THEATRE ROYAL.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3552, 27 November 1882, Page 2

THEATRE ROYAL.

The Opera

The Tambour-Major Opera Company arrived per Rotorua on Saturday evening, and were landed shortly after 5 o'clock amidst a downpour of rain. Under ordinary circumstances no performance would have taken place that evening, but it having been announced that the company would appear without fail it was resolved by the management not to break faith with the public if such could possibly be

avoided, and no time was lost in having the necessary costumes, &c, unpacked and the stage put in readiness for the production of the promised opera " Patience." The result of this decision, if not entirely satisfactory to the several performers, must at least have been gratifying to the large and respectable audience that assembled in the Theatre, and who bore with exemplary fortitude the slight delay that occurred before the rise of tbe curtain. Ol course it was impossible iv the short time at disposal to fix the scenery and mechanical apparatus usually employed in the production of the piece, so the stock secenery of the house, with the addition of a few of the company's available properties, had to be substituted, and it is only fair to say these were utilised to the best advantage. Indeed no small amount of praise is due to Messrs MacCullum and Vernon, and their several assistants, for the creditable manner in which everything was carried outjunder the'circumßtances. To Signor Nobili, the indefatigable business manager, must, however, be awarded the greatest degree of credit for bringing his excellent arrangements to so successful an issue. At the same time Saturday night's performance must not by any means be taken as a criterion of the resources or artistic ability of the company, who, it may be said, had only just landed after a very unpleasant sea voyage, during which nearly every member suffered more or less the agonies of mal de mer ; and we do not, therefore, purpose at present to criticise in detail, preferring rather to wait until after this evening's representation, when the management will have had an opportunity of staging the piece thoroughly, and the singers of having recovered from the ill effects ot their late voyage, with its concomitant fatigue and ennui.

Of the opera itself not much remains to be said. The plot, if indeed it possesses any, is of the sligbest possible description, but the piece abounds in absurd and mirth-provoking situations, while the music, though not in any degree extraordinary, is sparkling and attractive. The dialogue, too, is very good in parts, but suffers in comparison with that of former operas by the same authors. We shall be greatly surprised, however, if Mr Macallum's company fails to do full justice to-night to both the text and music placed in their bands. As Reginald Bunthorne, a fleshly poet, Mr Howard Vernon is an undoubted success; in fact he would seem to have made the part peculiarly his own. The same may be said of Mr Drayton, who both sang and acted in the character of Grosvenor with admirable taste and finish. Of the ladies Miss Elsa May as Patience, Miss Liddiard as Angela, and Mdlle. Navarro as Lady Jane, each deserves special mention. Miss May evidently possesses a voice of considerable power and flexibility, which we venture to predict will be employed by her to good advantage tbis evening. This young lady is also a very pleasing actress. A really good orchestra, numbering some ten performers, under the leadership of Signor Tramaglia, renders valuable assistance. In our next issue we shall publish an extended critique of the production in its various departments. Meantime it can do no barm if we thrown out a suggestion to some one or two of the gentlemen who hold subordinate characters in " Patience," namely, never to burlesque their business through a desire to please a section of the audience.