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The Extravaganza.

"We will admit that our first feeling after seeing 'Struth, must have resembled somewhat that of the Grey Warbler after it has hatched the Cuckoo's egg. This may have been caused partly by the undoubted fact that 'Struth was the only really intelligible play that V.U.C. has produced for some years; but not altogether. We rather felt that we had been the unconscious grinders of someone else's axe. However, the axe needed grinding; and the thing was a financial success. To it as such we bow—but hereafter from a man with a grudge, in our College productions, Good Lord deliver us.

'Struth owed its success less to the producer than the Extravaganzas have done in the past. There was an abundance of comedy of the primitive type and a number of those sophistic quibbles which the public seems to expect, and religiously enjoys. Perhaps the most amusing incident was the unrehearsed effect on the first night when Lash was five minutes late for his meeting with Stoush.

Mr. Mazengarb was for the fourth year in succession the leading light in the production. Mr. Moss was also at the top of his form. Mr. Yaldwyn (Outed) was excellent. He provided a shining example of beautiful enunciation. Mr. Meltzer's acting (we hope it was* acting) throughout a difficult part was quite good. Mr. Watkins really needs a specially written part. Not to say he isn't good; but he seems determined to get the last ounce of farce out of a situation, when very little is really needed to make a success of it. Also he might remember that what words he does recollect, should not be poured out altogether in a torrent, but one by one, consecutively. Mr. Egley was disappointing. He always promised to be better than he was. After all, a diluted mixture of Allan Wilkie and Graham Browne is rather rough on Columbus.

Of the ladies Miss Willcocks made a brilliant success of what seemed a most congenial part. Miss Churchill was delightful. We shall never fonget the seductive way she said "Damn" in the first act. Miss Christie as Amontillado madesuch a charming wife for Columbus that it was rank infidelity on his part to go chasing after Dearfood-until you remember how alluring Miss Pigou was in her Indian makeup.

Mr. Stainton's music was unfortunately not all on the same level. But it must be confessed that hehad an unnecessarily hard task. Many of the choruses and several of the songs did not lend themselves easily to musical rendering. However, he had his happy inspirations. The final chorus to Act I was one. This was the best musical number of the evening, and might have been used more in the incidental music. Lash's song in Act II was good; Shrewd's declamation in Act III was ingeniously managed. As a truthful critic, however, we feel bound to remark that one or two of the songs seemed liable to die of inanition at any moment (we nearly did): the most glaring example of this was the DearfootColumbus duet, redeemed so far as redemption was possible by the page 38 singing of Miss Pigou. If it is absolutely necessary to have these languishing love songs, let the lovers languish a little bit quicker. The Epilogue was another failure—albeit sung in the time Rishworthian style by Mr. Rishworth. Anyway why have an Epilogue at all? Why not the Final Chorus, printed in the programme but not sung? We hope Mr. Stainton will not think us too carping; we hope many more Extravaganzas will be set to his music, and that his music will go on improving.

One more word about music. Really something ought to be done to these soloists! Honestly we have never heard worse singing—not even in an Extravanganza. Lash was passable; Mr. Free would probably have done well if he had had a song to sing. Barling Miss Pigou the others were wretched. This criticism has been in our minds for some years past. If Columbus or the cabin boy must have a song to sing, O. let them ramp round the stage in the approved style while someone sings it off stage. Very much the same criticism applies to the choruses. Instead of having about thirty people singing dolefully, why not a chorus of about a dozen who can sing and at least appear to understand the meaning of their songs?

To conclude: let us congratulate unreservedly one who has been a mainstay of the Extravaganzas for many years past. Amid the confusion of our hurtling and it may be captious criticisms let us clear a large space, take off our hats, and make an extremely low obeisance to Miss Marie Richmond, who as usual designed all the dresses and supervised their manufacture. She is indeed a tower of strength. Also let us not forget the man with a rotten job, Mr. F. A. Ruck the Business Manager; mingle with our thanks some sympathy. For the rest, we must congratulate those responsible—which of course does not affect in the least our wish that it had been better.

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(Owing to the extraordinary way in which the Capping Celebrations have been split up this year, it has not been possible to report the rest of the festivities in this number of "The Spike"; they will, therefore, be described in full and unvarnished detail in our next.)