AUSTRALIAN DRAMA.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3703, 29 May 1883, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN DRAMA.

Mr George Darrell and his little foibles aro so well-known throughout this colony that the following "skits," recently published in Melbourne, where the inimitable George is coining money with one of his dramas, will be read with interest:—

We learn that our retiring and bashful " Celebrated Australian Actor-Author," Mr Dorge Jerrell, is busily at work upon a now play, being stimulated thereto by the success of his former productions. The strong points in this gentleman's dramas aro their oxtrome probability— aprobability extremely painful to witness—and a fidelity to fact that is not only a staangor to fiction, but hasn't oven dwelt on the same planet with it.

p.orge. JeiToll's new play is strictly moral in tone, tune, time, and instrumentation. It is set in tho key of G.D., which prcvades the work from start to finish. The incidents are realistic, and the acting will be Jorreilistic, so much so that nobody but the "Celebrated Australian Actor - Author " will havo anything to do or say in it, except to come in, and, in female cases, be rescued by tho hero (Mr Dorge Jcrrellj, and as to the male parts, be knocked down, struggled with, shot, scalped, rubbed on the iloor, and made scrapers and door-mats of by the rightful heir (Mr D. Jcrrell). Some lively songs will be introduced by one of the leading characters (Mr D. Jcrrell), and a prologue and epilogue by a gentleman who has already made a name for himself (Djarrell). Tho music has been arranged by a celebrated composer (Signor Giorga Darrclli), and new scenery has been paiuted by a well - known artist (Herr Schottch Darreller). Tho plot is new and simple. The piece opens with an overturo by a number of cannons which explode in unison, Avith marked effect to such of tho audience as have not been instructed to keep their hair on, and shut their mouths if they desire to retain possession of their- teeth.

The first act introduced us to a pirate's lair (lights down), where a young and beautiful maiden has boon kept immured for over tliirty yeaiw. As she has now reached tho age of eighteen tho pirato wishes to marry her; but she won't. Sho loves another ! Her heart is given to one George Darrello. Sho has never seen him, but he has regularly forwarded her playbills of his pieces, together with "flattering encomiums" upon his success. Tho pirato is about to forco her to wed, when she rushes to the orchestra and seizes a cannon. They struggle, tho pirato triumphs, and is about to blow tho maiden into forcemeat fragpmts, wJis_ G&'OVgo ParrellQ, 'w\ft fcaa

been up in a balloon in the sunny south, looking for ideas, falls out Avith such force that he forms an instantaneous mine through the roof of the pirate's cave. [Note on the M.S. prompt copy, " Turn the lime-light Avell on mo here."] He arrives in time to rush doAvn, [Note: "Follow mo with the lime-light"] ejaculate " KchoAvard !" very far down his throat, knock over the pirate with his riirht, and blacken the touch-hole of his cannon Avith his left. Ho seizes the fainting girl—Tableaux. [Note: "See that the light is kept well on me. Never mind the girl."] The next act shows George Darrello m a garden, cutting up cherry trees Avith a hatchet. "I cannot tell a lie " (if he did, it would be a ventriloquial one), " I kehannot teller liah. I am tho celebrated Aus-tralian-Actor-Author. Ha! Avho comes '-■" Pirates do, heaps of them, carrying the dead body of the heroine before mentioned. They disco\*or George, bind him on a funeral pyre of cherry-trees, and set it on fire. He says, " kehoAvards !" again in a A-oico husky Avith emotion aud smoke. His dead love recognised that bass chest-note, and comes back from the grave, where it As-as supposed she had been transported for life. The pirates seize her, Avhen the flames around George sever his bonds, and he is free, though scorched. He seizes a flaming brand, and sets fire to about fourteen pirates, avlio burn rapidly in consequence of the quantity of rum in their compositions. We have not space to detail the remainder of the plot, but avo can assure our readers that it is equally simple and true to nature. Every act is rinishod by the hero, CA-ery man is killed by him, every maid is rescued by him, every virtuous speech made by him and all tho limelight kept on him. The talented author Avill sustain all the chief parts. He Avill also play the proscenium, footlights, an escape-door, moneytaker, and stage door. Tho celebrated Author-actor had hoped to be able to {day the stage, but with his commondublo modesty he fears his style of acting is not sufficiently Avooden for that.