THEATRICAL ENTERPRISER

Taranaki Daily News, 13 September 1934, Page 7

THEATRICAL ENTERPRISER

NEW PLYMOUTH ARRANGE»|||i|| VISIT OF OVERSEAS The. biggest theatrical V visit New Zealand the “Chu Chin Chow” pleted its season at parations at the scale hitherto unsurp^K^s^{ ; a decade. The preliminary work sive yet undertaken stated Mr. John ager for J. C. J. and N. Tait. He work necessary at presentation of the After the staff and each evening until the show eleven days later of blocks, lines and the manipulation of the other effects had to be start of the film sessions The big rush started on Monday, after the film when every piece of ed with the talking, picture the two decorative plaster grills sides of the stage had to be taken ly out of the thertre. This took four hours, and tire effects for the night show were then put in. Fifteqß men were engaged at New Plymouth assist the similar number of the permanent staff of the company who came from Australia and whose sole duty was in connection with the scenery and effects installation and operation. With the completion of the first night’s performance all the effects had io be removed (this took about four hours), and it took until 5 o’clock on the following afternoon to get the theatre ready for the performance of the second show that evening. When this was presented and the curtain rung down on the two-night season it took another four hours to remove the scenery and effects, and the time between the finish and the moving on to the next town this morning was occupied in replacing the permanent theatre equipment and the talking machine apparatus.

To give an idea of the expense of the overland tour of the provincial towns, the minimum expenditure on stage hands, proportion of fares and other expenses will be in the vicinity of £lOOO. The whole enterprise is reminiscent of the. days of the big theatrical tours before the advent of the talking picture.