THE WILMOTT COMPANY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1002, 17 November 1883, Page 2

THE WILMOTT COMPANY.

The announcement that the comady of “Crutch and Toothpick” would be played for the first time in Ashburton last evening, served to bring together a crowded audience at the Town Hall, every seat both upstairs and down being occupied. This piece was the first of the rnaity successes of tlie now well-known author, Mr G. R. Sims, and when produced in London some two years ago, it had a long and prosperous run. The reason of this popularity was probably because it satirised the person known in the slang of to-day as the “ masher,” or, as the Americans call him, the “dude,” whoso emblem is a toothpick and a walking stick shaped like a crutch. The satire of Mr Sims is genial rather than trenchant, and he treats the effete creature of modern civilisation with a kindly hand, the moral of his piece being that in spite of affectation of dress and mode “ a man’s a man for a’ that.” The plot of the comedy is very simple, and deals with the troubles which beset Luy Devereux, a member of the “Crutch and Toothpick Brigade,” who has married a lady with money. This gentleman's father-in-law is an alderman with strong opinions as to the advisability of everyone wor Icing, and he holds his daughter’s husband in scorn because the latter is an non-producing element in humanity. The marrh d couple are happy enough, ho being of an uxorious nature and she affectionate, but owing to a tailor called Jellicoe having given a widow with whom he is flirting the name of Devereux as his own, a letter so addressed falls into the hands of the alderman, who opens it and fancies he discovers proof of deceit on the part of the husband. By the aid of this he causes a disagreement between the two, and Devereux determines that ho will not take his wife’s money on sufferance while she distrusts him, and accordingly he goes into trade as a bagman. Both are rendered miserable, but the mistake is discovered.in time, and Jellicoe, whom the alderman had destined to marry his second daughter, is sent to the rightabout, the curtain falling upon the renewed happiness of Devereux and his wife. The man of business is forced in the end to admit that some people are intended by nature to make money and others to spend it. An underplot is provided, in which Amy Jones is courted by another cputch-ancj-toothpicker, whose at-

tempts at trade, under the instructions of his lover, turn out disastrously. The dialogue is brilliant throughout, and although the action is for the most part farcical some really good comedy scenes are provided, as for example the interviews between Devereux and his wife in the second act. As played by the Wilmott Company little fault can be found with the manner in which the comedy was put on the stage. Miss Crawford was well suited as Dolly Devereux, and she showed considerable sprightlinesa in the lighter episodes, nor was she wanting in power in the more pathetic situations. Miss Lawrence also deserves praise as Amy Jones, and showed herself a capable soubrette actress, and Miss Johns did well in the minor part of Lady Pennicuick. We have certainly never seen Mr licde to such advantage as in the character of Guy Devereux, which he played with a commendable restraint of manrer appropriate to a light comedy part of tliis kind. Mr James Wilkinson was rather astray in the dialogue at times, but his rendering of the parsimonious and not very scrupulous Alderman Jones showed humorous appreciation, albeit it was not altogether in his line. Mr Simmonds as Cecil Leighton was amusing, and Mr Teece gave a clover character sketch in the minor part of Jtfbbins, an itinerant vendor of stationery. The other characters were fairly tilled. At the conclusion of the comedy several vocal selections were given by Misses Crawford and Johns and Mr Mack D. Alexander, while Mr Teeco contributed a recitation and Mr Wilkinson a comic dance. These items were much appreciated by the audience, who were throughout rather boisterous in their demonstrations of approval. Tonight will be produced Paul Merritt’s il Golden Plough,” a play which is reported to be the author's best, and which has been highly praised in the colonial press. The season so far has been a successful one, and as the company deserve all the support they have obtained, we hope to be able to chronicle a good attendance this evening.