SHOWS AND SHOWMEN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume III, Issue 654, 5 June 1882, Page 2

SHOWS AND SHOWMEN.

Under the above heading I purpose, week by week, to chronicle the doings of “ the profession ” both at home and I abroad. Theatrical and other entertainments of a local kind will, of course, receive special attention, and I trust that my weekly budget of stage gossip will not ' be found unacceptable to the readers of The Guardian. ' The coming theatrical event in Ashburton will be the amateur entertainment at the Town Hall in aid of the Library funds. The date is not yet fixed, but the affair will probably come off about the end of the month. The first part of the evening I will, I understand, be devoted to miscel- I laneous items, comprising songs, readings, I and vocal and instrumental selections ; I

I but the piece de resistance will consist of the “Trial from Pickwick,” which, if my I information is correct, is to be put upon the boards in first-class style. The whole of the characters, or nearly the whole of them, have been cast, and as soon as the I dramatised version of the famous breach I of promise case is in hand (the waiting for I Which is causing some unexpected delay) I the piece is to be put in active rehearsal, j I The Town Hall stage will be converted I fob the nonce into a regular Court of Justice, with regular judge’s desk, clerk’s desk, witness-box, jury-box, etc., and to I add to the fun, the immortal Pat Boy j and a comic policeman are to be intro- ( duced “ for this occasion only.” I The Fancy Dress Rink at the Town I Hall on the Bth inst. promises to be j highly successful. All the skaters will be I attired in fancy costumes. The thing should be well worth seeing, even if it is j only viewed from the gallery, and I am I pleased to learn that the tickets are going I off rapidly.

The local Dramatic Club have very generously consented to give a performance at the beginning of next month in aid of the Library Fund. The pieces selected are “Doing my Uncle ” and “ 117, Arundel street.” The former has been specially requested. The Exhibition at Christchurch has made the Cathedral City more than usually ■festive of late. At the Royal the comic opera “ La Petite Mademoiselle ” was the latest attraction. The piece was produced by Mr H. F, Towle, assisted by that,

lively little lady Miss Amy Horton, who was until recently the bright particular star of “ Lyon’s Tourist Party,” and played with the company on the occasion of their visit to Ashburton some weeks back. “La Petite Mademoiselle ” was played for the last time on Wednesday evening, when Mr Towle took a farewell benefit prior to his departure for Sydney, where he has secured a theatrical appoint* ment of importance. At the conclusion of the opera the beneficiare sang a new patriotic sorg of his own composition, which was well received. It is said to bo a far superior production both in words and music to the milk-and-watery “ Hands all Round. ”

The Old English Fair wound up a successful season at the drill shed, Christchurch, on Saturday. “Ye Chelsea buns ” were announced as one of the attractions of the Fair. Whether the buns were remarkable for their staleness I cannot say, but a Christchurch confectioner, who must bo a wag in his way, invited the public by advertisement to go to him for Chelsea buns, which were “not made in ye olden tyme, but fresh every morning ?” At the Christchurch Gaiety that wellknown professor of the noble art of selfdefence Jem Mace, the holder of the champion belt of the now extinct English P.R., is appearing in conjunction with a number of other athletes.

Barritfc’s Sciopticon Cosraorana closed a short season in Christchurch on Friday, and opened up at Lyttelton on Saturday. “ Gifts ” aro included amongst the attractions.

“ Professor Westen,” lately in Ashburton, is now appearing at Invercargill. He did not draw particularly well in Dunedin.

A skating contest comes off at the Exhibition on the 12th inst., in the Concert Hall.

The Wellington amateurs will give a performance in aid of the Timaru Wreck Relief Fund, at the Wellington Theatre Royal, to-night. Mrs Marcus Clarke (Miss Marion Dunn) purposes to return to the stage shortly. Johnny Hall is about to sail for London. The Harts, of “ Happy Hours ” celebrity are playing in Sydney. Hoskiiis is also in Sydney playing with Miss Jennie Lee, whose “ Jo” is just now the attraction there.

Lyons’ Tourists and the Lynch Family of Bell-ringers are in Tasmania. The Bell-ringers rang the “ English Church Chimes ” the other night at Launceston, and so affected one old couple, who said that they had walked eight miles “ just to hear the Chimes once more,” that the audience was quite touched, and at the old man’s earnest request the item was repeated. He said he had been a sexton years and years ago in England, Horace Bent’s Minstrels are in Melbourne, doing well, and “The Colonel” is also delighting Melbourne audiences.

I will conclude this week’s gossip with a little story, which, if not true, is at least new, and very funny. An aspiring amateur dramatist recently wrote to Alex. Dumas, asking, in an off-hand way, that the great author would be good enough to revise a production of his pen and place his name on the title-page as joint author. To this remarkably cool request Dumas replied—“ Sir—How dare you propose to yoke together a horse and an ass 1” To which the young author replied—“ Sir, — How dare you call me a horse 1” Dumas was so tickled, it is said, that be “ thought better of it. ” Mask.