Traditional Spice

The success of the show, and it appears to have been reasonably successful, seems to be due mainly to the fact that the traditional Extravaganza ingredients were there—the male ballet, the one or two rousing choruses, the haka party, the Interval show (such as it was—and it always is), the one or two good jokes, and above all the infectious atmosphere. The male ballet was perhaps less prominent than usual. I saw the show on the last night which may account for the slap-happiness of the ballerinas. One remembers how the magnificent Brownies' Ballet nearly foundered on the last two nights because success (and beer) went to their heads, and everyone decided to act the giddy ass. No, in future, [unclear: ple] deputise one or at most two people, to skylark, and make the rest try and act like ballerinas. Their uniformity makes the clowns appear even funnier, but a ballet with everyone fooling looks like the last dregs of a does breakfast. And please, will the Executive consider a special Blue for Win Stevens for his performances, past and present, as sole danseuse?

As far as the female ballets went the producer seems to have been wise in being restrained. There have been very good female ballets in the past, but there have also been some damn painful ones, and it behoves the producer to cut his cloth according to the talent available.

The production and stage direction were good; none of last year's awkward exits and entrances and straggling choruses, and the direction was unobtrusive. Costumes were well up to standard, and props hands were unusually quiet in shifting scenery.

One last bitter remark. There was more toilet paper on display this year than ever before. And I don't think it is going down as well as it used to—not after the first half dozen times, anyway.

However, the really bright spot of the show was the final chorus. Most of the words were inaudible, but the volume was there, the gaiety was there, and the harmonising [unclear: choru], was there. It sent the audience home happy, it lessened my spleen considerably, and it gave me the impression that it will go down to posterity with the best extrav songs of the past. My compliments to its librettists.

D.E.H.