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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 15, No. 7. May 1, 1952
The Gen on Extrav — Gloomy Forebodings
The Gen on Extrav
Gloomy Forebodings
Sound now the doleful dirge—ring now the muffled bells. For Extravaganza 1952 is still-born, and whom can be blamed? No one. The Executive has tried Its utmost to secure bookings in all the Wellington theatres and hails that were possibilities. President Dave Horaley pounded the footpath for days, inspecting facilities and interviewing managers but all In vain. Extrav this year Is dead. Whether the show is to be produced in the Little Theatre in the first week of the next term depends on you. One thing la certain though—a show to he produced in the Little Theatre can never be called an Extrav. Old Extrav hands will bear me out la this.
The whole question was thrashed out during the past two exec, meetings. On Tuesday 22 Mr. Horaley reported that there were no dates available at the Opera House until well into June; that no more flesh and blood shows at the Paramount were permitted by the City Council; that the St. James was booked out; that the Town Hall was unsuitable for facilities and date; that the Concert Chamber was too small and booked up; St. Francis Hall and all the others were unsuitable for similar grounds. What was available was the Little Theatre, with seating for two hundred, and facilities for a cast of thirty.
The only show which could be produced under such conditions was the Sheat-Stewart script. "Shamlet." This script was selected by the Selection Committee (Messrs. Horsley, Cohen, MacCreary, Braybrooke, and Arch Barclay, the producer) as the one most suitable for the limited type of show which could be produced in the little Theatre. According to the association's secretary, Frank Curtin, this type of show Is "in strict accordance with tradition—the grandiose shows that have been presented, during the last few years are not" Now Salient cannot believe that the Extravs. dating through the Meek and Carrad eras are the tradition upon which all Extravites in modern Extravs base the justification of their abandoned revels. To produce in the little Theatre means none of that behind curtain jollity of past years; a smaller cast means less communal spirits, fewer .friends are made, and there are few behind curtain romances. The whole esprit de corps of Extrav-times will be absent. No doubt the cast will be a friendly little group (or perhaps a select group of friends); they will know their lines well and doubtless the whole level will be (as it should be) very much higher than usual—but despite that, this review will not be an Extrav. Perhaps this is a good thing—perhaps not.
But despite Salient's gloomy despairtngs this show will be a success—with your help and co-operation, its up to you, so turn up and he in.