THE CITY HALL.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XII, Issue 714, 12 November 1903, Page 18

THE CITY HALL.

FULLER’S ENTERTAINERS.

Mr John Fuller has no reason to be dissatisfied with the measure of public patronage accorded him. Nor have the public who patronise the City Hall any ground for complaint at the manner in which they are catered for. The present show is as good as-, or better than, anything in the vaudeville line we have had here for some years. The Stagpooles have be'en drawing remarkably with their clever acts, and the same may be said of Harley and Williams, the Diamond Duo, Ted Bluett, Miss Kinnard and Tilly Dunbar. Further changes are promised for Saturday, when the famous German strong men, the Franz Bros., are to appear.

My Christchurch correspondent writes : —Here we are again ■ —on the eve of our annual “Carnival,” and already up to our necks in frivolity ! Cup day to-day, an*d lots more fun to follow. Even Seddon’s Licensing Bill and Chamberlain’s Preferential Tariff are for the time forgotten, and if we don’t paint the town vermillion it won’t be our fault. Willoughby and G-each are making us laugh at the Royal, where “Mistakes Will Happen,” has been drawing like a prizemedal corn since the opening night. The plot is as slender as the waist, of a girl of the period —but it gets there all the same. The “coach-house” scene alone would make the fortune of any piece. Mr Willoughby, as a comedian with a io-horse-power hankering to blossom out as a dramatic author, but whose efforts in that direction are nipped in the bud by unappreciative managers, is splendid. The scene between Willoughby, as the aforesaid comedian, and Miss Roland Watts-Phillips, as a raw amateur ambitious to become an actress, is one of the best “bits” in the piece. The lady is supposed to be taking a lesson in the histrionic art from the pro. How the house roars ! Miss Roxy Barton and Mr Tom Carran are entitled to- honourable mention, and our old friend Tom Leonard, in the very small part of the

plumber, is so good as to make one wish to see him in a bigger role. The screamer is preceded by a charming one-act playlet, “Harmony,” in which Mr Willoughby, as the blind organist, presents us with a character study of Quite exceptional merit. Willoughby is an artist. I enjoyed a ten minutes’ chat with Edwin Geach (an old and valued friend) the other morning in the managerial sanctum at the Royal. He told me the Company were rehearsing a new comedy which they intend to produce for the first time in the Colonies- at Auckland on New Year’s night. This is yclept “The Boys of Buffalo,” and Mr Geach says it is even funnier than “What Happened to Jones.” Of course you remember how the papers killed off poor Carl Hertz, the magician, awhile back ? They gave him neat little obituary notices and lamented his demise at the age of 76 ! ! ! But Carl is not dead yet. “Au contraire” he is likely Co visit the Colonies next year under Mr Geach’s management. And he won’t see 76 for about another score of years. Very cruel of those paragraphers ! Oh, and Geach tails of running “Mr Dooley” through Australasia, on a lecturin’g tour. But nothing definite is fixed as yet. The Willoughby-Geach Co. play a return visit here with “The Boys of Buffalo” in February. They will be welcome. . The Fullers are providing a big holiday bill at the Opera House. Denis Carney, Ted Herberte, Bob Bell, Clare Sisters, McKisson trio, and ever so many more are making things hum at the Tuam Street Variety Theatre. . . . The Polyorama at the Canterbury Hall includes cne act of “Cloches de Corneville,” with Agnes Murphy and

Win. Densem (both of Dunedin), playing lead.

Montgomery’s! popular entertainers returned from Melbourne recently after playing a most successful tour of Tasmania and Victoria. The whole of the company had to submit to vaccination before being allowed to proceed to Melbourne on account of the small pox scare. The Tasmanian Press wjere unanimous in their praise of the entertainments- given by Montgomery’s company. A visit to Auckland and district will be commenced in January next with an entirely new repertoire. Since his last visit here Mr Montgomery was married in Dunedin to the gifted soprano of the company, Miss Ettie Harford, a popular Wellington vocalist. The entertainers are now playing the West Coast of the South Island to splendid business.

Dante “the Marvellous” is touring Queensland. In a note from Croydon, he reports that business is still good. Cairns and Cooktown will next be visited, prior to Thursday Island, which will be played at Xmas. Manila will probably follow.