"HANS THE BOATMAN."

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1891, 12 July 1888, Page 2

"HANS THE BOATMAN."

In another column will be found tho preliminary notice of the above company* <( Hans the Boatman " (s an entirely new and original musical-comedy drama written expresaely for Mr Oharles Arnold by Olay M. Greene, and is to be played at the Oddfelloir'a Ball here on the ltth and 19th inst. The management is the same as that whioh ao successfully toured tho colony with Messrs Brough and Bouoioault's burlesque company. Since opening In Inveroarglll lately, the company has met with great success and Ib at present In Dnnedin playing to packed audienoea nightly. This Is the result of the complete way In whioh Messrs Brough and BouolcauJtgo to work for they introduse none but first class companies Into this colony. The opinions of the London Press on " Hans the Boatman/ are given In an advertisement elsewhere, and we subjoin a critique of. the Initial performance at lovercargill as given m the oolums of the " Southland Fews. — The play la of simple construction, but the author to whom the world is in* debted for "Struck Oil," has cleverly Introduced several strong situations that heighten the Interest and give to the piece a distinctive flavour. The story can be told In brief space. Yank Thursby, boatman, and his daughter Thomas JefFsrson —so oalled to mark her dad's disappointment on account of her sex— live m one of the lake dlstrlots of America. With them is Hans, a Swiss, a happy-go-lucky, fun-loving, work-detesting young fellow, who literally takes no thought for the morrow, and thinks It sufficient If he earns enough to pay for his board. The boatman's daughter is m love with him, and all promises to go with un proverbial smoothness, when a shadow falls across the path of the unsophisticated villagers. A New York belle visits the plaoe during the summer, and wearied of the curled darlings of society she has juat left, becomes enamoured of Hans, for whose sake she braves the hatred of another less favoured Bultor and her father's anger. To add to the tangle a young naval offiosr falls a willing viotim to the ohacma of the vlvaolous Thomna Jefferson. She aoorns his addreass at first, but ultimately agrees' to change her came. Meanwhile Hans and his wife have discovered that life la not one long romance. Although Hans has married for love he ianot willing to workfor "siller" and eventually his city bred better-half disgusted with his laok of energy, leaves him, going away under the protection of her former admirer, who seeks to revenge himself for h'l rejaotlon by compromising her good name, and suooeeda, but only for a time. When brought face to face *l'h the possibility that his wife may cease to care for him, Hans beoomes a new man, detertnio.es to ba no longer a grown-np child, but to work hard for his wife and little one. Fall of his new ambition he makes a bonfiae of tho toys with whioh he has been wont to ao.use the youngster?. One of these, unlookily; for Hacß, h»d hidden m the fire-plaoe a powder horn, by the explosion of which he is deprived of sight. Ga«t upon the world with no friend but his , faithful dog Lioo, he waudera osaaelessly. about, ever seeking, ever hoping to find the wife lo whom he has never lost faith. Eventually his quest proves suocesaful, and he Is rewarded by finding that she has, neverbeen really unfaithful to him. A. -skilful operation restores his sight and a timely beqqest from the father of a ohlld whom he had rescued from drowning relieves him from the necessity of doing what ha, was neyer fit for— work. Mr Charles Arnold materialises the author's poetip conception with marvellous effect, rje oarrlea the audience with' him m situations that m the hands of one less perfeotly a mister of his art would border on the faroltl or absurd. However, heartily the house may laugh it la with and not at Haas, who, so to speak, takes all present Into his confidence. It la bard to say where he most excelled— whether as the central figure In the daisy chain formed by the children, who waylay him at every turn (; or as the victim of their pranks. He was good all through, but if a selection Is made from any of ""the telling soenea m Which 'the play abounds, the audienoe were, 'it la safe to say, delighted with the one id whioh Hana avows his love for the city maiden. .It was a delipious bit of comedy —as good as anything eyer seen on th,e stage, the effect being heightened by th& broken JSoglieh m which Hans gave utteranae to the high flown sentiments usual on such occasions . Nor was Mr Arnold less successful m his songs, whioh are finely rendered, the gem of the set being the lullaby In the seoond act.