“ MERCENARY MARY,” BRILLIANT COMEDY. AT OPERA HOUSE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18451, 30 April 1928, Page 7

“ MERCENARY MARY,” BRILLIANT COMEDY. AT OPERA HOUSE.

To-night and all this week, at the New Opera House, “ Mercenary Mary," the third and last production of Sir Benjamin and John Fuller’s London Musical Comedy Company, will be presented. Elsie Prince, Jimmy Godden, Charlton Morton, and all the favourites will make their farewell appearance to Christchurch theatregoers in “ Mercenary Mary," which is an ideal final production, with its wealth of comedy, dancing and song features. Describing the opening night at Wellington, the “ Dominion ” writes —A crowded house greeted “ Mercenary Mary,” staged by the London Musical Comedy Company at His Majesty’s Theatre last night. It is quite on a level with ” Archie ” and “ Sunny,” the two plays which preceded it, and, in the opinion of many, outshines both for rollicking humour and brightness. Elsie Prince, as Mercenary Mary, and Jimmy Godden as her tame husband, Christopher Skinner, are the life and soul of the show. They

’ make a great, hit with their duet, “ I’m i a Little Bit Fonder of You,” and Miss Prince convulsed the large house in the ; bacchanalian scene, which was well ; acted. Jimmy Godden had the audi- • ence in hysterics with his lugubrious . acting as the slighted husband, and it . was good to hear the merriment he • occasioned with his doleful number. L “My Sweetie s Turned Me Down.” . Charlton Morton was at his best as the [ bad boy of the play, and made the . most of the duets, with Nellie Deane, “ Honev, I’m in Love With \ ou,” “Thinking of You.” “Tie a String Round Your Finger.” and, with Elsie ’ Prince, “ Give a Little, Get a Little.” Dancing is a feature of the show, and ’ the audience immensely enjoyed Roy- ; ston M’Donnell and Betty Lambert in “ I’m Going to Dance at Your Wedding.” and Elsie Parkes and Len Rich : in “ Over the Garden Wall.” The box plans are at The Bristol ’ Piano Company, where exceptionally 1 heavy booking is proceeding. final CONCERT TO-NIGHT. The fourth and final concert of the Evans-Gange series will be given tonight in the new Concert Hall, when there will be a special popular programme. Miss Amy Evans will sing “Hear Ye. Israel.” from “Elijah” (Mendelssohn), “Ave Maria” (Gounod), “An Eriskay (arranged by M. ennedy-Fraser), “Me ’Company Along” (Richard Hageman), “Cradle Song” (Kreisler), “Down in the Forest” (Landon Ronald), “Liam y Cariadu,” an old Welsh song by R. S. Hughes, and , the duet “Figlia, Mio Padre,” from “Rigoletto,” xvith Mr Gange. The popular baritone’s selections are “O Star of Eve,” from “Tannhauser,” “An Old Song Re-Sung” (Guffes), “When Song is Sweet” (Gertrude Sans-Souci), “The i Toy Band” (Harold Samuel), “Sea Fever” (John Ireland). “Achal by the Sea” (Rosada Lawrance). “Bonnie ; Dundee” (Old Scottish), and “Mandal lav” (Oley Speaks). Miss Enid Con- . ley will play “Country Gardens (Percy . Grainger), “Mexican Serenade” (Dent l Mowre3 r ), “Waltz in E Minor” (Cho- - pin). The box plan is at the Bristol, • and the day sales at the San Toy Coni fectionerv, opposite the Council Chamr bers.