WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3330, 9 January 1918, Page 46

WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS.

Bt Petee Past. January 4. Dear " Pasquin,"—Following on " The Marriage of- Kitty," Miss Marie Tempest, Mr Graham Browne, and their clever supporting company made another success in "Penelope." It was quite as delightful as the first-named play, and Miss Tempest again not only charmed all with her artistry, but also with her costumes. She is a smart frocker, all right. To-night we are to have "Good Gracious, Annabella," a romantic farce by Clare Kummer. Fullers are back to all-vaudeville, and. the change is welcome, for, good as the revue companies, were, we were having a sufficiency of them. The Musical Bentleys head the bill: but the turns this week are all good. The Hamptons, Jones and Raines, the Alerts, Dozey and Doura, M'Kay and Graham are all going strong. You will be sorry to hear that Victor Beck, the well-known "«dvanco," has been ill in Christchurch. The latest reports aro that he is doing as well as enn be expected. I sincerely hope that it will not be long before Victor is once again "on the road." Bob Williamson is looking after the touring arrangements for the Marie Tempest Company. Duncan Nevon is ahead of the Musical Comedy Company duo here on the 18th with "Canary Cottage" and "You're in Love." There are five ladies in the orchestra of the Marie Tempest Company, and one of them plays the drums. She has a bass drum, two tympani. side-drum, and triangle, and she does her work in first-class style. THE CYRIL MAUDE SEASON. All -that has been said concerning Mr Cyril Maude in "GrumnY" received ample verification on the 7th at His Maiesty's Theatre, where the first Dunedin production took place. Mr Maude's study of the crabbed, yet soft-hearted old lawyer was _ a splendid one. He has evidently exploited all the possibilities of the character thoroughly. He has cultivated for the part a wonderful old-man's voice, and his walk round the stage—it was almost a waddle,—especially whenever Grumpy becomes excited or exasperated, was typical of extreme old age, and most diverting. Miss Dorothy dimming played very attractively. The other characters were sustained by Misses Betty Murray, Stella Paytor, and Messrs Frank Elliott, Herbert Ranson, Edward Lester, F. G. Bell. H. Sweeney, R. Ayrton, S. Scanlon, and H. H. Wallace. PRINCESS THEATRE. The Princess Theatre was packed to the doors on the 7th, when the Johnson Revue Company produced its third spectacular musical farce, entitled " The Gramophone Girls." Strictly speaking, there is little need for any distinctive title or plot, as the various members of the company set out to entertain the audience with song, dance, and burlesque of every description, and that they succeeded was amply evidenced by the "hearty applaus-9 and uproarious laughter which greeted their efforts. The staging was quite a feature of the performance, and tho choruses played an important part in speeding along the fun. Tho dressing was most artistic and the dancing clever. In short, Johnson's Revue Company knows what an audienco likes, and is capable of giving it to it. In tho first half Harris and Gold, who are described on the programmo as "two boys and a piano," gave several .most acceptable items, which earned for them sincere applause. The singing of "I Want Your Mother To Bo My Mother-in-law" and

" Don't; Send Me Back To Dublin" was specially good. Miss Maud Courtney and '" Mr C," wlio contributed fresh songs and stories, were just as amusing as ever; and the Three Carrs furnished new harmonies and impersonations in a delightful manner.