AMUSEMENTS.

Evening Star, Issue 3951, 23 October 1875, Page 2

AMUSEMENTS.

THE QUEEN’S THE kTRE. The large audience which assembled at the Theatre laat evening testified their apprecia tion of the valuable services rendered by Mrs Bates, for whose benefit the performance was given. Tho principal attraction consisted of a (llama, never before played in Dunedin, entitled “ ; ora, or L’Article 47.” Cora, the heroine, who is a character of the Camille stamp, when we first become acquaint d with her is living with one Duhauu-1. They do not remain happily together, and Duhamel In a rpiarrel fires at and wounds her. For this he U tried and sentenced to a terra of penal servitude. At the expii y of bis sentence he gats married to au heiress, from whom, however, ho conceals the fact bis previous punishment. To seek hia father-in-law he hat to visit tho house of Cora who now leads a fast life in Paris -and she avows that her eld love for him has returned. He, however, loathes her, and offers her money to keep his sentence a secret. His Offers are rejected, and she begs that he will repeatedly visit her, hreatening to expo r e him to his young wife if he will not do her bidding. Dumhnrael’s wife enters while her husband and Cora are quarrelling, «nd accuses him of inconstancy, Cora, exasperated by Duhamel’s cot ness towards her, exposes him to his wife. After an explanation by Duhamel the couple leave, and Cora —who has gone mad struggles with herself and dies. Thus abruptly ends * hQ .drama, which his very little to commend it. Nearly tho whole of the work falls on the shouldeio °f Cora. This character was an excellent one for .Mrs Bates, and we do not remember he.ring seen her to such advantage since she first appear .d in Dunedin. In the second act, where, goaded to despefatum by Duhamel’s taunts, she threatens to expose him and inform tho police of hia evasion of article 47 -which compels a released ponviefc to report himself—her acting was remarkably good and fairly entitled her to tho rounds of applause which it received. Mr Bates played well as Duhamel; but, so far as some of the other characters were concerned, {k Would have been much bettc-r had their representatives shown a better acquaintance with the text. In tho farce of “Poor Pilliooddy” Messrs Rates and Stoneham were exco. diugiy amusing. Tonight “Tho Long Strike” will be given. It is announced ‘.hat Mr Boucicault’s “ Shaughran” will shortly be produced.

THE TEMPERANCE HALL.

The entertainment given in aid of All Saints’ Church building fund last night proved very successful, both as far as regards the attendance and the character of the evening’s amusement. The spelling bee, the judges for which were Captain Hutton, Professor Macgregor, and Mr Stout, proved the chief attraction About twenty competitors (all gentlemen) took part, and Latham’s dictionary was the standard. “ Diphthong” was the first word mis-spelt, the victim being a gentleman of the long robe; but his fate was no worse than that of his companion, who could not master “insignia,” “Par Helo;ram/’ “psychology,” “diaphragm,” “ratiocinate,” “bassinet,” &c. f scon mate rially reduced the ranks. When there were only four competitors left, the principal prize-taker at the Cricket Club’s late bee mis-spelt “pedagoguy.” I here were now only left a medical gentleman well-known to our readers by his very frenuem appearance in print, the foreman of a “chapel ” on one of she morning newspapers, and a lawyer. The doctor spelt “moccasin” as “mocassin,” the pressman “panacea” with a superfluous “ c,” audMr Nation was leftiu possession ot thestago, he taking the first prize. The second fell "to Mr Matthews, the third to Dr Bakewell, and the fourth to Mr Pose. The pronouncing bee, the judges for which were Ar Justice Williams and Mr James Smith, brought forward some of those who had taken part in tho spelling bee, besides a number of new faces. The prize takers were Dr Bakewell, first prize ; Mr Holland, second; Mr Nation, third ; Mr N. Buchanan, fourth. A sale of fancy goods brought alvery enjoyable evening to a"close.