Newspaper Article 1899 – A Packed House

A packed house was the pleasing sign which greeted Napier’s Frivolity Minstrels on the occasion of their second entertainment at Eskdale, Petane, last evening. The first half of the programme, which took the form of “chairs” and corner men, jokes and songs, comprised the following items: – “Mississippi Shore,” Mr Young; “My Gal’s a High Born Lady,” Mr Bert Wilkie; “How-de-do-de,” Mr Gillespie; “Sunshine Above,” Mr Bear; “Open Up,” Mr Holmes; “Watermelon Party,” Mr E. H. Taylor; “The Old Home,” Mr Freedman; “Rosie Magee,” Mr W. Wilkie; “Sons of the Sea,” Mr Drummond. Every item was well rendered, enthusiastically received and vociferously encored and it only remained for the side-splitting finale, “The Menagerie,” to make the hall shake again with laughter. The second half was opened by the Frivolity banjo, mandolin and guitar team, Messrs Ball, Freedman, B Wilkie (banjos), W. Wilkie, Drummond, Fraser (mandolins), and Young (guitar), a distinct success being scored, and a well deserved encore received. Then followed songs by Messrs Bear, Wilkie, Young, and Freedman, an excruciatingly funny Irish sketch by Mr W. Allan (a feature of the entertainment), a comic turn, well done, by Messrs Spiller and Holmes, and a difficult and clever exhibition of club swinging by Mr E. H. Taylor. A laughable farce entitled the “Eskdale Gymnasium” (characters by Messrs Taylor, Wilkie, and Gillespie) completed the entertainment, and sent the large audience away thoroughly satisfied with the sterling performance they had witnessed. A well attended dance was held afterwards, dancing being kept up until an early hour this morning. Messrs Wilson and Spiller accompanied the singers, and provided excellent music, assisting greatly to the success of the evening.