OUT FOR THE LAUGHS!

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1314, 1 July 1915, Page 40

OUT FOR THE LAUGHS!

“I find that a red nose and a frea.kish suit carries more weight with the average vaudeville audiences than a straight out turn,” was the view expressed by Mr. Vai Newman to a “Review” representative. “And more money, too,” he added.

Ten years ago he was through New Zealand appearing on the Fuller circuit in high class character songs under the name of Vai Newton, and making his mark with an exceptionally good bass voice. He has distinguished himself in the football arena too, and in 1905 represented New Zealand in a tour through New South Wales. Later he took unto himself a wife in an Australian girl, who was formerly with Pollard’s Opera Company, and the pair have collaborated their talents into a double act, made up of snatches of song, dance and pleasantries, of which they are giving a taste to

Auckland Opera House audiences at present. They have| been right through the United States more than once, have played Canada, Paris, London, Wale's, and recently concluded a tour of South Africa, winning appreciation all along. They were in South Africa during the recent fighting. Mr. Newman, like most of the Britishers there, was sworn in as a special constable. They saw the wounded carried through the streets and were actually near enough to hear the firing. One night at Bloemfontein, while the performance was in progress, it was rumoured that De Wet was outside ready to attack the town. Mr. Newman says every able bodied man at once left the hall and took up positions in the trenches and waited all night, but no attack was made, though there was a false alarm.

Off the stage no one would recognise Mr. Newman as the grotesque, elongated comedian in the check slit suit which he proudly says he

designed himself, and caused a sensation with when he first exploited it in London. He has a personality as pleasing as his well-trained voice, and his disguise before the footlights helps to show that he has other phases to catch the taste of the public. “They all like a laugh,” he asserts.

One of the comedy features of “The Girl on the Film, ’ soon to be staged in Melbourne, is comprised in the appearance of the principals of the company as picture actors. The piece is a delightful skit on moving pictures, and in this scene the making of a film provides fine opportunities for comedy. Mr. Workman, Miss Vie, Mr. Rawlins, Miss Brunton, and Mr. Fisher take part in this. The film is subsequently shown. It was really taken in Melbourne at the J. C. Williamson studio, opposite Her Majesty’s Theatre, where the artists went through this portion of the play just as it is presented on the stage.