Good Casting

The cast was, on the whole, as competent as the average Extrav. cast of the past. Dougal McDonald as Sidarella was reasonably capable. Jim Hutcheson (Goosle), I. Landen-Lane (Holysmoke) and especially Roger Harris (Bulgie) were excellent, likewise Conrad Bollinger (McKartho), and Frank Curtin in his dual role—in spite of his apparently-annual sticking-plastered pate. Colleen Rea as Sadie was not unattractive both physically and vocally, and Melda O'Reilly gave one of the best, and quietest, female extrav performances I have seen. Frank Curtin's makeup as Walter, incidentally, was something approaching makeup.

Vocally, most of the cast were not impressive, although that did not detract from the unconsciously funny Dodgie of John Patterson. Part of the trouble lay with the songs chosen for parodying; apart from it being quite unnecessary to parody "God Defend New Zealand," the thing's no good as a chorus anyhow. Most of the songs were not new to Extrav, and quite a lot of the lyrics in some of them were not new either, as witness "Sadie, the Minx of the Sphinx." Ron Meek, whose Extravs are held up as exemplars, relied a great deal on Gilbert and Sullivan music for his shows, and the one Gilbert and Sullivan song in the show proved once again the anomalous fact that mediocre singers can give an impressive sole performance of the intricate G. and S. melodies.