DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL

Free Lance, Volume I, Issue 8, 25 August 1900, Page 12

DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL

By Footlight.

THEY call the latest attraction at the Gaiety " dainty Olive Lenton," and she is well named, for she is a dainty and charming little soubrette, of more than usual freshness and piquancy. Her voice is pleasing, and she dances very well, though a little of the abandon of the Staunton Sisters would be an advantage. "The Gordon Highlanders," which is humourously presented, is her best number. Miss Lulu Zesch, who is partial to the tremolo, is a capable vocalist, and sings several ballads very nicely. Jack Steele, as a whistling comedian, is clever in his particular line, and is encored time and again by the audience. Charlie Hugo, Bob Hall, Johnny Collins, and the Staunton Sisters 'all contribute good items to the programme, while the Downards and Little Ethel are as popular as ever. • * * But the great attraction of the show is James C. Bain, the comedian, who sup plies a considerable part of the programme each night. Master Sid Harvey makes an immense hit each night with Mr Bain in " Biscuits in the Bed," the drollery of the child sending the audience into paroxysms of merriment. The farewell nights of no fewer than nine of the artistes are announced, while new talent is on the way to take their places. Joe Watts, eccentric comedian and clog dancer, and Mons. Salvino, described on the bills as the king of jugglers, are promised for Saturday, with a great sensation in store for next week. The excellence of the nightly entertainments is fully maintamed, and business continues to be first-class. • # • Fuller's Waxworks is still doing great business at the Choral Hall, large audiences assembling every night, and the ever-changing programme being enthusiastically received. The Leslies, who have been a great draw for weeks past, are now on the wing, this being their last week, but their places will be filled with other talent. Tudor and Stevens have both caught on well with the public, while Miss Katie Lynn is a very sweet and pleasing soprano. The other artists are all up-to-date, and the show is a capital one. • • * The Flying Jordans, the famous trapeze artistes, have been engaged by Messrs John Fuller and Sons for New Zealand, and open in the Alhambra Theatre, Duncdin, on Saturday, September Ist. • • * Pollards have gone across to the West Coast. They play their next season here — a short one of a fortnight — in October. • • • With Haddon Chambers' " Tyranny of Tears," our old friend Brough has scored another triumph at Melbourne Princess'. Critics say that Bobert has never played a part with more naturalness, quietude, and point. Many people argue that if you have seen some of the best contortionists, you have seen the lot, and that a '• turn " by way of the boneless fraternity is mostly looked upon as the " flat " part of a programme. But, judging from press notices, Ferry (the Human Frog) is nightly demonstrating to Melbourne Bijou habitues that the resources of contortionists are far from being exhausted. • • • The Broughs introduced " A Man of Forty " to their numerous patrons, at Melbourne Princess', on the 11th inst. The new comedy is in four acts, from the vigorous and witty pen of Walter Frith, and is said to contain some half-dozen of the most brilliant character studies that most modern drama can boast of. The general verdict is that Mr Brough has added a very valuable comedy to his wellselected and extensive repertoire. 9 * * Alfred Dampier devotes every Friday evening to the production of Shakespearean plays, and his venture is making Sydney Criterion a popular and classical resort. On other nights Alf. revels in melo-dramatic efforts, but exchanges declare he is too good an actor to waste his talents in blood-curdling stories, so that this plodding tragedian is at last winning his way to the hearts of the critics. About time, too.