MIDWINTER MADNESS

Otago Witness, Issue 3513, 12 July 1921, Page 5

MIDWINTER MADNESS

STUDENT FESTIVITIES. Wednesday was the day of the students’ annual tapping Carnival procession, and ail the city—with vivid i-collections of past years —was on the alert to see what the students would do and say this time. The precession was timed to pass along George street and Princes street about neon, and well before that hour the streets were closely packed aiul all vantage points occupied by eager spectators. 'I no long drawnout spectacle lumbered along well up to time, and was greeted everywhere with shouts of approval and laughter. There were at least a dozen elaborate an.! carefully-planned tableaux of one kind and another arranged in loiries, and the intervals between v ere filled up with troops of ‘‘Mink Seimett’s girls,” Japanese geisha girls, Rugby football girls, “hooded terrors,” druids, “iligbland and jazz bands, whisky bottles, downs, pirates, ciergym -n, and hosts of other ingenuous and conspicuous impersonations, far too numerous to describe in detail. The tableaux as a whcle vvero probably not quite so striking and effective as have boon devised in seme past years, and ih:.‘ point of many of the references was intelligible only to ’those immediately concerned. Nevertheless, that is not to say that the whole display was not a most diverting one, reflecting distinct credit on those responsible for its organisation. One cf the most conspicuous successes was “H.M.S. Client ’em,” in which Admiral SJcllicoe and other well-known personages disported themselves in highly unconventional fashion. Another lorry that attracted much amused attention represented a ‘'lire lighting and auctioneering" firm. The occupants. including a few firemen, mostly spent their time scorching certain more or less unmentionable garments at one end of the lorry, while the “auctioneer” put them up to the highest bidder at the other. Other lorries represented “Our Village,” the University Council, present students years hence, the cornet Pons-Weinnecke, St. Helens Hospital, the Dempsey-Carpen-tier fight, piracy on the high seas, a pink wedding, and the funeral of a newspaper, the journal appearing to have incurred the displeasure of the undcr-graduates. Many of the legends on these conveyances were distinctly funny, and the students managed to indulge in a lot cf amusing by-play as they passed along. An inconspicuous but artistically complete little turn-out represented an old. Maori and his vvaiiine driving along in a rough cart with a string of fish hung at the back of the Cart. If the tableaux were not exceptionally good this time, yet it must bo said that many of the individual costumes were strikingly original and very cleverly and effectively carried out. One, for instance, appeared as the comet with a. trail of silver streamers flying round his head. .Another made an impressive figure as a cardinal, his red hat surmounted with a white cross and over his scarlet jacket an ornate lace covering. The representations of various types of bottles were particularly cleverly done, and the costumes of some cl the Japanese maidens —and even their faces, too — were decidedly pretty. A sympathetic note was struck by the youth got up as a matchbox, bearing ihe legend, ‘‘l never strike. Made in Japan.” After passing along Princes street to Manse street, the procession doubled back to the Octagon, where a huge crowd assembled to witness various ceremonies at tile Town Hall steps. Lord Jellicoc busied himself there decorating various sailors (whose partiality for the fair sex was a feature of the procession), and his Worhip the Mayor (who declared he “knew all about spouting”) also delivered speeches on the slightest provocation. Before one o’clock the revellers began to break up into smaller parties and wander hither and thither in search of fresh entertainment, 'file whole tram service had, of course, been disorganised since before mid-day by the. presence of dense crowds, and such.cars as did get through generally bore a sprinkling of gay carnival figures sprawling on the roof or perched perilously on some little ledge ' at the rear. The marvel is that with all the risks that are taken no one seems to »be injured when the day is over. Fruit, shops and refreshment rooms naturally attracted the attention of the revellers, and they seemed to avail themselves to the full of the generous license that is so goodnaturedly extended to them on these occasions. Some of the refreshment rooms, indeed, provided special entertainment for the masqueraders after the dinner-time rush was over. In the course of the day tile students as usual penetrated into all sorts of places of business in search of adventure, and generally received a more or less genuine welcome. Their conduct cn the whole was exemplary, although there are always one or two who unfortunately fail to distinguish between fun and needless vulgarity. THREE HOURS’ UPROARIOUS MERRIMENT. Previous to the Capping Carnival in Ilis Majesty’s Theatre in the evening the agonies of the queue system were again endured by numbers who, having failed in their attempts to secure reserved seats, made a final desperate bid for a place in the pit. The queue started early in the afternoon, and by 4 o’clock bad grown to considerable proportions. Within the theatre later on there, were plenty of carnival revellers about to keep the time from hanging heavily, and when the curtain was rung up, as it was well before 8 o’clock, the house was packed in every part with an audience in the happiest of holiday humours. As an entertainment, it must be said at once that the Capping Carnival is a thing apart, and quite outside, not to say beyond, all serious criticism. It. is just the Capping Carnival, and as "such is received with tumultuous delight by every man, woman, and child who can manage to gain admission. The rise of the curtain revealed the largest and best trained chorus the students have ever got together, and, under the direction of Mr T. Ritchie, they led off with“ The Carnival Chorus” and tho “ ’Varsity Anthem” in splendid stylo. The size of the chorus was limited only by the capacity of the .stage, and the wealth of diverse costumes presented a spectacular blaze of colour whenever they appeared. After the chorus had been hunted off the stage the dental students proceeded to present an elaborate farco. in which the recent history of the Dental School, as seen by the students, was pointedly unfolded. The chief dental authorities in New Zealand were effectively personated, and took some part in a screamingly funny dental parlour scene, in which two schoolgirls, a schoolboy, and a sailor received treatment from the “State dental nurses.” A “dental dance”

concluded this contribution to the hilarity of the evening. It was followed by a. well-conceived sextet “stunt,” each of tile six singers in turn contributing amusing topical verses. The victorious yacht Heather, with a quartet crew, was the subject of the next tableau. The entertainment- at which the geniic sarcasm of the next farce was directed may be easily guessed from the fact that its chief character was bii'ed as “O Pyjama San, a dancer and geisha.” And here it may be Said at once that the students made it abundantly evident that .not all their evenings are spent with books, for not a, single entertainment of any consequence that has been before the public here of late c-scapcd their attentions or failed to provide material for their good-humoured and extravagant burlesque. At different times “The Cinga'.ee,” Madame Rosa Alba, the English Pierrots, Mv Allan Wilde, the vaudeville, tluj Male Choir, the Great M’Ewan, “Marama,” and several others were irresistibly brought to mind in some ludicrous form. The “0 Pyjama ;>ari” farce was a wild travesty, introducing a number of prominent local characters, and the climax of the fun was reached wnen “Pinki Ponko,” the jealous lover, imidtentionally dislodged the beauteous "O Pyjama San’s” head of hair—such as it was —on to the stage. The performers, however, in no wise allowed such little inadvertences to disturb them. Tho “Medical Medley” farce was another most successful piece of fooling, and the points scored at the expense of various- well-known clergymen and doctors were as clever as they were inocuous. The lad who told the introductory story about the shy boy showed conspicuous ability in that direction, and his skill was duly acknowledged by the audience. This piece of nonsense concluded with a ballet of students and nurses. An entertaining sextette, including one “lady,” next took tho boards, and showed much skill in musical burlesque. A farce distinctly suggestive of “The Ciirgalee” followed, and a hefty troupe of Mack Bennett girls in bathing costumes sang topical verses about St. Kiida and St. Clair and tho lupins. The last main item bore tho attractive title of “Fifteen Minutes in Hell,” and it proved the vehicle of a lot more skilful fun at the expense of professors and others. The personation of Allan Wilkie, who was sentenced to tho gramophone parlours of the Bristol for “murder most foul” done to beautiful English was a really fine piece of dramatic work, but it was by no means the only good thing in ,that farce. Perhaps the most instantaneous success of the evening was won by the impersonation of the Singing Parson. The “get up” was unmistakable, and both his voice and tho words of his song were good. The screen bobbed up and down irresponsibly at all sorts of inappropriate occasions during the evening, but nobody would be so hypercritical as to complain of that at a Capping Carnival. The performance as a whole must certainly be ranked as one of the students’ big successes, and with one exception their jests carried no barbed sting.