|
THE GEISHA (OCTOBER 1959) |
|
This is the only show in which I think all the ladies of the cast looked more or less alike, due to the fact that they all wore black wigs brushed back from very accentuated black brows, very colourful kimonos and similar make-up which made it difficult to distinguish one geisha from another. Contrast was provided by the elegantly smart uniform of the naval officers, one of whom was a female (Sylvia Allen) whose duties were carried out with great efficiency. |
|
We became skilled in the art of fluttering fans and of bowing and kneeling on a hard stage for several minutes; it was even mentioned that some of the geishas found it necessary to wear kneepads. Tony Beseke made a pompous Japanese Governor whose love of young ladies had to be promptly checked by the French Girl at the Teahouse (Frankie). Alf Smith as the Proprietor shuffled about the Teahouse with agility and the scene when he was kneeling in despair as the chorus sang "Here's a dreadful blow" was very impressive. |
|
For the first time Evelyn Brooker took a leading part as O Mimosa San and had the unusual role of playing with her son Geoff, one of the officers on the H.M.S. "Turtle". This was a colourful, decorative show but many people said it was not our best because it was not the type of performance we usually put on. This may have been due to the contrast in Pantomime at which the Company usually excels as it gives more scope for individual performances. |
|
DORIS SEAMAN |
|
|
|
EDITOR'S COMMENTS |
|
Yet another show which I had to look up! "The Geisha", by Owen Hall with lyrics by Harry Greenbank and music by Sidney Jones, opened at Daly's Theatre in 1896 and went on to an enormously successful run of 760 performances (at that time the second longest run in the history of the British musical theatre). According to my book, the most enduring number in the show was Wun-Hi's song 'Chin Chin Chinaman', the lyric of which goes as follows: |
|
Chin Chin Chinaman Mucheee muchee sad! |
|
Unfortunately Hatton's production was not particularly well received by the critics, as can be seen from this extract from a review by 'Keynote': |
|
"The singing and orchestral playing directed by Reginald Curtis were up to the usual high standard but there was little else to sustain interest. The main trouble seemed to be casting. Finding suitable candidates from among the membership of a society to fill the principal roles of any operetta must always present a problem for the producer: it is difficult to believe however that Mr Kenneth Newell chose as wisely as he might have done from the talented material available, or that on this occasion the make-up department excelled in their art. In attempting to reproduce the almond-eyed oriental, they only succeeded in making many of the faces appear unnaturally grim" |
|
Maurice Reeve in the 'Middlesex Chronicle' wrote that "a neat and well balanced little orchestra under the sprightly direction of Reginald H Curtis played with pep and precision. The chorus were well drilled and sang with a good volume of tone and very true. Only in the solo singing was this level not reached; it lacked something of colour, warmth and finesse" |