Amateur Review at Windsor

Transcript

Amateur Review at Windsor

Slough Artistes in Effort for Boathouse Fund

A lively revue entitled “Excelsior” was presented by members of the Royal Albert Institute Operatic and Dramatic Society at the Albert Institute on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, in aid of the Eton Excelsior Rowing Club Boathouse Fund.

It was explained to the audience on Wednesday evening by Mr. Cyril Dyson (captain of the club) that the club were the oldest on the river, and that their premises likewise were the oldest – in fact, they were hopelessly out-of-date, and were so situated that the members could not go out when the river was high.  They had therefore embarked upon a scheme to build a new boathouse on the Corporation Island, at a cost of £1,500.  This, he said, might seem a large amount, but was necessitated by the size of a building large enough to accommodate an eight, and also by the fact that on the island the foundations had to go down very deep.

On behalf of the club, he thanked the members of the society very warmly for this effort towards the fund.

(We understand that the club have already raised about £600 towards the cost.

[the original text “£600” has been crossed through in pencil and “£400” written in the margin]

The audiences on both nights included many members and supporters of the club, and they were enthusiastic in their appreciation of the excellent bill of fare set before them.

The Company

Mr. Stanley J. Upton, of Slough, and Mr. R. J. T. Hills, who were the moving spirits in producing the show, had seen to it that there was no lack of all the Factors necessary for revue humour,

[cutting overlap and some text missing]

Operatic Gems

The items were too numerous to be described in any detail.  One of the most popular was undoubtedly the Operatic Fantasia, composed of a medley of favourite songs and refrains from operas which the society have performed, the entire company taking part, and solos being sung in fine style by Messrs. A Bruce, H. Baden Hawes, S. J. Upton, C. M. Johns, W. R. Dufour, Mrs. Phelps, and Miss Olive Hale.  It was reminiscent of several triumphs of the past few years.  Mr. Upton resurrected the amusing sketch “The Nightwatchman”, which was played in Slough last year, and gave a masterly characterisation of the artful old fellow in the “little wooden hut,” supported (at the end literally) by Miss Ena N. Barrett, who was charming as the actress, and by Mr. W. J. Tamlin in a clever portrayal of the tipsy colonel, and Mr. C. R. Peecock as the amiable “Percy”.

This was followed by some bright singing by two ladies and two “gents” in a hole or rather in four holes and next came what was one of the most uproariously funny pieces of the evening, “The Old Lady Shows Her Muddles” in which Miss Nellie Webb gave a deliciously simple rendering of the clergyman’s wife who wanted to appear modern to her son’s fiancee, and “swotted up” a lot of modern slang for the purpose.  Unfortunately, she mixed up her terms so unhappily that she heaped what looked like deadly insults upon the young lady.  The audience were kept laughing from the rise to the fall of the curtain.  Mr. Harold Lewis made a convincing clergyman, and Mr. F. Dowling and Miss Phyllis Hayward were excellent as “Freddie” and “Joyce.”

Heard But Not Seen

“Sixteen of the Girls,” headed by Miss Evie Cave, put plenty of life into the song and dance, “March with Me,” and received a well-merited encore, Miss Cave showing herself a strong favourite.  There was real cleverness in the sketch “The Play’s the Thing,” in which the artistes performed a little domestic drama (with anti-climax) without the use of any “properties” whatsoever.  People sat on imaginary chairs, hid behind imaginary screens, climbed through non-existent windows, tripped over invisible suitcases, smashed invisible plant pots and vases, and lay down on non-existent sofas.  The delightful thing about it was that although these articles could not be seen, they could be heard, and most amusing effects were produced in this way by a gentleman in the wings, equipped with special noise-making instruments.  This gentleman was Mr. John R. Jones, who appeared on the programme as “Noises off”.  The other performers were: “Dickson”, W. J. Taplin: “Claude Pichley,” R. K. Stevens; “Adrian”, B. F. Dowling: “Mr. Spencer Reeve”, H. R. Turner: “Mrs. Spencer Reeve, “Nan Kendall,” Ann, Marjorie Joel, Henriette de Millefleur,” Phyllis Hayward; all of whom acted very cleverly.

From Bygone Days

A pleasing Spanish singing interlude was delivered by Misses Barrett and Mayward and Messrs. Dowling and Stevens, and was followed by another snappy sketch – we seem to recollect seeing it somewhere before-called “Tea-shop Tattle.”  Miss Evie Cave was undoubtedly the bright and shining light of this piece, and was perfection as the flighty and impertinent waitress.  Her Cockney accent was superb.  Miss Gladys Abbott as the other waitress the one suffering from “armenia” – was scarcely less excellent, and Messrs. Dufour and Taplin fitted in splendidly as the two customers.  “Adrian Adair,” indeed, was a strong bit of work.  The older and younger members of the audience alike enthused over the imitations of bygone music hall stars in “Retrospective Reflections”, in which we saw Miss Nellie Webb and Mr. John R. Jones as the dear old couple (they acted with extraordinary sincerity) conjuring up visions of their youthful days, and calling back the shades of the old “stars”.

Ella Shields was impersonated by Miss Joan Glover, Chirgwin and Chevalier by Mr. R. J. T. Hill, Leo Dryden by Mr. W. R. Dufour, and Eugene Stratton by Mr. Upton.

Other numbers were “Orange Blossom,” a Chinese Tale by Mr. Taplin – not the most brilliant things in which we have seen him – a sprightly dance by “The Six Blades,” and a burlesque entitled “Motoring,” played by Messrs. Upton, Dowling, C. MacDonald Jones, Harry C. Fletcher, Reginald J. T. Hills, Master Fuggle and Miss Webb.  Mr. Upton played the leading part, and we think the most diverting feature of this laughable, if crude, item was the innocent juvenility of Mr. Dowling as the little college boy, and Mr. Fletcher’s personal appearance as his school chum.

Others whose work contributed to the success of the show were Miss Mildred Blanchette, who taught the dancing, Mr. H. Harraway (at the piano), Messrs. E. W. Fuggle and J. Webb as stage managers, Mesdames H. W. Applin and H. Seymour and Messrs. B. N. Betteridge and E. W. Bishop (peruquiers), and the hon, secretary, Mr. H. E. F. Saunders.

Images

---