THEATER ROYAL.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2370, 7 November 1881, Page 3

THEATER ROYAL.

The mut enthusiastic friend of the Operatie Society could not in Justice compliment them in the slightest upon their rendering of “ La Fille de Madame Angot” on Saturday night. Indeed it was but one remove from total failure. Even making every allowance, as one feels inclined to do, for amateurs, and considering the difficulties which must necessarily beset any impresario in getting up a work of the calibre of “ Madame Angot," it cannot be said that in any sense the performance was one which sustained the well-won credit of the society in their production of “ The Chimes of Normandy.” The plain feet is, that, except Mrs F. H. Digby, every one of the characters were entirely overweighted, and when it is added to this that the orchestra, so far from being a support, was quite the reverse, it may be imagined that the rendition of an opera, bonfire which has been so well done here, and one which is exceedingly difficult, was not so successful as the friends of the society would have wished. The lady who undertook the part of Clairette was manifestly over weighted, not from the fact that she has not a good voice, but from an absence of knowledge how to utilise it. Her rendering of the revolutionary song, and indeed all her music, lacked verve and life. The former went like a dirge instead of the witty, sparkling song it is intended to be by the composer. The duet, “Oh, happy days,” went very flatly, and the best effort of the lady was decidedly in the quintette, “Eh, what?” in the second act, which went fairly well. The great quarrel scene, except so far as Madlle, Lange was concerned, fell very flat. On Mrs Digby, os Lange, fell the whole burden of the opera, and she sang and acted with an abandon and thorough artistic effect which wont far to redeem the piece from failure. She sang in the couplets “ The Men of Augereau ” very well indeed, but the introduced ballad, “Dome to me, my love,” was not suited to her vciee at all, though she was encored. She was also goad in the waltz song and in the quarrel scene. Mrs H. F. Towle played Amaranthe, but there was 'a want of life and go in her rendering of the “ Legend of Madame Angot,” and indeed throughout. Mr Fox was very tome as Ange Pitou, and Mr Edmonds made Larivoudiere a sort of French Mephistopheles. The gentleman who played Pomponnot, who was described on the programmes as Mr Kitchen, but did not resemble the impersonator of the Bailie in any way, was quite overweighted with his part, and Mr Newman's Trenitz was but a shadow of that eccentric saltatory individual. The choruses wore fairly given, especially that at the close of the first act ; but there was noticeable even in the subordinate parts a stiffness which detracted considerably from the go of the piece. The scenery and dresses were good. Mr Williams deserve* very great credit for his scene of the Calypso ball in the last act, which was a capital piece of scenic effect. The opera will be repeated this evening.