Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-07-06
RECREATIONS
BARNES-WEST
sketch Team
ENJOYS JO'BURG

will be remembered as showing at the
Park theatre here a couple of years
ago, are now in South Africa on. their
third tour around the world They
were considered the best dancing
team Honolulu has seen and Miss
West was referred TO in the local
press as the girl with the educated
feet. Under date of may 10 they
write from johannesburg as follows
From Rio de Janeiro We opened at
the Grand Theatre, johannesburg.
South Africa, or Joburg, as the ma
tives call it. We were surprised to
find this city of 10000 whites. sup
porting one first-class music hall.
and four smaller houses playing from
three to four acts and pictures, be.
sides several straight picture palaces.
AT the present time there are
three distinct circuits in South Africa,
each importing talent for their re-
specific tours Sydney Hyman still
continued to bring out the best avail
able talent for eight weeks at the
Empire, Joburg, but the numerous
cheaper priced vaudeville theatres
have told in the receipts Of this once
famous music hall. The Grand The
atre Company. Ltd, can give acts on
an average of IL weeks, playing them
in all the principal cities in South
Africa. They are doing big business
throughout the country. The Grand
Theatre, Joburg. gives two shows
nightly, and is coming money. They
are obliged to turn people away at
every performance.
THE work is easy, as this is the
only house where two shows a night
are given. The rest of the tour is
enc show night, one matinee and no
Sunday work We are now in our
tenth week on the circuit and have
found everything very satisfactory.
First-class treatment and appreciative
audiences.
The opposition circuit is called the
Amalgamated Theatres of South At
RIGA They can offer about the same
number of weeks and have two the
atres in Joburg called the Orpheum
and Bijon. The work however is not
so satisfactory, as they have a good
many split-weeks on their circuit,
playing acts only three days in the
smaller towns.
Railway jumps in South Africa are
very big, and take from eighteen to
4S hours to cover. OF course they
pay all transportation and baggage
hauling and excess. / was surprised
to find sleepers and dining car service
remarkably cheap here. s. A. prom.
-ises to open up big field for vaude-
vile and affords artists fine oppor-
tunity of breaking the jump from
England to Australia The Sydney
Hyman and Richards tour, and
Grand Theatres Ltd, and Bremen
tour, often book in conjunction with
each other.
There are many well known Eng
lish ana American actors playing the
different tours in South Africa at the
present time. We have thoroughly
enjoyed our three months stay in
this country, and have scored heavily
in our comedy and dancing act. The
climate is great, also the rickShas and
the Kaffir war dances. While playing
Kimberley (the little town that con-
trolls the diamond market of the en-
tire worldl we had the good fortune
to meet the general manager of De
Beers Consolidated Diamond Mines,
MI. Ailicu WulldiIlSJ oil AItICIlCdu duu
a native of San Francisco. Imagine
& good old Yankee sitting at the
wheel of such a gigantic concern, the
market valuation of which is $685.
100000 three hundred and twenty
five million dollars) A mere trifie.
What!
"At his personal direction we were
shown over the diamond fields,
through the compound and pulsator,
where we saw the process of finding
diamonds, from the time they are dug
out of the earth until ready to send
to Amsterdam to be cut. We played
Durham last week and saw Billy
Potter (of Potter & HartwelD who
is still suffering from broken knee
cap, sustained from falling off the
stage, which was only temporary
one and hone too safe. He has
brought in a damage suit for $4,000.
Another fortnight will see US once
more on the briny deep, as we sail
for Sydney June 1st, to commence a
six months tour of Australasia. Re-
CARDS to all friends Will write more
from the land of the kangaroo.
yours merrily,