COMPETITIONS

Southland Times, Issue 19966, 4 September 1926, Page 8

COMPETITIONS

THE FINAL SESSION. ANOTHER LARGE AUDIENCE. STAGE-MANAGER’S RECORD PERFORMANCE. It was fitting that the final demonstration, which brought the 1926 competitions festival to a close, should have been attended by an audience that comfortably filled the Municipal Theatre last evening, for on not one occasion throughout the currency of the festival was there a poor house. The public rallied to the support of the society right nobly, and this fact was acknowledged by Mr W. Carswell, the vice-president of the society, last evening, prior to ringing down the curtain in the time-honoured fashion. The committee, he said, had authorised him to express their heartfelt thanks for the loyal co-operation of the public which he thought, would enable the society to come out on the right side of the ledger. Last night’s programme of 37 items was contributed by the juvenile prize-winners and of this number only one competitor failed to appear. It says much for the organising ability of the stage manager, Mr A. Sutherland, that the 36 items were disposed of in 2 hours 25 minutes. This was an exceptionally fine performance and probably constitutes a record as far as Mr Sutherland’s sphere of operations is concerned.