world tour,” remarked Mr Ilumphery Bishop (who is yisiting Nelson next week) to a N.Z. 1 Times” reporter recently, “was that of having the whole of oiu- ballet ‘gassed. W e were playiny in a theatre which provided its own electric light by means of a gas engine, and the balled dancers’ dressing-room was right above the engine-room. They noticed a smell of gas while preparing for the performance; but thought nothing of it, and made no complaint. When their turn came, too, they' went on the boards and got through it all right. But afterwards I was astonished to hear thud after thud at the back of the stage; and on going to investigate, wo found the whole of the ballet laid out unconscious—‘gassed." The excitement had evidently kept them going until they were through their turn and off the stage, and then they collapsed. One girl was ill for three days afterwards. The rest of them came to, and were able to go on the stage once or twice during the evening but one or two of them would keel over at intervals behind the scenes. It was our first night there, too. But by rearranging the programme, I managed to keep the performance going steadily without a hitch or a stop. From the front, they would not have knpwri ,th»t anything had happened, though they might have wondered at there being so few people on the stage. Of course, I explained that to them at an interval, and anounced that the full company would appear all right the following evening.”