"OUR MISS GIBBS"

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 271, 16 November 1945, Page 3

"OUR MISS GIBBS"

SUCCESSFUL SEASON COMES TO AN END A successful six-night season of the musical play “Our Miss Gibbs” ended last night amid a great deal of enthusiasm. General opinon is that the principals and chorus have achieved a standard in Reaping with the best of amateur theatricals and the society has been revived with some firm encouragement to continue the good work. Naturally, there have been comparisons with other shows, played many years ago. These have been on much the same lines as, for instance, is usual in sport, notably Rugby football, comparing the Al] Blacks of today with those of the past. In musical comedy, unlike foo.ball, there has been a distinct break—musical comedy almost disappeared altogether, and almost one generation missed out entirely. The causes of that break have been stressed often enough, bu--the effect of the break has made the task of the players like those in “Our Miss Gibbs” doubly hard. They have never seen musical comedy, let alone played it. xThat was why Wanganui was so fortunate in having Miso Eva Moore as producer. She was able to recapture for young, receptive minds, the stage of years ago, and, with certain modern technique, stage a show that appealed in this era of ultra fault finding. It was refreshing to see ;.ome of Wanganui’s talent again cheering Wanganui people. Radio has brought the best of talent to the homes of the people at the turning of a knob, the screen has developed the stage still further, but the real flesh and blood stage is the basis of it all. Wanganui had a chance, some years ago, to value the screen and the stage proper, and make comparisons. J. C. Williamson Ltd. staged “The Desert Song” here on the stage proper. Within a short time the screen brought the same .play. While there was a greater scope on the tcreen to portray the love story of “The Red Shadow,” and introduce the wide, sweeping scenes.of the desert, there was someihing more human, warm and appealing in the characters who played to a Wanganui audience in the flesh. Even the white horse, brought round New Zealand for the occasion, had greater appeal to the audience than .he very fine Arab charger the makers of the film had at hand.

Because of that human appeal, and becau-.e there is a need for encouragement of more self-expression in the people as a whole, instead Of too much reliance on the turning of knobs, plays like “Our Miss Gibbs” should be encouraged from the very first moment the casting directors make their choice, until the curtain falls at the end of the show. Some of these sentiments were expressed last night at the curtain fah on “Our Miss Gibbs” by the president of the Wanganui Musical and Dramatic Society Dr. G. J. Adams who referred to the vast amount of team work necessary, not only on a stage, but off stage, to ensure the success of. the show. Tributes were paid to the producer, honorary conductor (Mrs. C. I. Spillane), the ballet mistress (Eva Matthews), members of the orchestra, the stage manager (Mr. A. Gaskin) and his assistant (Mr. C. T. Young), to the warurobe mistress (Mrs. H. M. Armitage), to those in charge of the lighting effects (Messrs F. Sayring and McDougall), to the make-up team. Special reference was made to the pianiste (Miss Peggy Scott) and to the honorary treasurer and front of the house manager, Mr. W. D. Young. Mr. Young has brought something of the energy of professional theatrical managers to his task, which has been of great help to the society on the financial side. Special mention was made of the co-opera-tion of McGruer’s Ltd for not only the loan of frocks, but of shop material. As it was pointed out :as; night, hundreds of pounds worth of material was loaned, and all with the object of making “Our Miss Gibbs” the success the people wanted it to be. Special mention was made of Mbs Galloway, whose assistance in this arrangement was greatly appreciated. Without ballets a show like “Our Miss Gibbs” could not go on,, and Wanganui has been fortunate in the young team of dancers which the Eva Matthews School of Dancing sent along to blend into the show. They danced first as hat girls in Garrod’s store, later in display of champagne frocks, still later in Hungarian costume. This ballet rivalled that of “Moonfairies” in which the central figure was the star of the story, “Mary Gibbs” (Thelma Dandy). June Hawhow was soloist for this number. The team of girls in the ballets included Therese Griffin. Ada Griffin, Beverley Richards, Pat ricin Healey, June Hayhow, Betty Morrison, and Ngaire Ruscoe.

One other aspect, of the production unseen by the audience was referred to last night by Dr. Adams, the deputising for Miss Moore by Mrs. C. S. Young, ol Wanganui. Mrs. Young has stage experience, having played with Miss Moore in the past. She was able to carry on for the society when Miss Moore had to break her sojourn in Wanganui and go to Wellington to finish the production of “The Belle ol New York.”

After the show the principal", chorus, workers, and committee had a short wind-up social evening back stage, whore they were able to enjoy a short, carefree hour or two in tribute to the comradeship of “Our Miss Gibbs” and in anticipation of the next show. Two plays were on tholips of nearly everybody—" Katinka” (which will require two very .trong principals) and “Sally” (a delightful play, but which would require a groat deal of expense in scenery, compared with the fact that. “Katinka” has been played recently in New Zealand and. scenery can bo hired.)