THE VARIETY PERFORMANCE AT WAIPAWA.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3583, 5 January 1883, Page 2

THE VARIETY PERFORMANCE AT WAIPAWA.

[To THE EdITOB OF THE DAILY TELEGRAPH.] Sir, —Pardon my intrusion on your valuable space, but I wish to correct a few of the errors of your own "Wiiipawa correspondent, whose pen, though flowing with satire, is not so veracious as one might wish. The subject I am alluding to is the performance of the Vermont Variety Troupe, whioh was held at "Waipawa on January Ist. I will give him credit for one thing he says, and that is "we met with Irish justice ;" and so we did, for when people come to see a performance with rotten eggs in their pockets, the performers, be they ever so good, know what to expect. Rotten eggs are not procurable at a moment's noticein fact I was informed in AVaipawa that they were purchased at mid-day, so that anyone can see we were condemned first, and had but a very poor show of being tried afterwards. If the first part of the performance was only heard on sufferance, perhaps your correspondent will kindly inform me why the stump speech and songs were encored ? And again, he was misinformed of the strength of our troupe, which he says consisted of four men, a girl, and a child." Now, for his especial benefit be it known, the troupe numbered seven—namely, six men and one lady. As regards the female portion of the audience leaving , the hall after the stump speech, I think it was time, for then I reckon our performance ended, and the gods commenced, and I must say their performance far out-rivalled ours. And then, as your correspondent says, "the Warpawa brass band came to the rescue." Music must indeed have charms when it is able to subdue tho savage breasts of the audience we met with. Now, he says, that one of the troupe " let off a ballad." Can you inform me how a man '' lets off a ballad." Of course I have often heard the term used with regard to fireworks, but the ballad in question was " Jack's Yarn," and there is not much fire-works about that. Anyhow, after it was let off, I think your correspondent must have gone out for a drink, for he never says anything about the banjo sketch, but he says "such a scene has never before been witnessed in Waipawa." Now I was told the noxt day that it is nothing unusual for a Waipawa audience to rush the stage, and this was well prepared for us before-hand. And indeed, when the dressing room windows were broken with stones, and showers of missiles fell on the roof, I think it was highly necessary to procure the escort of the police. Hoping you will be able to find room for this, —I am &c, One of tiie Tboote. January 3rd, 1883.