JOHN F. SHERIDAN’S MUSICAL COMEDY COMPANY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1699, 15 March 1906, Page 2

JOHN F. SHERIDAN’S MUSICAL COMEDY COMPANY.

THE EARL AND THE GIRL. His Majesty’s Theatre was crowded last evening when Mr John F. Sheridan made his reappearance onoe more before a Gisborne audience in the London success, that fascinating musioal extravaganza, 11 The Earl and the Girl.’’ Everywhere this piece has been staged ii has met with unqualified success, and last night proved no exception, the house fairly rising at thp I popular and clever oomedian on several occasions. The piece bubbles with merri> meat, and from the rise to the fall of the curtain there is not a dull .moment m the piece, whioh reaches the aerno of mirthfulness in the last scene where Mr Sheridan, as Jim Oheeze, a dog trainer, is tempted, for the munificent sum °f twenty pounds to assume the role of Dick Wargrave, the Earl of Stole, for "just one night.'? His impersonation of the Earl at the party at Stole Hall was a masterpiece of clever comedy, the merriment of the audjenoe bemg unrestrained throughout. Mr Sheridan was ably supported by Miss Heba Barlow, ss Liza Shodham, his sweetheart, Mr Avalon Oollard took the part of Dick Wargrave, in whioh he was eminently eueoessful. He possesses a fine tenor voice. Mr Ohas. Mettam filled the role of Dudley Oranbourne, and Mr Jean DeLaoy had a oongenial charaoteras Bunker Bliss, Elpbin Hayes’ unole, at whose hands Jim C i, n ttu3 worat quarter of an hour of his life. Mr DeLaoy has a rioh baritone voice, whioh was heard to great advantage. Miss Ray Jones, as Elphin Have an American heiress, won the hearts of the audience with her olever aoting, and eaoh ot the other characters were ably sustained. Ine piece contains a number of spirited ooneortod pieces and several fine solos amongst which are : ■' The Sporting Girl ” Moment to Spare,” "Blue MediterraneaD, “ Tho Man Behind,” " A Bit of Blarney, eto. The scenery and dresses can only bo described as magnifioent, and the scene in the "Rose” song verv beautiful. The danoing was also of a very high order, the evolutions of the Criterion ballet of eight " kangaroo danoing girls " being both artistic and graoeful. To night " Mrs Dooley’s Joke ” will be presented, the pieoe affording Mr Sheridan on opportunity to display his olevernefe in assuming female oharaoters. AU th ©■. dresees worn by Mrs Dooley will be quite ,n L, fashion, the race drees notably so. There are some good bolos and several fine oboruses, while the danc*’” tu{fi especially the jookey hornpjpo in the «0(i act] is of a very high order.