WALTON'S STAR COMPANY.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 46, 20 March 1878, Page 2

WALTON'S STAR COMPANY.

: The above-named troupe paid at visit ! to Palmerston €^its way through, to.the j Napier Ruces* and oa Monday night 1 gave an entertawunewfe ki the Foresters' Hall. The programme submitted' was ; an excellent one,, consisting of Byron's j masterpiece, **• Oi» Boys/ and? the", site*.' j splitting farce of*"" O'Callaghan on; his •Jjasfc Legs.** That two such critical pieces should have been, selected-, shows 1 #iat Mr Walton's falfch- m the ability of his company was: somewhat cohsidfer- . able* and! that he was. not mistakeni m. j his estimate life audience- are bound! to i admit. With; regard; to. the first item on. the bill,. " Oar Boys*" the play has been. so. associated; with, feh«» names of Mr r asdi Mra.Lijigard— at "tews* ae far as this.oo- ■ *s»njjr is eoneernedr^-thafc any other company essaying to. giro a representation would he-. ■ cessarily haxe to. van- the- gauntlet of comparison. 1?1ie. aut-boc- in, wearing his plot and" writing* his parts- has evidently, intended that ' ? -Pericj*i Middle wick-'* shoufci be- the character- of the. play,, and: with that view : h^s not only placed him m the most ludi:croup, situations, but bestowed! the greatest anwnint of labour;- m, making, his utteranoes : quaint aud' humorous,, and' the dressing i grotesque and comical; thus leaving; it 1 within- the scope of an. actor- of enen me- ; diocreability to, make a> hit and* appear-to > advantage. "Taljbot Ohampneys," on, the ' contrary, is^a- most diffipult charaotei'to.assumej aricfc fehe- artist who. is successful' in .bringing it to- the front may claim all ; the credit for himself; and? owes nothing whatever to. the playwright. When-BDupicault wrote-" Ouv- American Cousin" he- intended that '''Asa Trenchardi"' personated} by the inimitable- J-baeph Jefferson, shouW' stand out imbold relief ;. but, notwithstanding-the-undoubted:abilities of that actor, the char-. ; acter became secondary to Sothern's " Loi*d, ! Dundreary-." So.ifr was with Boron's "Our Boys," and' not even could, the exoellent acting of Mr. Horace- Lingard prevent the character of •" Talbot Ghampheys" frombecomihg the leading.one, when" personated by Mv Graham. As- the goodnatured, butter miin^ Mr Sam, toward has^

to our mind, natural advantages over Mr Lingard, and were be to infuse, a little more life into his delineation it would be the better of the two. We regret we cannot say as much for Mr Haygarfh, who undertook the part of the eccentric but good-natured "Talbofc ChampneyV' No doubt m many other characters of a widelydifferent class he would appear to advantage, but his conception of the one m question was very wide of the mark, and d.ffered m no respect from the ordinary lisping, stuttering and, beeye-glassed heavy swell. In his hands the oharacter was 'nothing more, if even so much, as that of " Charley Middlewick," whereas it lay within his reach of compering for first place with "Middlewick" himself. The great test of the success of a- oharacter is its extreme naturalness, and the effect it has upon an audience, and we believe we are not singular m saying that the impression made by MrHaygarth's delineation was very com-mon-place indeed. We are bound to oonfess that that gentleman has abilities, and m other diameters may have a specialty* but m such a test-piece as "Talbot Champneys" he is not destined to shine. Mt Burford enacted the .aristocratic baronet;, and displayed the same' ability for wnich hewmi so highly spoken of when playing thecharacter with the Lingard Troupe. Thepart of " Charley Middlewiek " fell to thelot of Mr St. Lawrence, a rising joxtng actor - who, if he be not spoiled by success, will! be heard of m the higher ranks of his profession. He possesses a olear ringing voice;, whiob, however, is somewhat marred by an. affected style. We must apologise to^B| ladies for having referreJ to them lasfcl^^R the original cast the characters of w Ma. > and "Violet Melro3e" were,, undertaken 'by Miss ' Florence Colville and Mrs Liugard, and when we say that there was but littleroom for improvement on the part of Miss Marian Willis .and Miss Jkawranee, those who have seen the two former ladies will be able to judge of the manner m which the characters' were sustained on Monday night. Miss Willis is an old favourite^ no* only in 1 Wellington but m th&Soath Isfand,, and those to whom she is known were prowk to see her so ably sustain her part as. kod~ ing lady 6f the- Company; ;■ W:itb regard to » aX?att»g&aV» i* may be almost said tliafc it was. oajy written to give an opportunity to those- plajingf the-, title r&Le of showing their- abilities {or ai- : though there are six otßera m the piece, thehero .'-» alwaysi be-fore- Iris, atrfiencev Tbiafc Mr Walton aohieied an ttnoounded success m bis personation was* evident from the con* tinuous roars of laughter which greeted hist first. appearance, never ceasing until the fall of the curtain. His make-up was- irresistibly comical, his bye-play natural, and bis facial I contortions most mirth-provokingi Thosewho have seen- the immortal Brooke, "on ! his last legs, w will admit that hist was the? ' gentlemanly O*Calfaghai>— one whonot only ; had moved; m. a higher sphere than, Mr Walir ; ton*s hero, but even m bis. iatt h»<J ho*. ! descended so low: They are- types, of % ' different grade, yet it nausfc be- confessed^. i altkoijgh. Mr- Walton's fe a different class, of the Irish adventurer iron* poor- Brooke's* ■ it is a truthful, clever^, and. amusing, tepresentationv ; . In conchision we must say- that considerj ing the very great drawbacks experienced m I a limited stage> the absence of scenic effects - and stage accessories, the performance was a. highly successful one, and we- were informed ! that a number who had witnessed! it oa Saturday night at Bulls, rode into town to. again bestow their patronage.