HOSPITAL ENTERTAINMENT.

Kumara Times, Issue 1414, 13 April 1881, Page 2

HOSPITAL ENTERTAINMENT.

We may congratulate the Hospital Committee on the very excellent entertainment produced last night by the gifted Comedy Company for the benefit of our local institution. The inhabitants of this district are never slow to come forward when called upon to manifest their sympathy with any charitable object, atid the Company who played and the Committee who sought their assistance would be equally gratified at the bumper house which greeted their united endeavors to make the performance last night a success. Boildieu's grand Overture " Le Calife de Bagdad" was rendered by the orchestra (which included Mr A. Miller) in a manner that bespoke the greatest efficiency, and the effect was pleasin<* in the extreme. The play specially selected for the evening was the emotional character drama " Struck Oil," and right well were the several parts in the three acts sustained from first to last; in fact we may safely say we never saw a piece on a Kumara stage which received, and deservedly so, such genuine bursts of laughter and applause—whether it emanated from admiration of the conduct of the poor but honest shoemaker John Stoffel (Mr J. Wilkinson) or the pourtrayal of the character of the cowardly and covetous Deacon Skinner (Mr E. W. Rede), who acted their parts to perfection. We could not but admire the manner in which Mrs Stoffel (Miss Lawrence) gently upbraided John for lolling about the street-corners (where recruiting for the Army is going on) and consequent inattention to his work • and her sorrow, when he eventually resolves to sell his set vices to the Deac; u and act as his '■ substitution" to go " to

the front;" the pangs of separation ; and her extreme pleasure when he returns (as he does in the nick of time to prevent their cherished homestead from falling into the hands of the avaricious deacon) —her pourtrayal of these incidents were occasions for rapturous applause from the audience. Miss Amy Johns (Miss Stoffel—John's only child, Mrs Stoffel beiDg his second wife) sustained her part well as a loving yet frolicsome girl, who no doubt had her share of fun out of " thosh boys" who occasionally teased her in and out of school about her Dutch accent. But where she sings and dances her farewells for her father at the homestead, and at the guard-house where the final leave-taking is enacted prior to his departure for the front, and where the soft and melodious sounds of the little " somethink in remembrance" of her which he is to take and keep by him is heard, warbling " Home, sweet Home"—these were moments for great demonstrations by the house of pleasure and feeling. We must, however, to he short, say that Messrs Wilkinson and Rede performed their parts in a way that we have never seen surpassed, if equalled here. The other characters, Sergeant Flynn (Mr R. Love), Dr. Brown, (Mr Alexander), Corporal Sharpe (Mr Herbert), Officer of the day (Mr Warren), and Loafer (Mr Shiels), were sustained in capital style, each combining to make the whole performance an unbounded success. Some capital songs, by Messrs Love and Alexander, and singing and dancing by Miss Johns concluded the entertainment. Mr Campbell, one of the Hospital Committee, appeared on the stage during one of the intervals, and thanked the audience for their patronage, and the talented Comedy Company for their valuable services in so charitable an object.