“ ROOKERY NOOK ” CONCLUDES TO-NIGHT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18576, 26 September 1928, Page 7

“ ROOKERY NOOK ” CONCLUDES TO-NIGHT.

“ Rookery Nook,” which is being presented at the Theatre Royal by the J. C. Williamson Comedy Company, is one of the brightest and funniest plays that has ever been staged in Christchurch. It is an adaptation of the story by Mr Ben Travers, who has achieved fame with a style of humour of his own. There is no moment that has not its humour, and no phrase but continues the action and gives the plot a fresh intrigue. The excellence of the play is due as much to the high standard of the acting as to the brilliant book. “ Rookery Nook ” will be repeated for the last time this evening. “Thark” will be presented to-morrow. “ THARK.” No comedy company which has appeared in Christchurch has proved more popular than the J. C. Williamson new English comedy ‘organisation, and special interest has been infused into the second production, “ Thark,” the latest Ben Travers comedy, which ran for over twelve months at the Aldwych Theatre, London, and for six months in Sydney and Melbourne. “ Thark,” which is to be staged to-morrow night, will take us back to naughty husbands and bad

girls of the family and side turns. The naughty old man in “ Thark ’* is a genial port wine complexioned baronet, who has taken advantage of his wife’s absence to take out a shop girl (Helene Simon). His wife returns unexpectedly, and he get his nephew Ronnie to palm off the girl as his own guest. But Ronnie’s fiancee, Kitty, also turns up unexpectedly, and numerous very humorous complications arise. The cleverness of Ben Travers is particularly illustrated in the third act, in which the artists are whirled away to Thark, a country house in Norfolk, Altogether “ Thark ’* is generally regarded as being the most humorous of the Ben Travers comedies. Hastings Lynn is said to be excellent as Ronnie, and he is ably assisted in the merrymaking by Cyril Vernon as Sir Hector, and Miss Minnie Rayner as Mrs Frush. The whole strength of the New English Comedy Company will appear in this production. The mountings and furnishings are of a very high order, under the personal direction of Mr Redge Carey, the stage manager.