EMPIRE VAUDEVILLE COMPANY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2921, 9 March 1910, Page 69

EMPIRE VAUDEVILLE COMPANY.

Messrs Fuller and Sons, per medium of the New Empire combination, continue to provide the Dunedin public with an acceptable vaudeville entertainment. The company, which at present makes a nightly appearance at the Alhambra Theatre, and which on the 7th submitted a new programme,, is quite deserving of public support. No new performers nade their debut, and the manaernent, considering the marked success of those who have provided the entertainment during the past two weeks, waa justified in retaining them. Yet the change of items was not invariably for the better. The turn of Charles Faning, with and without his partner, was an instance of this. He did not properly get to grips with his subject or catch the sympathy of the audience, though his performance, of course, contained much that was meritorious. His work compared poorly with that of his opening week —but, that introductory matter was so excellent that he could afford to go down the hill a little. Hassan, the Hindu magician, introduced many new tricks and added them, to those which he made familiar last week, and.',his-, "turn," thus extended and flavoured with mystery and a suggestion of Orientalism, . was one of the most interesting of the programme'.' Hassan, ' in. full view of the audience, produced a dovo, cut its head off, allowed its pore to bespatter arid stain a white cloth, made a. couple of passes, and. behold! the bird, which a moment before apparently struggled in its death agony, walked ia

a surprised way across "the stage, with its head uninjured and in the orthodox position. The magician also did some weird things with a bowl of water, and, again, with an empty-flower pot, into which there sprang, seemingly from nothingness, a magnificent buncb of flowers. That born comedian, Tom Armstrong, and his partner, Priscilla Verne, were altogether successful in one of their farcical sketches, into which some most amusing nonsense is introduced. " Business" which in the hands of any other man would be absolute bathos becomes invested with all the elements of real comedy when treated by Armstrong, and he makes calls at all times, and seemingly at random, on a vast store of original puns, witticisms, and catch phrases—none of which fail to raise a laugh. He sings pleasingly, and is one of the most expert and vivacious male dancers the local vaudeville stage has known. Daintiness best describes the performance of the Three Starrs, expert dancers and singers of no mean order, and the eccentric dancing alone of little Charlotta makes her also well worthy of a place in high-class vaudeville. The marvellously pure, resonant voices of Messrs Heath and Lamb, the Newcastle gingers (Mr Fuller's most recent discovery) ensure to them enthusiastic recalls every evening. The National Due (two clevei' ' little acrobats from Sj;lneyj Joe Charles (comic singer), Miss Merle Laurence (balladist>, and Samson and Juno' (weight-lifters) are the other members of this exceptionally strong company.