Hamlet, Galloping Crabs and

Making The Guadalcanal

Club Pay

Hamlet, Galloping Crabs and Square Dancing All Help

THE new Guadalcanal Club, which was opened in March, replacing the old leaf building which burned down in 1949, has added a good deal to the en tertainment of the small European com munity in Honiara, British Solomon Islands.

Five or six very successful dances have been held there. On one evening, the Club was loaned by the Committee for an amateur theatrical performance, held, partly, to see what sort of show local European residents could put on; and partly to raise funds to add to the Club’s somewhat meagre bank account. Many rehearsals had been held in the two months before the show, which turned out to be extraordinarily good.

In order to avoid copyright complica tions, some of the short plays and duo logues had been written by the performers.

The stage was a hastily constructed dais made of timber borrowed from the PWD and effective improvised stage lighting was also arranged by PWD technicians in their spare time.

The performers did not attempt any thing too long or ambitious and the even ing sailed along to a successful conclu sion without even the technical hitches usual in amateur theatricals. A surpris ing amount of local talent came to light and the show was a credit both to organ isers and actors. One of the most amusing and unexpected items was the ghost scene from Hamlet, in Pidgin English and per formed by Government administrative officers.

Square dancing has also caught on among some of the Club members, and several times a week one or two sets are made up and a local “caller” puts them through their paces. These enthusiasts feel now that they could join in ade quately if square dancing is still popular when they go on leave.

ANOTER diversion on one Saturday evening was crab racing. Improvised “stalls” were constructed out of scrap plywood for the runners: a barrier when lifted, released them.

Small landcrabs, collected beforehand, each had a number painted in white on its back, and the “course” was a space six feet by twenty enclosed with plywood.

A small totalisator operated during the evening, with shilling tickets.

The “horses” caused mild consterna tion among some of the Club’s lady mem bers by wriggling out of their stalls and joining the onlookers in the members’ stand. There were eight races on the programme and the tote’s percentage of profit went to Club funds.

One member said, thoughtfully, that it would have been more exciting with large coconut crabs as runners. However, the small ones, with a good deal of spirited sideways prancing and some doubt about where the winning post was, provided a good deal of fun.

Doping was strictly forbidden, and one horse was disqualified because it had been given a gin and water. Just as the tee totallers (very rare in Honiara) always say, it did it no good, and the poor thing died.

Mr. F. W. P. Roe, who has, for some years, been manager of Bums Philp (South Seas) Co. in Rotuma has been transferred to Tonga where he will be come manager of the Vavau branch of the Company.