A SURE WINNER.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1473, 18 July 1918, Page 34

A SURE WINNER.

MISS MINNIE LOVE. Transpose the name of Minnie Love and you’ll know what all playgoers do! This is not an acrostic. It is just by way of emphasising Minnie Love’s great popularity on the Australasian stage. \

Theatrical-loving folk took a fancy to this fascinating English artist on her 'first visit to New Zealand in June, 1915, when she displayed her charms and ability as principal boy in the J. C. Williamson pantomime “Cinderella.” She hadn’t a great deal to do in that performance, but, to adapt a catchy ditty, “what she did, was good.”

The following year she was over with the Royal Comic Opera Company, playing “Gipsy Love,” “Our Miss Gibbs,” “The Dancing Mistress,” etc. Hei’ third visit was with “The Pink Lady” company, the repertoire including “The Merry Widow,” with Minnie exercising her witcheries in the title roles of both, and here she is again crowning all her achievements by her alluring ways and delightful comedy work in a strenuous leading role in “The Bing Boys are Here.”

“Upset about the Wimmera? I should just think we were. You know that is the boat we were to come over in. As it was we had to come direct from Melbourne to Wellington, and I can tell you we didn’t altogether fancy the idea of the journey. We had a jolly send-off from our friends in spite of an Tdon’t-envy-you’ look on their faces, and we did our best to look merry and bright. But it wasn’t easy! Fearing the worst and hoping for the best I had made my will before leaving. But, luckily, I was soon too sick to be frightened! Mal-de-mer had claimed me for its own! And by the time I was able to sit up and nibble a little asparagus on toast we were in Wellington. But it was a nerve-wrack-ing trip all the same, and we were all very thankful when it was over.” Miss Love just recently received a cable from Drury Lane asking her to go back to an engagement, but her contract with the J. C. Williamson firm takes her into 1919. “But I don’t want to outstay my welcome,” she added with undue fervour. Is there any other_imported actress in the musical line who has been continuously engaged with the J. C. Williamson, Ltd., firm for such a lengthy period?

Miss Minnie Love confides that she is employing her spare time writing a scenario for the movies. She hasn’t settled on a title for it yet, but there are to be plenty of comedy scenes in it. She hopes to 'figure therein, of course.

An interesting arrival in Australian theatrical circles is Miss Eva Kelland. This charming actress is known throughout England and Africa as The Australian Girl. She has been the leading lady of all Espinosa’s (the producer of the revue now at the Tivoli) revues in England, and of many other revues. Eva was born in Australia, and left the country when quite a child. She climbed the ladder to success step by step, and has now come back as a star.