The adventures of Little Red Riding Hood are delighting Ashfordians at the Exchange Theatre this week, where the Brydon Phillips Company holds sway. This is a brightly dressed production with a exceptionally big chorus for a touring show. Vocal honours must undoubtedly go to Vona Vickers, a fair Fairy Queen, with a mezzo of exceptional quality and distinction. A good second is Victor Rae, whose rendering of "It'll Be All the Same," was a fine piece of cynical vocalism. Mr Rae also made a dramatic Wolf though, personally, it seemed to me he would have been more convincing if the head had fitted over his own instead of rearing above a ferociously swarthy face. However, from the back of the hall, the effect may have been as desired. Hazel Glade makes a Principal Boy of "the dashing" variety. She made an enormous hit with her rendering of "Coal Black Mammy," but I would like to suggest, from a production point of view, that she did not sing "Not a cent, not a cent, and my clothes are only lent," in a most "posh" Prince's suit! "Ta-Ta" also took Ashford by storm, even if the "Married Ladies" did not let it go with the vim that the cynical might have expected! Frances Lees (Little Red Riding Hood) is a clever little artiste and an excellent dancer. She is a somewhat precocious "Red Riding Hood" in comparison with our earlier imaginings of that little lady, but that is probably the author's fault. Babette and Peggy James had practically no part, but made a smart double turn and danced well. Sydney Benson was one of the few artistes whose personality really carried conviction. We all known that slabs of panto are so much rhymed ridiculousness, but it is the artistes' business to convince us to the contrary, and Mr. Benson stood out as a genuine artiste - a being to bow to! Charles Gardiner made an amiable and impressive "Granny." The fooling in the schoolroom kept the audience agog with giggles, but Mr. Gardiner came into his own with some dumb-show, hair-dressing business. It was a quiet comedy gem to see Mr. Gardiner with his brief black locks brushing and combing and tossing, like a Tatcho-model. But what really satisfied Ashford's sense of humour was a disrobing act when we had a vision of Grannie's distinctly un-dainty lingerie. Yells! Guffaws and Roars! Eddie Marsh worked hard as the odd little Squire. William Noble and Bert Blakey proved smart dancers, while Little Pearl as Cupid was an irresistible little person of great promise. Harry Carr and Ethel Barton's "??ight Lavenders" danced in a manner which seemed to delight their audience, but I can never make out why dancers should be compelled to sing. The average vocalist is not asked to produce eggs from his tonsils or half-crowns from the back of his neck when singing "Many Brave Hearts are Asleep in the Deep!" Why, then, imagine that dancers can produce voices just because they have very clever legs and arms! Judging by the reception of the show I should say that "Red Riding Hood" is in for a full week at Ashford.
CARMINE
Source: Tuesday Express (Ashford, Kent), 3 January, 1922, Page 4