OPERA HOUSE.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1545, 4 December 1919, Page 36

OPERA HOUSE.

In his latest miniature musical comedy, “The King of Dunnowheresky,” presented to a packed audience on Monday night, Mr. Walter George has further established his reputation for maintaining a high standard of production. The new playlet is marked with handsome costuming, tuneful numbers and bright action, with just enough plot on which to string the items acceptably. Mr. Reg. Hawthorne, as the lugubrious King who preferred gardening to ruling, and on whose head uneasily sat his crown, put in excellent light comedy work, and his song, “I’m So Spiteful,” made a big hit. Mr. Walter George, in a character sketch as the Prime Minister, was another clever make-up, his experienced art being evidenced in many ways. Everyone was anxious to see how comedian George Storey would disport himself in the pompous role of General Popoffski. And no one was disappointed! His uniform alone, well blazoned with novel decorations and medals of strange devices, evoked iroars of laughter, which only increased as he drilled the Hussars in his own style and further wended his way through the plot. Very charmingly sung was “A Dream of Delight” by Miss Hylda Shannon, and another pleasingly vocalised item was “Love’s Own Kiss” by Miss May Geary, who also joined with Mr. Frank Haining in “There’s a Spark of Love.” Miss Dulcie Milner, dainty and petite, imparted her personality to a taking little number, “Love a Mason.” Miss Georgie Martin made a captivating success of her specialty “Fairy Tales,” the ballet (Misses Polly McLaren, Iris McKenzie, Ada Scaddon, Katie Henry, Vera Murray, and Eileen Dalgleish) illustrating the well-known nursery stories of “Babes in the Wood,” “Cinderella,” “Red Riding Hood,” “Dick Whittington” and his cat. Another outstanding feature was the dance “Fascination de Russe,” by Miss Polly McLaren, who also led a Russian ballet in a vimful dance specialty “The Cossacks.” Mr. Barry Hitchings and Mr. A. Vivian completed the cast and fitted resplendently into striking uni-

forms. The vaudeville section had plenty of variety to commend it. The Aerial Delsos, a man and a very pretty girl, performed several deathdefying feats on trapezes, including sensational revolutions when the man swung his partner at dizzying rate the turn concluding with a daring vertical slide. Frank, Lank and Alice are well entitled to call their turn “a whirlwind of juggling deviltries,” their manipulation of a stage full of clubs being dexterous in the extreme. The Bryants, in a dazzling electrical scena, in which young Buster Bryant disclosed himself as an expert majordomo, and Frank Sidney in his jumping act terminated an approved bill. To-day Eddie Montrose (Continental clown) and the Corelli. Trio (harpists and instrumentalists) will make their first appearance.