"A COUNTRY GIRL."

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 744, 17 February 1910, Page 6

"A COUNTRY GIRL."

;',-"A. Co'unfry .Girl.'';-..:A:niusical play , in two : ,'acts..- )By :■ James"'.T: '.Tanner. ;• lyrics by Adrian'lEoss.;-'Music b'y.'Lionel:Monckton.';vf.', l . i ' , :'- > -;- , Vi : ;^:.' - * : •'!"-' '•'■■ 1' -Geoffrey,,Clialloner '.'.'. 'Mr. Herbert- Clayton The,E.ttgah".,or Bhong ';.. Mr:; Victor Prince Sir,.. Joseph- Verity ■;..■.... Sir. -Arthur'.Lissant Douglas .Verity',:.:.;.■.:...;..■ .■■Mγ.. JvE.: HogueGranfer : Mummefyv;.:..;;.'.'.:..-./Jlr. 'A:-*Harkb 'Ba«y- -;™v ,;....;;;;..'.- Mr; -W.- S.: Percy Madame. Sophie ■'...;;.... .MtiaaViottle: Sargent Nan: ;;.;......;.....;..;.;:■;;;.;..:;.;;-..Jlisa Ivy Scott Pnnceßß '.Mchelaneli ..-.;:■' Misa Olive- Godwin ...;;...;.;. -Miss-Ada Stirling .Marjono Joy .;.;:...;:..;.. Miss ..Dorothy Court

::..Last -night's., experience at .the Opera House,.: showed■-.- !that... a- succession of ■younger" musical .comedies- Vhas -not destroyed' the/appreciation, of- a Wellington' audience;,for an old:favourite.'.,Not. that-"TKeJ.Country...;Girl'-.:'.is. .old, a musical ;coiriedy,'; but: it has .been produced for- tiro , : previous .seasons', in- Wellington.' Certainly-'it'has.neyer been' performed"to. moTe'.' advantage' than it■■ was: by Mr. : ;\Vil'r - . liamspny. company.'.last "evening. ■- Nor' is i it'.isurprising' that -'The •'. King >' ;of - ,Ca.-. .donio;,"':'.'fH£iva'riai"i'; : .aiid;,; other. • - : recent; creation's be, unable , : ,tb supplant' "The,iCountry.)Girl".:;in-'.the' , affeotions - of; playgoer's. (. Its : music, isV bright, and.- l}unq,'ful;; ;. : :.'find' decidedry-';abßv6 ;.the-{,avera'gej: :arid■•'if -is ■ animated , iarid-'^amusing l ifroni start. ;to finish.. ,The'"'~conipa!)y,,.which.- re-; vived. the, piece .'last night, especially' suited; to 'its. performance." .True, .there l was/no part' fqr^Mr; Gilbert,-:the principal . comedian. : :of .the. company, - but ■ Mr. .Per,cy,; \ as, the , .,sailor,/, Barryj'; had, a-• role in-which'.he fairly .revelled. Miss Dbr.pthy.. Court,', who.-.was'' absent ';from;■ the cast.'of "Havanai" , 'had ■'. the'-: name'.part in : "The : CountryiGirl."" '.It..is not: a gr.eat'adting part,; but-Miss .'Cpurt looked .winsome,' acted:/,'simply ; -and \j naturally, :and. sang.-with.-very'.. .'fair •'.success. '-The pleasing sblqi ''Hark;(to,:tUe/.Song','". Was sung by-heri'in;a;manner;which , caused the. audience' • .Her reception of her lover,'• Geoffrey-.Challoner,. on ■ his.-, return .from . sea;-: and.'v.'hcn he makes love to 'her, believing, , her, to '.be ano'ther; person, "might-possibly-have/been more , :.ilr. Herbert .Clayton, in;-V;the ■"■ ]' part;.:, of; Geoffreyi' '."seemed also, to • i .assume.-.'thati-as;: the ■ course of 'true, love :is naturally unsmooth, there -was no. necessity for.;him' : '.to -'exaggerate, •its:-roughness. He.did,ihowever,-kiss the ihayfield ; ' : • girls '■■-, ] .; oil •.' ■ his - ■,■.'.: -arrival . with.r. liveliness-; 'and ' ardour, , ',, and made Ka very ,'.hajidsomej7,p.leasingj''. and Bentimonta, if. riot'K ;.very.'exciting, loy.er. Mr,"' Clayton's. ;baritpne. .ybice , ; is : a. strong.' .asset,' andi his , . , einging of ■"A Sailor's Life," and K in.;tha ;dnet;:in';,the :flrst..act with-.-Miss Court, leftv'nothing- to ; be :de.sired.,, Mr. •Victor.Prince, as. the!impqs-ing,.-.huinorous Eajah of Bh'ong.'had bet-ter-opportunities to : display his.vocal and .comic' gifts • than, either.; of.; his' previousparts had'allowed. :;His;song,."The Ka]ali of Bhpng,",,,was.one..of the-chief hits of the/first jact.-.-It'-was. sung very senten.tiorisly,. with a;sly;.suggestion of./mirth) . and.' amused the : 'audience- so: much . that other , verses: had. .to; be'- continually added. Miss- Lottie Sargent had" a 'sohgenial part; of \ whioh she;made.,.the most,! as the'- dress-: maker'-Sophie,- who to coijiport, herself-in high. society. •;.'The irrepressible. ■youth-> Barry ;■ makes;/love -tb Sophie i in- 'Various ' -'disguises,'.::and :--wlien these.two , had the; stage .the':.aiidience;did not want -for humour..:.. Mr. , ; Percy-was especially -Jamusing - r ;ijt...the: .time. whe,n he:: assumes' .an,',aristppratib .'bearing. :tqwards. the; • and ■. Oiliss; Sargent ■was. quite equat>tq-;inainta'ining.'her- side' of..'.the'.ipV?; v 1 .They each "other , in amusing antics , in- ; the:"Chicken" in: which ;both.;these":clever-people ■ hopped round and. scratched:-the,,earth•' as .oßiekens •wjth.a. fidelity' to :the.part ; that, would qualify '-.theni■-. at. once. - -'for i parts >,in. -M. Rostand's' : fowl-yard,,plaj.v- 'dt. -is.-ipar-t' of :Bdrryfe..:,'-:-'cha:rJicteic'; i - : ;:t0. : .:...-'compiit-. , -.' ; -Hia master '-.- to ...all;,.sorta- •■ engagements ;with.: a; lively' .irresponsibUity A - : ,. .and ■ .to make .-love' i p'n" his- own!'account with a cheerful :.pertinacity.-..and:;.fe^rcefulnesS.' In.'qrder.to flnd-'admittance'itb,.the Minister's.:reception/,he 'gbesVattired ; asia. lady, and '.the" effusive: a'ffection'-yithfwh'ich he greets'"the; other .>ladies ; at .this function, a'nd -the spirit. in -which; he receives ; the love-inaki ng, of Joseph: Verity ■ are diverting; in- thevextreme;.' Mr.' Arthur Lissant ;made 'just''al-litfle more;fidicul-, ous , than one'could- conceive ' : 'in'jt''perso.n' of , his~statiori,'--and t Mr. his , son Dooilas, who.' chewa :• straws,., tended- - also to ..ovey-dq: vacuity. , "'MissVOlive-. Godmn hadva' spihe'what tragic:-part: as-the , ., vengeful; passionate-Indian' , , priicessiwlip faUs^desperately ,, in: love-.-with .Geoffrey Challoner;'but'cbnsolesvKerself■ very- simply I 'on .discoyer'in'githat'.herjsuitis.liopeGodwin's ; singing; of "Under tho Deodars.f ..wasone of the chief p'leasiirest of. thei'pperaV --.;lliss= Ivy ■■ Scott" acquitted •'herself well ■. as. the : unsophisticated t rustic, maiden.'. who -,is /not, however,-.oue-half so 'simplo as she. looks.' in which:Marjo.rie.-. Joy ("The Country. Girl"). interrupts ;the affcction 7 ate...dispkr-'henfeen/hor'lover, and. Na!n: ■was specially -well played 'by:>3liss Scott. While Marjorie is,shocked at the discovery, and her lover is dupibfbunded ,at ; her appearance, mischievous Nan,'.who.was the partj' most: to-blame.. treats. their -astonishment and confusion-:as ;a-;delightful j joke;'" Mr. ..'A;',-Marks .made'. the ; . most .of the" small part of Granfer.' Mummery, aid Miss' .-:-Ada, ■ Stirling -..was-, sufficiently haughty..'and.. , aristocratic-;' p< , . O.nentin.•■All the minor-parts. were'.well. nlledJl-MisS;-!!. a'/verr clever: exhibition; of -.a .mazurka. ;',-.'rhj 'staqring ;ahd dresses' were alike , beautiful, and'a crowded audience:had;,no moments of ennui during the three' hours' perform--anco.' "The'Conntry:Girl" wiU'be'-played again; to-night. . ; .:■ ..-"' ■"• '■■■ '"■] '. '■"'