WELLINGTON WiNC WHISPERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3609, 15 May 1923, Page 50

WELLINGTON WiNC WHISPERS.

[By

Peter Pan.

May 11.

Dear ‘ Pasquin,”—Quite a gloom was throw*! ever tiie members of ibe 1 eco Show’ 1 Company this week by the oeath of Miss liivllis Porrer, a young member of the company, who succumbed to burns and shock through her costume catching lire Miss Porter was very popular with iu-r co-members, who t ere very distressed at the fad happening. The body has been embalmed, and is to be sent to Sdyney for interment On Wednesday a service was held at St. Peter’s, and the churen was crowded. There were very many floral tributes of sympathy. This is the second death in the company on this tour. Mr Fred Usmbourne dying suddenly m I aimerston North. Miss Porter was a niece of Mr J. Porter, stage manager at 1* iniers His Majesty’s. , The ceath of Mr John Fuller, sen., at Auckland on Wednesday caused much sorrow to his many friends in this city. Walter Fuller left yesterday for Auckland to attend the funeral. Sir Harry Lauder is due here on Monday from Sydney, and will open Ins Domiiron tour at the Grand Opera House on Wednesday. Mr V alter Monk is looking after the preliminaries. . , Les IJu Chateau is here in the nnerC cte of the Westminster Glee Singers, who oive three farewell concerts before leaving for Australia. Mr Du Chateau wih go to Australia with the company. “The Forty Thieves pantomime was put uu by the Williamson Company on Wednesday night, and the glittering spectacle had a "hi" "reception. Dunedin’s Joe Brennan is the “Dame,” and with Jack Cannot is responsible for much cf the fun. OBITUARY. MR JOHN FULLER, SEN. AUCKLAND, May 9. rhe death has occurred at Auckland of Mr •>ohn Fuller, a member of the wellknown theatrical firm. A native of England Mr Fuller arrived at Auckland m ioao,’ and, with his family, gave a series of popular concerts, from which developed the firm's present widespread ramifications in Australia and Now Zealand. lie is survived by his second wife and their son and daughter —Mr Ray Fuller Wellington) and Mrs Grubb (Auckland) ; also by sons and daughters of the first nuLiriage- Sir Benjamin and Mr John Fuller (bydnej), Mi Walter Fuller (Wellington). Mesdames John I Tamer (Dunedin), and Boddam (Wellington). Mr Fuller was 72 years of age. BENEFITS TO ORPHANAGES. AUCKLAND, May 11. The will of the late Mr John Fuller providcs that upon the termination of certain fife interests the whole capital of the estate shall bo held by the Public Trustee to pay income to a board to bo known as the John Fuller Board of Trustees, which shall distribute the income at its discretion for the benefit of orphanages in or near Auckland City, with no restriction on the class of orphanages to benefit, the testator expressly directing that the distribution has to be u and undenominational. Ihe board is to consist of the Public Trustee for the dominion, or the District Public Tiustee at Auckland, the Mayor of Auckland, and the chairman of the Auckland Hospital Board. The value of the estate, which has not been definitely ascertained, is know’ll to be considerable.

LGNDON S LATEST PLAY. SATIRE ON HUMANKIND. LONDON. May 6. The much-discussed “Insect Play,” by the Czecho-Slovakian brothers, Capek, was produced at the Regent Theatre last night. It i>roved to be a subtle satire on man and womankind Man is shown as an insect, stupid and cruel in his ideas of mating, amassing property, and so forth, and no higher than the beetles. The first scene deals with mating, and presents men and women about town in the guise of butterflies. The females allure and males are enticed. The second scene is concerned with creepers and crawlers, those who amass capital like beetles and kill each other like flies. Here are husband and wife, beetles rolling a ball of dirt, which is their little all. their nest egg. They seek a hole to hide it, and a robber beetle steals it while they are collecting another. The third scene is a city of ants with endless lines of workmen with piok and shovel. There is a war, after which, the commander-in-chief is seen on his knees thanking the god of the ants for victory. Then this commander in turn is defeated, and the rival commander thanks God. The epilogue deals with mayflies and snails, symbolic of life and death.

The play is tlie dream of a fuddled tramp, who sees how mean and paltry are the ways “f men. _ The critics are obviously puzzled. Lbev praise the subjugation of the actors and actresses in their parts, hut complain that the play takes no account of a man’s soul