Enter—A Murderer

Extrav is here again. Extrav is ever the centre of the social life of the university season. Through the weeks of rehearsals—discordant orchestra-tunings, high-pitched pep-talks from a demented producer, thumps and crashes from the properties staff and the male ballet, hungry yelps from the whole cast around the saveloy-pot on Sunday evenings—a community is built up. And this community has a spirit, chiefly manifested in much whooping in the small hours of the mornings after the evenings when the show is on the boards. There is dancing (for those who like that sort of thing), there is beer, and there is the cemetery.

Rehearsals have begun for 1951's show of the year. "Sidarella." With this year's show, V.U.C. Extravs return to a political theme from the traditionally heretical point of view. Extravs. have travelled many and varied zig-zag tracks since those pioneer days when the late Judge Ostler and Fanny Irvine-Smith clod-hopped around the stage in tights. The heights were reached in the political satires emanating from the genius of Ronald L Meek, the last and greatest of which was the 1945 farce "Peter in Blunderland." (And how fond the newspaper critics are of telling us!) Inevitably, all extravs must suffer in comparison.

We do not pretend that "Sidarella" hits the Meekspots. But it has points to recommend it. So the selection committee thought when they picked "Sidarella" from the 6 scripts submitted. But the "Sidarella" that hits the Opera House at the end of May will be a very different colour of a cow from the raw-burned document that saw the light three months ago. All characters are entirely fictitious, of course, and any resemblance between them and persons living, dead, or otherwise, is entirely co-incidental.

Sidarella sits and wrings her hands (and other peoples' pockets) in the House of Wrecks. Sidarella is in the competent hands of that adept Extravaganzactor, Dougall MacDougall MacDonald Donald. With her, she has her step-sisters—the Jolly Dodger being taken by John Patterson, with enthusiasm. The source of Siddie's home troubles seem to be industrial, there are choruses of Strikers and Pikers, and strange individuals like Fire-Plug Belch and Shock Barndance (Bernie [unclear: Spolsky] and Hec MacNeill).

It is the search for her long-lost-and-requiring-to-be-found Fairy Godmother, the Buzzard of Uz, that takes Siddle and her step-sisters across land and ocean to Egypt, Gorea, the Land of Freedom and Democracy, and finally back to a glorious welcome home, with much jollification. In Egypt we find Mr. Rattlee and the King (Fat-Faroot) gambling for the future of the Sewage Canal, and the Minx of the Sphinx very jealous of the love of the potentate himself. In Gorea we walk in on the Futility Council of the Benighted Nations in session, see Spleen Archerbomb rallying democracy's ranks, and Stickitinsky trying to blow the place to Jericho. The scene finishes with the Mikartho of Japan (Con Bollinger) taking over the Council, only to be punched on the nose by Harry Bluman himself.

From there to Jellis Island is a short step. Customs officials and the great General Scheisenhauser (Mike McLeod) cross-question the stepsisters as they land to make certain that they are not disloyal, and they are finally introduced to their friend the Buzzard—dressed to fit the part of uncle Sam. The Buzzard returns with them to the Land of the Long White Shroud, and there assists them to sell up the national assets. Much joviality ends in the marriage of Sidarella to the great Prince Balder Dash, and the final curtain is rung down.

The public only gets this sort of thing once a year. We must make sure that by the time that final curtain descends, they have had plenty of it. That means that the show Must be a good one—and it will only be that if Every Able-bodied Ham-Actor in the College rolls up to the next rehearsal in the top Gymnasium. Properties staff and wardrobe, not to mention the programme-sellers, the make-up staff, and the back-stage boys could still do with some more people too. Roll up, tumble up, everybody come.

This is university season. Be in it, and make the most of it.