PRINCESS THEATRE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19407, 17 February 1925, Page 8

PRINCESS THEATRE.

It is but seldom nowadays that revues possess any trace of a plot, and although P° SSl bihties of finding one in Jim Gerald s latest production “Night of Joy’’ are extremely remote, the crowded audience at tho Princess Theatre last night had no fault to find, as tho entertainment sparkles with song, dance, and jest from beginning to end, and l as the action never flags for one moment the interest of tho spectators la held from the rise to the fall of the curtain. Jim Gerald’s Musical Comedy Co. lias gained a very warm place in tho hearts of Dunedin vaudeville patrons, and his latest production will enhance the reputation tho company has already made as a particularly bright show, which is unusually strong in vocalists. “Nights of Joy,” which is a most laughable production, is really a series of separate scenes which combine to make a first-class entertainment. The revue has some particularly striking scones, and the staging and grouping ore both elaborate and effective. The revue opens with a prologue sung by Mr Howard Hall, which introduces an Eastern scene, Miss Mona Thomas taking tho solo part of “Kismet,” which she sang very effectively, and Mies Polly M'Laren executes a slave dance with considerable skill. It is not till tho second scene that the irrepressible Jim Gerald appears, and he and Ernest Crawford concoct a “get-rioh-ouick”'” scheme which fails, as they eventually find themselves in tho grounds of a lunatic asylum. Jim Gerald appears in a ludicrous Russian costume as Count Ivanitch, and Ernest Crawford poses as his secretary, Paul Scratchitoff, and tho bogus count plots with the Countess E. (Essie Jennings) to rid her of her husband, the real Count (Howard Hall) for a handsome pecuniary romard. However, the scheme fails dismally, and the couple are again on their beam ends financially. Some amusing situations arise, and as Count Ivanitoh Gerald makes tho most of his chances and executes a Russian dance with considerable vim. “Don’t Blame it on Me,” by Miss Sophie Vivian and the' Tvvinklers. is a charming number in this scone, and Rug Hawthorne and Polly M’Laren, in the dance duo “Say it While Dancing,” were also rowarded by hearty applause, and their quips arc clever and original. Jim Gerald and Ernest Crawford then attempt to fill their empty coffers by taking charge of a pawnshop, but they again fail and remain as “hard up” as ever. As the pawnbroker s assistant Gerald sadly forgets his business principles , when ho barters pound notes tor kisses from a poor, but nevertheless charming little girl (Mona Thomas), who seeks to pawn her doll as “her mother has been Starving for three days and the landlord is going to turn tho family into tho street. Much to tho assistant’s dismay, ho discovers that tho whole story is a “frame-up, and he has to face the wrath of the pawnbroker (Ernest Crawford). Ho endeavours to retrieve his character by another money-mak-ing scheme, and when angry customers complain to the pawnbroker of fraudulent methods, he blames ms assistant who tells a Wowing tale of a sickyate anl 12 children, ’ and two of , the cus tomers relieve his misery . presenting him with money Gerald is a comical character m this role, and he expresses the prayer to his benefactors that when “they join the angel t , hror ' g l .'P heaven they may never suffer the anguish of a broken wing. The third customer, however proves adamant, and declares emphatically that the pawnbrokers assistant should have been “given the. sack years ago,” so the couple decide to give up business. The “hit* of this act was Gerald a now familiar version of Gallagher and Shean,” sung in company with Reg Hawthorne. The popular parody earned the couple a storm of applause In this act Mona Thomas, Howard Hall, and Ernest Crawford gave a delightful rendering of **ll Naviganto.” A melodramatic duel scene, in which Jim Gerald meets the Colonel (Lance Vane) follows, and Gerald a fears and trepidations for his safety form a humorous foundation to tho scene. the revue concludes with a grand Eastern finale, in which the whole company takes part and the high chief comedian in fez and ’flowing robes makes an impressive entry in a palanquin, but he completely loses all the consequent dignity by falling'out on to the floor. The Twinklers are also a great attraction in song and -dance. ‘All the Girls Love a Sailor,” with Essie Jennins in the solo part, was very effective, and a vigorous hornpipe is executed bv the ballet “Tho Wonderful Swan Ballet, with Polly M'Laren as tho solo dancer, was particularly effective, the spot-light work being a feature. _ On the purely vaudeville section of the programme Max Sandrisi and Rita CapelH made their first appearance in “dances fantistiquo and extraordinaire,” and they proved that they were performers of no moan ability. Their first dance was a composition of the old days written in waltz stylo, which was followed by the “Rats of Montmarte,’’ a realistic Anacho dance. Creighton and Wallace, who are in their second week, gave a clover exhibition of acrobatic juggling, and their feats with clubs, rubber balls, and a “belltopper” show that they possess remarkable ability. Miss Amy Rochelle, who possesses a fine mezzo-soprano voice, was heard to distinct advantage in “One Pine Day” (Puccini), which was followed by “Whispering” as an encore. Miss Rochelle, who is also an exceedingly clever child impersonator, was warmly applauded for her singing of “I’m for Ever Blowing Bubbles’’ and “Carolina in the Morning.” Her final number, which was sung as a “straight” song, was “Love’s Own Kiss.” The orchestra, under the baton of Mr F. H. Stokes, also acquitted itself well. The same programme will be presented this evening and for tho remainder of the week.