THE PANTOMIME.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11764, 31 July 1916, Page 5

THE PANTOMIME.

AND A REALLY TRULY GOOSE.

Bcforo a crowd of children of all ages and sizes on Saturday evening at the Theatre Royal, Mother Goose and her family and friends oneo more unfolded tho story of their joys and woes, and the story lost nothing in tho retelling. But what pleased everyone! most of alt was tho fact that since her lass visit to Christchurch, Priscilhv, the goose, had come into her rightful place ;:.> one of tho most important, members of the family. , No longer does she. appear at infrequent intervals. All night, M'hfiMovor Mother is about, there is Priscilhi. either waddling about the pb.ea laying gokleri eggs, or hissing at nasty people, or conveniently handy in f ; ;e ofling. It is quite evident that during the past year Priscilla has been to a finishing school, for her manners and department are quite ;is good as those of tho very best geese,-which snys a. lot for a bird who has so many troubles. Mother does not seem to hnvo aged, a great deal since she met the local public last. She is certainly as giddy as ever, and treats the poor Laird with shocking discourtesy and heartbreaking rudeness. But, of course, with such a family and a Dutch servant, she has worries enough to make anyone nervous and short-tempered. With a very., very pretty daughter courted by a very, very handsome gamekeeper, a poor lone widow certainly has her hands full. And the Laird, when he was acting as an insurance agent, asked _ some very impertinent questions; quite- enough to upset an honest woman's feelings. But it was a very merry ptirty that assembled to greet Mother Goose and her family, and everyone went away from tho gathering feeling thoroughly satisfied. This year's " Mother Goose" is quieter.than many of. its predecessors, but. it. is in many wny s infinitely' better. Jill, who in private life masquerades as a young .person named Maud Fane, looks, so charmingly dainty and sings; so delightfully that no one can really blame Colin for falling in. love with her. And Colin is as handsome and debouairo a lover as ever a Jill was lucky enough to catch. Miss Lillian do Venny's transition fj-cm young womanhood to principal boyhood may justly be described as eugenically and theatrically a most successful experiment. The Laird, too, is a person of most ingratiating manner. Before succeeding to the estates he was known, as Arthur and lie is a man of infinite jest, albeit a most atrocious wooer. He gave the widow quite a lot of shocks, especially when he appeared in full Highland regimentals, and she thought that his whiskers had slipped. _ Jack, who is, in between the family gatherings, known on the street as Victor Kelly, must be a trial to his mother, for he has the nastiest habit of falling about nil over the place, and one day he will bo sure to hurt himself. There are a lot of other people around who are more or less important, and the villagers have the daintiest ways and the nicest—but. space forbids a lengthy description. Then there aro swings made of electric lights. <h:ps in heavy storms at sea, bloodhounds, horses, donkeys, balloons, moons that have been out on the ras-ale, demons, and. a fairy, who can sing gloriously. All the c e wfe jumbled into a blend that never cloys, and to finish up with there are two men, two chairs, and a big pile of tables. They do things that make vou hold your breath, and one of them has very appropriately been christened Falls. He dees. It is a wonderful night, a joyful, happy night in Gooseland, and best of all, it has a goose, that we would love to stroke it hut simply dassnt.