Dramatic And Musical

Free Lance, Volume I, Issue 33, 16 February 1901, Page 7

Dramatic And Musical

By FoOtlight.

MULDOON'S PICNIC" is the latest attraction at the Theatre Royal, and Dixs Gaiety Company are holding high reA cl in it. So are the public, and if you have not yet joined in that picnic party you are assuredly missing the best thing in town just now. All the old minstrel business has disappeared, and, in its place, the versatile Frank Clark assembles, all sorts of eccentric and jovial friends in his drawing-room ancl "at the picnic grounds, Days ****#> where they keep the fun going without a single break for more than two solid hours. # » It is an Irish extravaganza, in two acts, and is the most satisfying thing the public have had before them for time. Messrs Frank Clark and Joe Cowan, as Michael Muldoon and Dennis Mulcahy respectively, are simply irresistible. Miss Lizzie Dixon, as Mrs Muldoon. "ives a capital representation of the stout and "jaynial Irish lady, and Mifes Olive Lenton sings and dances most fetchingly Miss Molly Bentley and Mr. Arthur Hahn score heavily in the vocal line, and the Faust trio ot acrobats, and the Wingate sisters, of trapezists, leave nothing to be desired in feats of skill and daring. But Ferry, "the Frog " is still the reigning attraction He is the novelty of the season, and the marvellous ease with which he contort*, himself into the similitude ot a frog and goes through frog-like antics, is still tho theme of wondering lemark. He has fascinated the public, and those who have seen him once return again and again. On the whole, "Muldoon's Picnic" exactly nits the popular taste. t # The Opera House woie a decidedly military look on Monday night. There was a goodly assembly of officeis of the Imperial troops, and of the Wellington Garrison, in undress uniforms in the circle, and soldiers in scarlet, and volunteers in khaki, were strongly in evidence in the lower parts of the house, while the national bunting was plentifully used for draping. The play was well suited to these environments. It was a four-act drama, of the good old pattern, entitled "A Soldier and a Man," by Ben Landeck. Though a bit out of date, in dealing with the Zulu war of some twenty-two years ago, it gave unmixed satisfaction to the audience, who hissed and hooted the villain, and applauded hero and heroine, to their hearts' content. * * ifIt is a very old stage story. A dashing young mihtaire married to a lovely and virtuous girl. A scheming, fashionable scoundrel, who stops at no baseness to ruin the husband and get the wife into his power. Such are the main ingredients of the plot. The hero loses his army commission, and incurs

disgrace through the innocent use of marked cards, which the villain places in his unsuspecting way. He sinks into poverty and takes to drink. Finally, he enlists as a common soldier, gets branded as a spy and traitor by his evil genius, and is ordered to be shot. And then, after the invariable habit of things in stageland, just when things wear their most desperate look, and suffering virtue has not got a hope left, there is a grand transformation scene. Vice meets its just deserts, and virtue emerges triumphant. Mr. C. R. Stanford gave a very fair impersonation of the hero, Harold Sinclair, but he was rather stiff and stagey, and his enunciation was occasionally indistinct. Miss Ida Gresham gave a sympathetic rendering of the part of Harold's young wife, and Mr. Geo. Chalmers made a bustling and thorough-paced villain. To my mind, the best character portraits in the entire cast were Mr. J. F. Cathcart's Farmer Melburn, and Miss Watts-Phillips's Mrs. Melburn (a regular Darby and Joan couple), and Mr. J. P. O'Neill's Sergeant Wicks. They were excellently done Miss Katie Towors made a "hit" in the lively role of "Sergeant" Jane, and Mr. Frank Hawthorne gave a capital impersonation of the faithful soldier servant, while Mr. Frank Harcourt was very effective in the role of Jantje, a Hottentot instrument of villainy. The play was mounted very realistically, and the scenery and appointments were really firsl>class. To-night (Friday) a rousing melodrama, entitled "When London Sleeps," is to be staged for the nrst time It is said to be intensely sensational, and it crowds the stage with a. large variety ot characters. * » » More changes and frosli novelties at Fuller's Bijou keep business on the boom at the Choral Hall Monday was quite a gala night, owing partly to the presence of Tommy Atkins in goodly numbers, and partly duo also to the reappearance of a number of old favourites. First and foremost there was Fred Bluett, whose songs, stories, and "gags" produced a perfect forore. He suffered some eight or ten encores, and nearly doubled up in apoplexy several elderly citizens with his antics as "The War Correspondent " Miss Corahe Barlow obtained a warm reception for her serio-comic ditties, and Miss Katie Lynns sweet singing won the heartiest plaudits. Her song "Killarney" was illustrated with a fine set of mynoramic views, and so also was a descriptive song by Miss Johnston. Miss Lucy Fraser stirred the audience to enthusiasm with her rendering of "Soldiers of the Empire." Mr. Jack Williams produced peals of laughter with his ludicrous song "I'll be there," and Joo Watts brought down the house with his niggei specialties and step-dancing.

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Miss Julia Moran, the talented violmiste (75, Brougham-street), has resumed her duties as teacher of the violin. She recently took part in some first-class concerts in Christchurch, and, speaking of her execution of a mazurka by Wiemawski, the "Times" says — "The rapid changes of accenuation were beautifully marked, her bowing was freer than is generally looked for in lady players, and her touch comfortingly firm. In her subsequent number — an elegie, by Emst — she displayed a pronounced gift of expression to add to her brilliancy of technique."