AMATEUR VAUDEVILLE

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XVII, Issue 5877, 1 April 1920, Page 2

AMATEUR VAUDEVILLE

ROWDY NIGHT AT AVELLINGTON

LIBERAL FRUIT OFFERINGS

Doubtless anticipating a lively time, the Grand Opera House at AVellington was packed to the doors by 7.40 p.m. on Saturday for the vaudeville trials arranged by Air V. Spencer, and alter Eiait hour probably a thousand, mostly young men and youths, had to be refused admission. The first part of the programme. devoted to children's trials, was allowed to pass off without any marked- demonstratHon, but when announcing the last item ol the first part, the stage director said he would like to tell the audhiac? a story. An over-ripe tomato of generous size, hurled from the gallery, splashed merrily at his fen —and the story was left untold, the curtain being Ibweved even before the final child competitor hud her fling. During (lie interval the scone was unedify Tig, to put it mildly. Tomatoes, being cheap, were thrown from the gallery t the stalls. Some, landed in the orchestra, and others in the boxes. A group of rowdies ‘.n one of the dress circle boxes became very offensive by dropping tomatoes on to people in the stalls. As the result ol this In-, hide, some la dieleft the theatre, and most of the others put (heir chats on. The second part cthe programme was reserved for adult, competitors, some of whom wore made targets for all manner of fruit. One seminude demonstrator of physical culture mlide !a itempting target, a)id though hit several times, went through his really interesting act with praiseworthy stoicism. Such was the condition of things during the second half of the programme that dancers had to pick' their steps to avoid the letter on the stage.