OUR MELBOURNE DRAMATIC LETTER

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVII, Issue 6507, 4 January 1882, Page 6

OUR MELBOURNE DRAMATIC LETTER

[HBOM OUE OWN OOBEHBPONDBNT.] “ Nemo me impose lacessit.” Mblboubnb, Deo. 20, 1881. The dead season has now fairly set in again, and no matter how attractive a programme may be presented, the audiences at almos 1 ; all our places of amusement have been limited. In honest truth, however, I must except Mr Fred Maooabe at St George’s Hall. His entertainment, “ Begone, Dull Care,” is still the talk of the town. It has a freshness and exhilaration about it that to my mind fully warrants its title. There has never yet been a monologue performance in this city that has so effectually caught the public taste. On Saturday evening, at the Boyal, Miss Georgia Smithson appeared in a tissue of rubbish—“a startling sensational” drama, entitled The Female Detective or the Thief Taker, in which she enacted five different and distinct characters. In these she displayed very considerable histrionic ability, songs and dances following each other in quick succession. Miss Smithson—or I should rather say Mrs Jaines Holloway—has proved herself an artiste of marked ability, and will, I doubt not, make for herself name and fame on the Australian stage. Great preparations are being made hero for the production on Christmas Eve of the pantomime Whittington and his Cat, for which the services have been scoured of Mr James Holloway (clown), the sisters Rosalie and Josephine Burdett Coutts, the lee Brothers (sprites), and Mr F. J. Silvester and his troupe of dogs and monkeys. Mias Smithson will appear us the hero Diok Whittington. On Saturday night an excellent presentation of Dion Bduoicuult’s brilliant comedy London Assurance wes given at the Bijou Theatre, the occasion being a complimentary benefit to the directress (Mrs Q.B. W. Lewie). Mr Wybert Reeve appeared as Sir Haroourt Oourtley, end Mr George Arthur WaUtab as Dazzle, a part which ho has often played before, and for the performance of which ho received the entire approval of the Kto Mr Charles Mathews, when that able comedian was in this Colony. The comedy went with smoothness and “go” from beginning to end, and was witnessed by what has been a novelty boro for some weeks past—a foil attendance. The theatre is now closed until Saturday evening next—Christnas Eve—when the new grand Christmas pantomime of Gulliver or Harlequin King Lilliput will bo presented. On this occasion Miss Carry Nelson (Mrs J, Fadyen) will reappear in this city after an absence of some some twenty yeare. Blow for Blow at the Princes* Theatre hoc

proved—oren at this doll season of the year —o great mooeii. The Charley Spraggs of Mr Fred. ManhftU, end (ho Kitty Wobbler of Mill Annie Taylor, ere the main feature* of the drama, though the Company include* Moiin Tither*dgo, Catei, Sterling, Whyte, James Grattan (New Zealand o'B'icn), and Mr* Gordon, who very materially iuiii*r. in a moit excellent performance, Tim pantomime at this homo will alio bo Dick Whittington and hit Cat, localised by Mr Gnrnob Welch. Mils Annie Taylor will sustain the port of Dick Whittington, and in the harlequinade Mr Martin Fordo will appear as clown. The Opera House, considering the dull season, has been doing good business with the revival of the opera of Let Clochet de Corns• villa, although its present production is greatly inferior to that which attended its first presentation at the Academy of Music on Nor. 23,1878. For the Christmas novelty, Messrs Harwood and Wallace will, for the first lime in Melbourne, introduce the oomio opera Olivetle, At Hudson’s Theatre, the “ Pollard’s Lilliputian Opera Company,” who have just arrived from Now Zealand, will appear on Christmas Eve in Let Cloches de Cornevilla. Reports from " Maori Land ” speak highly of them, but we have had the “ forced juvenile precocity” to such an extent that I am fearful of their success in this city. However, time will tell. At this season of the year you may he sure there are plenty of other amusements presented for the delectation of our holiday folks, notably a series of “ Grand Promenade Ballad Concerts ” at the Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens, in which Miss Kate Thayer (Mrs W. E. Chapman), Miss Marie Carandini, Miss Alice Holland, Mr Lineker, and Mr B. T. Moronoy will take part. A largo band of known musicians is engaged, and a display of fireworks is promised nightly. Mr W. S. Chapman, who was lately avant courier for the Wilhelmj Concert Company, is the sole manager and director of the concerts. Another novelty is also about to bo introduced to the Melbourne public, in the form of “A Grand Ladies’ Tournament—Six Days Go-as-you-please—l2 hours per day.” This disgraceful exhibition is announced to take place at the Pavilion, a building in Nicholson street, opposite the Exhibition Building. Already the Press and a large portion of the public are up in arms over the matter. It is to be hoped that some means may be found to prevent this show.” The pantomime seaion now being nearly on in this city, seven.! dramatic combinations are being formed for country and intercolonial tours. Mr Walter Reynolds, the popular actor and author; left Melbourne in the latter part of last week with his dramatic company, per Mangana, for Hobart. [The names of the members of his company have already appeared in these columns.] Mr Reynolds opens his season on Boxing night, appearing as Denny Doon in his own highly successful Irish drama, Quid Erin, This play had a run of four weeks iu Sydney. Mr W. J. Holloway has engaged a very powerful and most complete company for his season at the Academy of Music, Ballarat j amongst others engaged are the following:— Miss Annie Mayor ; Mrs Walter Hill, Miss May Hill, Mies Essie Jenyns, and Miss Kate Arden; and Messrs 0. Holloway, Hans Phillips, J. Stark, Gladstone, Neil O’Brien, W. H. Metcalfe, Sydney M’Gowan, J. J. Kennedy (who is recently from New Zealand), ana last, bub by no means least, Mr W. J. Holloway. Mrs J. J. Kennedy is in Melbourne, but for the present has retired into private life. Mr Holloway’s opening play will be the School for Scandal. At the Mechanics’ Institute, Ballarat, during (he same seaion, (be Nightingale Minstrels, including Miss May Vivian and Lilly Porter, Messrs Tom Buckley, Dave Gardner, N. La Feuillade, Charles Holly, and George Gibbons, with J. O’Brien agent, will give their usual varied entertainment. A few of the Bijou Company of Melbourne have also organised for a short season, at the St James’ Hall, Sandhurst, under the management of “ Commodore ” Brown. It is their intention to produce farces and operettas. They style themselves “The Oomio Opera and Comedy Company,” with Mr Shaw Gross as stage director. They are noted to open on Boxing night. 1 learn that should Mr Ooppin’s health continue to improve as it has done lately he will endeavour to take a public farewell of his many friends in New Zealand as well as the other Colonies. There are two theatres now in Geelong, or. rather speaking by the card there are now (wo buildings fitted up with stage, scenery, dressing-rooms, and all the necessary appliances for theatrical representations. The Mechanics’ Institute has long been recognised as one—now, however, the “Exhibition Hall," in the Market square, has been fitted up ou a large and grander scale than the Mechanics Hall, and will be opened on Boxing night by the “ Ideal Operetta Company," consisting of Miss Kate Thayer, Miss Florence Acton, Messrs Robert Fitzgerald, John Barrington, H. Leonard, J. H, Ireland, W. E. Chapman, and Signor Zehnan, conductor j who will appear iu a series of comediettas, operettas, and farces.

The following letter has been received in Melbourne, dated from the Cape Town Club, Cape Town, Nov. 5,1881: —“After a somewhat lengthy stay here we leave for Kimberley (the metropolis of the diamond fields) at Christmas, where I have leased the theatre, and where I open with an excellent company early in January. We leave Cape Town with muoh regret, for we have enjoyed an uninterrupted career of two years in that pleasant city. During these two years you may guess how well Bosa has worked, when 1 tell you that she has played the leading parts in the following operas -.—Pinafore, Madame Angoi, Grand Duchesse, Cloches de Corneville (in which she played on different occasions both Berpolette and Germaine), Beggar's Opera, Chilperic, Pirates of Penzance, Patience, Tambour-Major, os well as in a long list of dramatic novelties. We are hoping if all continues to go on prosperously here and at Kimberley, to leave South Africa for Australia in July next. We shall bring several novelties, and shall be delighted to be in the dear old country again. I have just secured the sole right for producing in the colonies Geo. B. Sima’s successful London comedy, Member for Slocum, and I am negotiating for other novelties, betides many which I have in hand. We have enjoyed our stay here very much, and have made a host of friends, with whom wa shall part with groat regret.— Feane Towbbs. Poor Charley Massey has passed in his ebooks and gone to join the great majority. In last Friday’s papers the following telegram from Adelaide appeared: —" Charles Massey, the seonio artist at the Theatre Royal, was seized with apoplexy yesterday afternoon, and died the same evening without recovering consciousness.” - Those who had the pleasure of knowing “ Charlie " will greatly regret his sudden demise. Take him for all in all, he was “ a fellow of infinite jest,” a gonial, good, single-hearted, generous soul, and a thoroughly upright and honest man. Peace to his manes. W. H. W.