A THEATRE IN A STABLE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 125, 27 May 1878, Page 4

A THEATRE IN A STABLE.

Under tbe above title, Mrß. L.Forjeon the well-known novelist, contributes to the "Era Almanac" the following amusing sketch of theatrical entertainments as they were some fifteen years ago in Dunedin : — A theatre io a stable ! Yee, and a flourishing theatre, too, where the receipts were sometimes over £200 a night ; nnd this in a city concaiuing not more than 20,000 inhabitants. But then tho place was wonderful; and tbe people having great opportunities open to them, were as wondor-iul ns the place. They supported three daily newspapers, the largest of which was tbe siza of the Daily Telegraph— eight double-demy pages. A difficult tß6k we found it, to get sufficient news to fill its columns, but tbe advertisers came up nobly, aud some of the reporters were ingenious. The name of the city waa Dunedin, tbe most flourishincr of all the cities in New Zealand. Gold hod been discovered in tho province of Otago, of which Dnnedin ia tbe capital, and thither flocked hordes of restless spirits animated by the hope of making for- . tunes in a month or less. I doubt if Dunedin, of Lesser Britain, could not have shown you sights ns strange as you can see in London, of Greater Britain. All the trndes of the world were represented in the little place, ail the professions, ali the grades of life and society, from an earl's son (o a cbimneyBwepp. I pledge myself to both tbe earl's boo nnd the chimney-swe p, for hotb of thetn did I know. The chim-ney-sweep once treated me fco a bottle of champagne, and I more than once treated iho earl's son to a glass of English beer. He didn't bave money enough to pay for it himself ! A8 for jumps up the social ladder, they were numerous enough. I was acquainted with u Scotchman who paid jusi 5s for his quarter-acre town allotment, and who sold ifc for just £40,000 ! Would you be satisfied with such a profit ? Well, newspaperp, fire brigades, volunteer regiments, benevolent institutions, prisons, hospitals, lunatic aßylums, all being set going, do you think" we could live without our theatre? Not likely. But where should it be built ? Then, again, how loug would it take to build ? It was not to be supposed we were going to wait a month for it. We wanted it— as we wanted everything else — at once. There was no lime for shilly-shallying, so at it we went/ Attached to tbe Provincial Hotel, the bars of which were crowded night and day. with crowds of eager adventurers, was a horse saleyard, in tbe rear of which were stables for the horses. From early morn until sunset the auctiofjeer was pegging away in his box, knocking down horses — you know wbat I mean — to men about to start for the gold diggings. Such of the borseß as were not sold, and others that arrived for the next day's sale, were housed in the stables at tho bottom of the yard, often with otber four-footed creatures— sbeep, oxen, and once or twice a donkey. It wb3 here that ifc was decided to run up the Royal Princess's Theatre, and, being decided, the thing was done. You may contend tbat it was not a stable concern, for every evening the theatre was built, and every morning it waa taken to pieces. The moment the auctioneer left his rostrum, and tbe unsold horses were trotted into their stalls — not theatre stalls, there were none; only boxes aud pit—at tbat moment, then, a number of carpenters and builders made their appearance, with deal planks, and hammers, and nails, and screws, and a stage, and scenery, and flies, and boxes of props, and a green curtain, and every other necessary thing, and aimost before you could cry "Jack Robinson !" the theatre was enclosed, tbe stage was fixed, the dressing-rooms were ready, the footlights were arranged, and future Garricks, and Robsons, and Siddons were pulling on their tights and painting their cheeks. Hark I There are the musicians tuning up, and you can hear tbe jolly laughter of the gold diggers as they scramble over the benches to the beat seats. In less than no time boxes and pit are filled in every corner; the band has commenced the overture from tbe last popular opera, tbe theatre is ablaze with light, Jack ia shouting to John, and Dick to Harry, the actors and actresses are walking about the veiled stage conning their parts, there is a pleasant buzz all over the house , the little bell rings, the music ceases, the buzz is hushed, the green curtain is drawn up, apd the play is commenced, to the delight of the best humored and most appreciative audience that ever assembled within a theatre's walls. Such roars of laughter ! Suoh clapping of hands ! ..Such healthy enjoyment of good, bad, and indifferent acting ! The actors were in their glory, as were also the people who paid their money. One night there were in the stalls outside the theatre a motley collection of animals— horses, sheep, oxen, donkeys, and goats ; also a number of fowls in coops, which a speculator intended to take to the gold diggings on the following morning. " Romeo and Juliet" was being played, and well played. The house was crammed. All engaged were on their mettle. The first act went off well. Then came the balcony scene —

Romeo : See how she leans her cheek upon her hand ! Voice oittsidc : Ba-aa-aa-aa ! Romeo : 0 thafc I were a glove upon that hand, That I might touch that cheek. Voice without: Ilee-haio ! Juliet : Ab, me ! Romeo : She speaks ! 0 speak again, bright angel. Voice outside : Hee-haw ! Hee-haw! Romeo {aside): Choke that cursed ass, ! Voice outside : Cock-a-doodle-doo ! Romeo : And thafc fowl fiend ! HerB donkeys, horses, sheep, fowls, and every creature in the stables that had a voice joined in a chorus so loud and varied tbat the scene could not proceed, and the curtain was runodown amidst p9als of convulsive laughter. Sucb interruptions to the performance were not uncommon, and tbey sometimes occurred at a critical moment— wben the leading lady was going sentimentally mad, or tbe walking gentleman was on his knees making love, or the trageJiau was sublimely invoking the gods. Then would the audience burst into merriment; then would tbe tragedian scowl ; then would the leading la !y ens*, up ber bands in despsir, as who should say — " Gracious powers ! Have I decended so low ?"• But on treasury day she was by no means inclined to curse her stars because her lines had failsc io a Bteble, Good salaries were paid, and every person in the company could live and save. Then, were they not the gods and goddesses of tbe little city ? Were they not feted, stared at, followed, courted, treated, dined, wined, cigared, becuuse of the honor and glory attaching to their profession ? They had little to grumble at. fto sooner was the play over and the audience gone, than the army of carpeuters and builders again made tbeir appearance, ond down came the Royul Princess's Theatre. By one o'clock in the morning all traces of it were cleared away, aud the sale-yard was ready for the next day's auctioneering. Air.onK the company who played on the opening night were old Jack Dunn, tbe low comedian, who lately di^d in Melbourne, G. F. Rowe's two brothers, Tom acd Sandford, good fellows botb, and both gone to join other good fellows in the flies. I can recall many aud many a happy night passed in that theatre in a stable, and the only creatures lo whom it may not have been a delight were the animals whose slumbers the musicians were wont nightly to disturb.