PRINCESS THEATRE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20291, 27 December 1927, Page 3

PRINCESS THEATRE.

A MERRY CHRISTMAS PROGRAMME. Realising’, no doubt, that Christmas comes but once a year, Stud Foley and his Follies’ Revue Company aro making a gallant effort this week to add then* shale /to the Yulotido good cheer, and, judging by their reception at the Princess theatre on Saturday night, their efforts seem to have met with every success. Indeed, at the end of the performance the whole company had to come forward to receive a bounty of Christmas presents that went to show that they have already made numerous friends in Dunedin. The programme is a bright and entertaining one, entirely lacking "in dullness and other weaknesses that go to spoil an otherwise good show. Several new features have been introduced, and the two outstaanding ones aro hlora M’Donald and Dalton Payno, a clover pair of Scotch entertainers, and “ The I' amous Dim Sim troupe of Chinese Entertainers. One feels that there is some mystery about the Dim Sim fraternity. How much ot China have these Celestial magicians ever seen? That is the question. Whatever their race and creed, there is a strange resemblance between the build of the Chinese entertainers and certain mcmbcis of the Follies. All of which gives one furiously to think. It is Mr Dim bim himself who is the perfect linguist, and his explanation that none of his brothers speaks Raglish sounds quit© plausible. But when, after a long and noisy colloquy in what -may or may not be the flowery tongue of Confucius, he turns blandly to the audience with the enlightening information ■My brother him say ‘ Yea,’ ” one is bound to reflect that the Chinese manner of expressing assent is extremely verbose. One feels, somehow, that ho is withholding information. So much for Dim bim and his gang. They create many a laugh, for their burlesque ta very clever and their tricks, which always fail at tn© crucial moment, are really more amusing as failures than as successes. For their originality alone the Scottish duo, Dalton j/ayne and his partner, are to bo congratulated. There is nothing inappropriate in what they have to offer and their entertainment is fresh and effervescent. Payne, one might say, is a musical acrobat aa far as his piano playing is concerned. If a man who can play ** Yankee Doodle and :l The Sailor’s Hornpipe " simultaneously on a piano, and at the name time whistle “ Annie Laurie ” ia not a musical acrobat, then what is lie ? The balance of the programme was left in the capable hands of Fullers’ Follies, and Stud Foley, as usual, provides the bulk of the fun. He is a clover comedian, and versatile; and yet ho gives the impression that ho is not lotting himself out. It is as if he had something more to offer, but was holding it in leash. Some day, perhaps, ho will strike just the note that is lacking at present, and then, no doubt, full houses will greet him wheroever he goes. As it is, he is one of the best comedians that have come this way on the Fuller circuit, and he knows his business thoroughly. Harry Goulds is another skilled entertainer. He makes a good partner for Foley, and his squeaky voice alone is provocative of laughter. In the singing division there is also some exceptional talent, and a good deal of credit must go to Winnie Egerton, Lulla Fanning, William Boresford, and Erie Masters for their vocal numbers. Nor must little Iris bo forgotten. She, one might say, is the life and soul of the party. Her dimtmitive figure and her quaint personality make an instantaneous appeal, especially when she pleads for some kind person to forward her by mail “ a little yellow dog. This week’s revue is a bizarre production called “ A Balkan Tangle.” The Balkans, its seems, are ideally suited for exploitation in the realms of farce, for most of the comic operas, revues, etc., have their locale in some obscure and very often mythical monarchy said to be situated in the Balkans and with a name almost invariably ending in “ania” or “ima. The current revue certainly rings true to tradition. The king’s palace (and what _ a king!) overlooks the Bay of Darwmia. There is the usual amount of intrigue that is commonly associated with these twopenny halfpenny kingdoms—or kink-doms—-and, before the story is over, Gould finds himself deposed from the bankrupt throne. To outline the story would be superfluous —one could almost guess it. It is only an axis around which revolve the comedy, the ballots, and the songs, and ns such it servos its nurposo in an eminently satisfactory manner. Gould, a« his majesty, and Folev, as General Popolfski, make a delightful* pair, for his majesty occasionally descends from the tin one to sing a duet with his general and oocasiomily to borrow a shilling for cigarettes from the Prime Minister (the exchequer, ns has been hinted before, is exhausted). Much of the success of the programme is due to the work of the orchestra (under Mr W Aldridge), which contributes, in addition to the incidental music, a pleasing overture and an entr’acte of Russian music. There was another large attendance at the Princess Theatre last evening and also at. the afternoon matinee. Another matinee will be given this afternoon, and tho programme will bo repeated every evening af this week. ___