The Extravaganza.

Now that a capping extravaganza has been produced on a scale, and with all the success characteristic of pre-war days, one's mind naturally reverts to the carnivals of other days in order to set up a standard of comparison. My memory goes back to the 1907 production, and covers in all some nine carnivals, though several of them are but sadly blurred shapes in the memory—"timid ghosts of dead forgotten things." Roughly, the capping productions have grouped themselves into two classes. The first class may be described as the musical extravaganza. In the words of F.A.M. (See "Spike," October, 1908), this was to be "a kind of glorified capping song, or series of songs, on topics of college interest, woven together by one central idea, into a literary unity. This kind of entertainment partook essentially of the nature of tableau vivant. Song, and not speech, was the medium of expression. There was a unity in such tableaux, but it was one of purpose. "Some general idea should be taken, it should be kept steadily in view all the time, and be implicit where it is not explicit." In this kind of entertainment the dramatic was aimed at, but I do not think was ever really achieved. Action, which is the soul of drama, is necessarily excluded from musical tableaux. And that brings me to the second class, one in which the dramatic idea was predominant. Here the authors taking as their material, not current events, but some one event, constructed out of it a dramatic unity. In such a play action and dialogue were all important, such songs as occurred, being merely incidental, not essential, to the purpose of the play. In 1908, in the production of the Hogben brothers, we had the first tentative approach to a play of this kind, and the following year saw a real, dramatic success in "Shackleton Out-Shacked." Curiously enough, in 1910 there was a reversion to the musical extravaganza. "The Bended Bow" was probably the most successful musical extravaganza produced by students of the College. It was also the last of its kind until this year. The years 1911, 1912, and 1913 constituted a period of transition, but in each of the three productions the dramatic idea predominated. Finally, we have in 1914 the most brilliant play of this class—"Boadicea"—by L. P. Leary.

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It is not difficult to account for the different forms which the extravaganzas have taken, and, as the subject must be one of interest to such present-day students as contemplate the production of future carnivals, it would perhaps be as well to state the reason here. In the first place, in the earlier days when the musical extravaganza flourished, the production was the work of a number of students of distinct literary ability. They sought in the capping production a vehicle for the expression of their literary impulse, and such a vehicle they found in the musical extravaganza. Their aim was to make the capping play "literary," and in this they succeeded. But the inevitable reaction set in. As soon as this band of literary workers completed their courses, and went their several ways in the world, their places were taken by a number of students, in whom the literary impulse did not predominate so much as the dramatic. Hitherto the actor in the play had played a subordinate part to that of the author, but now the author slipped out of sight, and the capping play began to depend for its success, not on its literary quality, but on the dramatic ability of the players. The capping plays of 1908 and 1913 were largely the work of law students, who did not seek to be literary, but to amuse. Leary's play, "Boadicea," in 1914, stands by itself. It marked the culmination of the dramatic movement that had been developing more and more strongly in capping productions, just as "The Bended Bow" marked the culmination of the literary movement.

And now, after five years of Armageddon, we have had a capping play once more—"Der Tag." Let me state at once that I have felt nothing but a very large measure of admiration for the play, and a large, if less bulky measure of admiration, for its production. As regards the play, three things have impressed me. The first is this. One of Germany's professed doctrines in the recent war was that Might is Right. This, it is fair to assume, has led the authors to consider the true place of Might (or Force) in the universe, and they have come to the conclusion that force sanely applied may become a mighty instrument of progress. Their gospel is the Sanity of Might, not the Justice of Might. The play ends with Japhetrow (Wisdom or Reason) mounting the ladder of progress, while Force (Satan) stands at the bottom to assist mankind to climb upwards. The second thing to notice is that the play marked a definite return to the musical extravaganza; and, thirdly, in casting their play in this form, and not in dramatic form, the authors acted quite deliberately. Thus not only was the scheme of the play derived from that of 1910—the idea of force was dominant in both "The Bended Bow" and "Der Tag"—but, if I am not much mistaken, there was a strong similarity between the soldiers' chorus—"Trentham to Tauherenikau"—and the scene wherein Leary as a Roman praetor led his soldiers round the stage. Finally, it is necessary only to note that the "Run Through" chorus, and the times of at least four songs in "Der Tag" were adopted from "The Bended Bow." I note these things without any wish or intention to belittle the work of the writers of "Der Tag." No one is more appreciative of it. At the same time, as one who took an active part in the carnivals of 1911, 1912, 1913, and 1914, I cannot help noting with melancholy satisfaction that the most successful scene in "Der Tag"—the Bolshevist one—was also the most dramatic.

In the first scene of the play, E. Evans, as one of "the stunted souls that snuffle," made a popular hit, while Murphy, as page 25 Hon. J. A. Hanan, was so remarkably like Sir Francis Bell, that most of the audience refused to believe he personated the former distinguished Minister. The gargle parade in the second scene was a very happy thought, while Mazengarb's representation of the amiable gentleman, who now represents His Majesty in New Zealand, was a sheer joy.

The third scene was very well conceived, but there was an unduly long wait at the opening before the Monks led on the unhappy Hunter, whose heartbroken mien would, indeed, have wrung tears from the eyes of a bookie's clerk. In the old days one could not have persuaded the glad girls to sing of Hell, and its saucy ways, for all the tea in China, but now they chirruped of the land of brimstone as blithely as a cricket chirps of the spring, tra la! Gad ! it warmed one's heart to listen to 'em. As Duns Scotus Adamson, Miller had a very effective make-up, and was very effective in it, while Low and Pringle were very helpful as the Leader of the Monks, and the Ibesnistic Hunter.

The fourth scene celebrated the return to New Zealand of the Earl of Pukekohe and Baron Bluff. Kun Low (who is on no account to be confused with Mr. K. Low) provided a pleasant diversion, while the dance supplied by Misses Moore and Leitch and Messrs. Day and Watkins was so successful that the audience demanded an encore. I often catch myself wondering how long these Yankee travesties of the valse will be tolerated by the long-suffering British people. But that is by the way. The end of this scene, the entrance of the Bolsheviki, and their forcible conversion of the Labour and Government supporters was easily the most effective of the evening. Mazengarb again, as a well-known Socialist M.P. was right in the picture. He should prove invaluable in future carnivals. In the concluding scene I am afraid the audience's attention was diverted from the serious intent of the authors by the wicked, delicious, dazzlin', by Jove ! saucy, naughty, entrancing takin' appearance of the super-women. Gum! it was great! The scene was a bright and successful conclusion to a very successful carnival. The production must have inspired everyone with confidence for the future of the capping carnivals. A very special word of praise must be reserved for Miss M. Richmond, who was responsible for the designing of the costumes, and for Mr. Evans, who, as stage manager, had to face probably more difficulties than any previous stage manager had encountered. It must be counted everlastingly to his credit that he successfully overcame them.

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