AUROA SCHOOL CONCERT

Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1933, Page 10

AUROA SCHOOL CONCERT

PLAYS CLEVERLY PRESENTED. LARGE AUDIENCE PLEASED. The Auroa school concert on Friday night proved very successful and drew a packed house. The singing and acting of the children reflected credit on their teachers, Mr. Fairbrother, Miss Scott and Miss Harkness. In the opening items the minstrel troupe comprising “Ten Nigger Boys” delighted the' house with their local “hits,” songs and “The Kinky Kids Parade.” A one-act juvenile play, “The Spick and Span Stone,”, produced by Miss Scott, was very interesting. The cast of characters was: Brownies, Pinkie, Fay Fairbrother; Pippity, Jack Haworth; Personal, Tom Haworth; Witch Wimple, Eileen Bowie; Flip-Flap Man, Reg. Duff; Fairies, Tiptoe, Rae Ord; Silfai, Betty Everitt; others, Nancy Trott, Morva Trott, Dorothy Freakley; Flip the Pixie, Ronald Webby; Kaliss the Gnome, James Everitt; Bron the Brownie, Bruce Sheerin; Imps,' Lois Haworth, Maurice Granvilles, Campbell Langlands; Pixies, George Ogle, Thomas Day. “Dame Durden’s School” was an exceedingly pretty cantata produced by Miss Harkness, with effective Fairyland scenery painted by Mr. Fairbrother. The part of Dame Durden,. the schoolma’am of Fairyland, was well portrayed by Eva Brown, while Rosemary Joll as the Queen of Fairyland was excellent. Th 3 other characters were all well acted as follows: Tip-Tite, a Gnome,' Reg Duff; Jack, Molly and Alex and Phyllis, naughty earth children, Don. Caldwell, Fay Fairbrother, Donald Langlands, and Mary Bowie; Mop, Margaret Williamson; Hop, Trip and Skip (fairies in waiting on her majesty), Rae Ord, Rita Brown, and Laura Hartley; other fairies, Ruth Sheerin, Morva Trott, Nancy Trott, Beryl Hall, Ora Taylor, Mercia Bailey, Zena Lee, Dorothy. Freakley, Doreen King, Mollie Day and Betty Everitt; Gnomes (the queen’d body guard),.Billie Horgan, Ivan Hooper/* Jack Joyce, Andrew Hartley, Billie .Haworth and Wallace Cameron; other children, Elsie Catley, Jean Williamson, Noeline Cameron, Jean Hooper, Emeline Hartley, Loma Ewans, Joan Paton,- Hazel Moreland, Lois Haworth. Eileen Bowie, Doris Cate, Eileen Mischefski, Jack Brock, Clarence Brown, Lance Catley, Cyril Moreland, Stuart Caidwell. John Maginley, and David Williamson.

“The Old-Time Village School,” a oneact farce produced and composed by Mr. Fairbrother,. proved hilarious and full of “natural”' school pranks and old-time school “canings.” The cast of characters was as follows: Mr. Tortoise, the schoolmaster, Mr. Fairbrother; Daniel Dreamer, the Dunce, Fred Corey; Beryle Bouncer, the Bully, Eija West; Arabella Artisa, the Artist, Eileen Granville, Frankie Tilfar, the Flautist, Norman Johnson;, Pbppy Pensive, the Pet, Elsie Freakley; Nora Newman, the New Girl, Doreen Fairbrother; Simon Snoozer, the Sleepy Head, 'Percy Hooper; George Goodeake,- the-Glutton, Kenneth Wood; Mrs. Grumpit, a Mother of Many, Annie O’Dea; Archibald . Grumpit, her Son, Vemid Alehin; other Grumpit children, Betty Paton, Morris Day, Bruce Sheerin, John Maginley, Lennie Maginley; other school children, Enid Ogle, Alice Davison, Betty Blackstock, Mavis Sheerin; Leslie Catley, Laurel Moreland, Joan Ross, Wilson Hooper, Ronnie Webby and Pat Bowie. This was one of the best plays that has been produced in Auroa and the natural pranks surreptitiously putting on the clock, walking. over the desks, drawing a cartoon of the master on the blackboard and. eating, and giggling in school were -all -well acted and thoroughly Enjoyed by the audience. Other items were: “My Grandfather’s Clock,” Drum and Fife Band; National Anthem, led by the girls’ choir; opening chorus, girls’ cho"-■ (36 voices); novelty item, Ten Little Nigger Boys; humorous dialogue; “Sambo" (Charles Sturgeon) and “Rastus” (Bruce Caldwell); song and chorus, Bruce 'Caldwell and .chorus; chorus, senior girls, choir of 16 voices; pianoforte solo, Gwen Caldwell; App.e Blossom Waltz, Drum and Fife Band; pianoforte duet, Annie O’Dea and Eileen Granville; pianoforte solo, Jean Hooper. Mr. Fairbrother painted the scenery for the plays. Miss Scott acted as accompaniste for the whole evening, and the duties of wardrobe mistress were carried out by Miss Harkness. At the close of the concert Mr. Wood, on behalf of the school committee thanked the children and teachers for their efficient - programme. Mr. Fairbrother on behalf of his staff thanked the parents for their work in making the costumes. He eulogised the work of Miss Scott and Miss Harkness, also that of Fred Corey in helping with the scenery. Mr.. G. Lambert, Manaia, controlled the lighting effects. : ‘