THE JOYS OF A HOLIDAY

Waikato Times, Volume 126, Issue 21041, 17 February 1940, Page 13 (Supplement)

THE JOYS OF A HOLIDAY

ENTERTAINING SHOWS—PLEASANT CONTACTS

One of the joys of a holiday is the opportunity it gives to see a few shows and to make contacts with stage, musical and film personalities. My three weeks’ stay in Wellington and Auckland is a series of happy memories in that respect. In Wellington, of course, the Centennial Exhibition overshadows everything. It is a great show! After spending several days at the Exhibition I realised that I had far from exploited its possibilities, educationally and from the amusement point of view.

It needs to be done systematically. I can quite understand people who have tried to see everything in one day coming away with a hazy idea of nothing in particular, but if the courts are taken slowly and systematically—say, one or two a day—they are full of interest and delight. I enjoyed every minute of my many hours there.

An exhibit of special interest to lovers of the theatre is the Little Theatre, made by a resident of Taumarunui. It is a wonderful piece of work, in sections—the front exterior, the auditorium, the stage, the dress-ing-rooms, etc., and everything is set out very realistically with figures in miniature. As a friend remarked, the Little Theatre is an amateur actor’s dream fulfilled! Ice Show Breaks Records

The Switzerland Ice Show is having a record season in Wellington, the season having extended over a month to capacity business. This success is well deserved, for it is one of the most delightful shows I have seen and something entirely new as far as New Zealand is concerned. In many respects it is like a Russian Ballet on skates, an effect heightened by the music played by the strong orchestra. The grace of Megan Taylor, who is making her first professional appearance after winning the world’s championship, must be seen to be believed, and the work of her father, Phil Taylor, in skating on stilts, over barrels, etc., is thrilling. There are many other clever skaters in the show, and the individual and ensemble work is very striking. Eddie Marcel, the compere, links up the items with some clever joking, his English voice and delightfully sly way of telling a story—sometimes rather daring!—being very attractive. With the exception of one vaudeville turn introduced into the cabaret interlude to give variety to the skating, the members of the company are all British. I was pleased to hear that the company is coming to Hamilton. lam sure local playgoers will love it. Finest Film Work I’ve Seen “Good-bye, Mr Chips,” is, I think, the finest film I have seen. At least there is no doubt in my mind that the Mr Chips of Robert Donat is the finest film characterisation I have seen. It is wonderfully natural, and the differing stages in the life of the schoolmaster, from young manhood to very old age, are portrayed in a manner that is startlingly realistic. Greer Carson’s performance as the wife is equally moving. The sentiment is so appealing that it keeps one “gulping,” and handkerchiefs work overtime among the audience! No wonder that “Good-bye, Mr Chips,” is having record runs. A Company Disbands It was pleasant to see a “straight” play again in Auckland. Unfortunately, the North Island tour of the company playing “I Killed the Count,” “It’s a Wise Child” and “Yes, My Darling Daughter,” was not a success, and the South Island was net visited, the company disbanding at the close of the curtailed Auckland season and the members returning to Sydney this week. This was a pity, for the players did good work, and the plays were very amusing, though one or two were perhaps hardly of the type to appeal to New Zealand playgoers. “Yes, My Darling Daughter,” which I saw, was a bit startling in its frankness, dealing with a daughter who told her mother that she was going away for a week-end with her fiance, and met the parental objection with the statement that she knew that the mother had done the same thing in her yeuth. Splendid work was done by the cast, as follows: Ann Whitman Murray Doris Packer Ellen Murray Jane Conolly Lewis Murray Harvey Adams Titus Jaywood ... Atholl Fleming Martha Katie Towers Constance Nevins Lynda Hastings Douglas Hall John Howard Catholic Centenary Play An interesting experience was the Catholic Centenary play, “The Kingdom of God,” with Maria Dronke, a refugee from Europe, as producer and chief actress. Madame Dronke is an interesting personality, who has made her name on the European stage. A graduate of several European universities, she is equally at home in English, French and German. In the great theatres of the old world she has played leading parts ranging from the classics like Shakespeare and Goethe to such modems as Strindberg and Shaw. Among those with whom she has worked are Elisabeth Bergner, Max Reinhardt and Moissi. Her special interest is religious drama and poetry, in which she has given lectures and recitals in Europe. “The Kingdom of God” centres round the life and development of Sister Gracia, a nun of the Order of Charity. In the first act she is a girl of nineteen who renounces wealth and splendid worldly prospects to labour as a nun in an institution for poor old men. The second act discovers her ten years later in a maternity home working among the Magdalens of a great city. In the last act she is an old woman of seventy, the Superior of a large orphanage. The play had an exceptionally successful season, the theatre being packed each night and an extra performance being given. Attached to the business side of the production was Mr A. Outtrim. a former resident of Hamilton. Mr Outtrim’s son was in play.

: Pleasant Contacts ' Among the interesting contacts made during my holiday were:—

Megan Taylor, the world skating | champion.—Miss Taylor is a charming girl still in her teens and quite unspoiled by success. She told me , she won the British women’s cham- ; pionship at 11 years of age and later ' went to Lake Placid as English representative in the Olympic Games, ; coming seventh. When she was 12 f she was fourth in world champion- ; ships in Sweden and was second to Sonja Henie in Norway at the age of ! 14. Later she won the coveted world 1 championship title. The business of being such a well-known figure in ; the skating world requires much ! hard work. Miss Taylor said that I she rose at 7 o’clock in the morning, went for a two-mile run, practised skating for four hours, did one hour’s ballet work and half an hour’s work in the gymnasium during the day. She said she would have retained her amateur status to represent Britain this year in the Olympic Games had this event not been cancelled. Shirley Ann Richards, leading lady of the “Charley’s Aunt” company and | formerly seen in several Cinesound ; films.—Miss Richards said that the company has had a successful season | in the South Island, and is looking . forward to the return tour of the j North Island, which opens at Wellington tonight. A week’s holiday i has been much appreciated, Miss ! Richards spending it with an aunt at Te Aroha, Don Nicol at Wellington, and other members of the company on a fishing excursion in the Marlborough Sounds. “The boys told us they would send us some beautiful fish,” said Miss Richards, “but of course the biggest ones will get away; they always do—according to the fishermen!” The popular actress asked me to convey greetings to Hamilton friends. • * * • Raymond Hedges. This clever young producer-performer produced his first show when only 16 years of age, and this year, though only in his early twenties, staged a smart modern revue, playing principal roles in some of the sketches himself. He has also written many sketches. Mr Hedges possesses what must surely be one of the most unique selections ; of grand opera records in existence; he has practically all the operas complete. Such musical appreciation and knowledge are rare. Mrs Eva Mcßeath.—Tea and a chat with Mrs Eva Mcßeath, who produced “A Runaway Girl” for the Hamilton Operatic Society last season, was a pleasant interlude. Mrs Mcßeath, who has several productions in prospect, sent warm greetings to her friends here. At present she is greatly excited at the prospect of an early visit from her famous sister Carrie Moore, who was the original “Merry Widow” in Australia and recently returned to her homeland from Hollywood. Another sister, Lily, has just closed a successful engagement as comedienne in “Under Your Hat” in Sydney, and is now on the Tivoli circuit.

Hori Thomas.—This New Zealand actor with the likeable personality is happy to be back in his own country. He has not returned to Australia with the members of the “I Killed the Count” company, having decided to spend a holiday in Wellington before resuming his career. Mr Thomas has covered a wide range of stage work; though perhaps best known in New Zealand in musical com&iy—his performance in “Balalaika” was especially pleasing —he has done much dramatic work, and has appeared with success in films.

Mrs E. R. Greenfield.—This gifted violinist is with the orchestra of the Switzerland Ice Show, and is seizing the opportunity presented by the tour to form branches of the Auckland Performers’ Association in the other centres. Mrs Greenfield is very encouraged by the fact that during her recent visit to Australia she received great support for her scheme to better the lot of performers, and in Sydney an association was formed and has sought affiliation with the Auckland Association. The scheme, which has received the backing of Lawrence Tibbett, Alexander Kipnis, Lotte Lehmann, and prominent musicians in Australia, is designed to prevent the exploitation of performers by society hostesses, clubs and associations. Legitimate charities will not suffer.

Harison Cook.—Mr Cook has been exceptionally busy producing historical pageants for the Centennial celebrations. His next big job will be the opera “Faust,” which will be a feature of the Centennial Music Week in the four centres, under the conductorship of Dr. Anderson Tyrer, and with the following soloists:— Isobel Baillie, soprano; Gladys Ripley, contralto; Heddle Nash, tenor; and Oscar Natzke, bass. As Mr Cook sang the principal bass roles and produced for the Carl Rosa Opera Company for years, he is well qualified for this task. Mr and Mrs Cook’s home at Day’s Bay, set in the birdfilled bush and with lovely glimpses of the harbour, was a delightful spot in which to “laze away” the hours, especially in the beautiful sunny weather that prevailed during my holiday in Wellington.

Gladstone Hill.—This former Hamilton resident, whose interest in music, especially bands, is well known, was leading community singing at recruiting rallies in the Town Hall.

Phil Taylor.—Mr Taylor, father of Megan Taylor and himself an amazingly clever skater, said ice skating today had reached an unbelievable stage of artistry and perfection, and this was due to Sonja Henie, who had set a new style. New forms of spins and jumps were still being worked out and these were part of the work of members of the company, who were all gold or silver medallists. There was a certain amount of risk involved in presenting entertainment on ice: three members of the company had broken wrists while in Australia and in Africa his partner suffered a broker leg.