Dramatic And Musical

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 148, 2 May 1903, Page 7

Dramatic And Musical

By Footlight.

THE Wellington Dramatic Students aie ambitious. ' The. Times" is full of pitfalls fcr the unwary amateur, but it may be &aid, without hesitation, that no player of them all boggled on Wednesday night at the Open-a House. The opening act of The Times" gives no promise of brightness Deadly conventionalism, of the gilt-edged Society kind a polished peer and a burnished "noveau nehe" being awkward m each other's presence But later, ' The Times" moye 1 . We get the bombastic Bompas on the go. Bompas is an M.P — an out-and-out "bounder," of thei type' men rarely meet outside the Society novel. Anyhow, he fills the bill. * • ■» He dotes on tone," and the acceptance by a peer or a Maharajah of the draper's invite, sends him to an earthly heaA r en for some minutes. The oon- ■\ entiomal peer wants to marry the . bounders daughter, and the daughter humanly thanks she could give her heart. This is double>-distilled, oopperfastemed nectar to Bompas. He prances exceedingly. Then the blow' His son, from Oxford, who is an exceedingly aw kw a rd boy, w ith raoelyplastered, tow -coloured wig, and a beautifully assumed, semi-imbecile expressaon, writes home to say he is married. *. * * Fact is, don't you know, he has married Honona Hooley, the daughter of a landlady he resided with while he was "reading" at a seatade town. Mrs. Hoolev and her daughter are introduced to the anstooratic circle of 'Blankets.' Bompas and Mrs. Hooley supplies the best that is in "The Times." Under the name of Tnlby-Travers (or something), Mrs. Hooley horrifies Society, and paralyses the "bounder." The Hooley is loved bv MoShane, an Irish M.P. who doesn't love Bonmas. and "Mac" finds out that Mrs. Trilby-Trav-ers (or something) is a Hooley, and threat-ens to expose Bompa® on the floor of the House. He makes Bompas promise to join the Irish. Party and adds another gill of e:a,l] to the already overflowing cup of the "bounder's" sorrows. » # ♦ Miss Cazalet, a lady journalist, with malevolent intentions, who was turned out, of the Bompas household because Lady Ripstow a distinguished visitor, asked it, discloses the true origin of Hooley in her little paper, and things are still more middling. Suffermg,the tortures of Tantalus, the bombastic Bompas ultimately decades to "cut" Society, sell out, and go abroad, and he is about boarding the train en route, for Dover and the Continent as the cuitain falls. * * * As intimated, the part played by Miss Nina Burns, as Mrs Hooley. is infused with thei naturalness requisite to make it a most telling one. Accent and action are excellent, and the very best is made of the' "fat" given to the clever actress. Mrs. W. Fell, as Lady Ripstow, the fearfully select aristocrat, who feels annoyed thait her Denham, Viscount Lurgashall should want to marry a Bomr>a9, is dignified and most natural Then, aeain, the Mrs. Bompas of Miss Jessie Newtown is most pleasing. Particularly is one impressed with the niceties of the scene in which Bonmas pere and mere talk over their early calico and blanket, days. The pleasant diction and slightly Scotch accent of Miss Newtown lends ai charm to a character which reouires extremely careful handling. * * • The Miss Cazalet of Miss Newton is a clever study of an impetuous adventuress, wilful, revengeful, and full of animated satire, and the Honona Hoole<> of Miss Alice Maiginnity presented a refresh inedy simple child of nature, who has rather' lost, the accent of her Irish mother, but. who can, and does, dance cleverly. The "Lucy Tuck" of Miss M. Kennedy represents a meekly mild .tutor engaged in imparting things to the Hooleys, and shows that Miss Kennedy may have future chances. Miss Rebe Richardson, as Beryl 'Bompas, acts with graat. charm. Mr. W. P. Bastm, as the Hon. Montague Trimble, Society prompter to the Bompases is most, careful in the rendering of the mannerisms of a paid aristocrat, who desires to make Egerton-Bom-

pas egg-shell china out of Bompas clay, and the Bompas of Mr. H. E. Nicholls, entailing as it does great physical stiain, io w orthy of the highest praise * * * Maior Moore is not quite violent enough as the Irish M.P , but his lines weie given carefully, with a due regard to the Irishisms plentifully besprinkled through them. The callow Oxford youth, Howard Bompa®, as shown by Mr. A. W. Newton, was remarkable for the unusual naturalness of the part m which, inebriated, he creates somewhat of a scene. As footmen, Mr. J. King (Jelf) awd Mr. Broad (Chalmeors) did all that was required of them w ithOUt blunder. The audience v.-as a bnlhanit one, the> Premier and party occupying front seats in the dress circle. * # * The Wellington. Oichestral Society gave their third annual concert of the season on Tuesday evening w hen the chief production was Mendelssohn's tamous Scotch Symphony. In this w ondeirful orchestral work, Mendelssohn describes the impressions received during hii° i isit to the. Highlands of Scotland, the grandeur of the scenery being interpreted in a wonderful manner by the great composer. *■ * In the opening Andante, the horns, violins, and violas, lead into the wierd Allegro, descriptive of the wild roan* of the northern ocean. This was one of the Society's finest efforts. The music of the third movement, a scherzo, in which the clarionets take the lead, with an accompaniment of strings, is brierht amd tuneful, the quaint melody being repeated by different instruments throughout the movement The adagio is very finei, the theme being described first by the violins, then, with excellent effect., by the horns and violincellos. * * ■<■ The final section abounds with vivacious passages and fresh, exhilarating movements., j^radually ending with a movement graceful and majestic bringing the symphony to a close. It was an excellent performance altogether. The music of "Rosamunde" was more familiar to the 1 audience, but lost nothing for that, and the entracte, in B flat, was listened to with great pleasure. Another great attraction was the 'cello solo plying of that gifted bovperformer, Master Thomas) Trowell. His first solo — the Sonata in A major (Bocchennj) — was played with exquisite expression, remarkable intelligence, and technique. The audiencei enthusiastically encored the player, who responded wuth a dainty tarantelLe (Popper), which was aigain encored, the Jocelyn Berceuse being given in such an artistic manner that a scene of enthusiasm followed. * * * Mrs. Deian played the accompaniments with great sympathy, and Mr. Leslie Edwards, the soloist of the evening contributed very acceptably two of Schumann's somgs, "Devotion," and the "Wanderer's Song," a.nd later Maud Valeric White's "Devout Lover." In the interval, Mr. Joynt referred, in. a few appropriate remarks, to the financial condition of the. Society, recommending it to the public for support. The new season is just commencing, and he expressed the hope, that the number of members (eighty) would be doubled. *• * # Fuller's Entertainers, at that home of fun and minstrelsy, the Choral Hall, are good for "that tired feeling." Despite the multitude of other s/hows, the place is full to overflow r ing every evening, and there is no diminution of interest. The Jones Brothers, of whom I have rapturously written before, are still away ahead of anybody else of that name on the programme. A smile from "Blutoh" is worth the price of admission, and a partnership sketch, when both brothers are fully extended, w ill remain a merry memory fon aye.

Albert. MoKisson is billed as the "Break-up," a colonial slang expression not mi my esteemed readers' vocabulary. It is designed to express the helpless condition of the person who, after a course of MoKisson,, essays to look glum It is a physical impossibility. The black, but comely, Jo'nos Bros, are as good in the "Coon" line as anything this side of the Equator, and if you suffer from blues, it is up to you to try this well-known medicine. * * • Miss Anni© Ellen-she charms with her sweet voice and chic style, and the Phillips Sisters, of whom it may be said "age cannot wither or custom stale their infinite variety," are tossing "trilbies" towairds the skies as ever. If you are sweet on comedy, try some "Fooled Mashers." There is a breeze about this work of art that gives it a place amonio- the classics of the past two weeks Remember to be early. Fuller's like you to be there at 7.45, or "Johnny" cannot guarantee you a seat except on the rafters. * « * That fine crusted old drama, "Ticket of Leave Man," played by the Grattan Company, at the Theatre Royal, has been receiving its due share erf paitronaige from playgoers, who have followed the prickly path of Bob Brierly, the innocent victim of Jews and Gentiles with breathless interest. Everyone knows the plot. Boh the pure in heart but easily led in person, is made the medium for the massing off of spurious notes, and is eventually cast into gaol, where 1 he pines feeline that he might have done better if he'd tried. He oomes out a "bekot-of -leave" man, and his fine*, open countenance is his passport into thei office of that dear old business man, Mr. Gibson. He doesn't mean, his employer any harm, but that historic character, Melter Moss, and others in the villain trade, harrasis him threaten to "hhw the gaff," and all the rest of it. * * * You know, too, that Bob promises to rob the dear old man to save him from

burglars, and how Harkshay, the embodiment of all that is smart in a sleuthhound, helps him to clear his character and the old gentleman's safe, andi, of course, pops up in tame to draw the whole congregation of villains into his handcuffs. Mr. Grattan, as Bob Briefly, thei misled youth, gives a most able interpretation of a difficult part, and the Melter Moss of Mr. J. H. Martun stands out as a character sketch of conspicuous merit. John DaJton, who looks like a returned contingenter, was excellently done by Mr. F. B. Francis, and the usual bad boy, Sam Willonighby, who smokes on the sly, and is useful to detectives, is invested nith interest by Miss Alma Ord. * * • Mr. Leon, as the benevolent Glover, is sufficiently virtuous and soft-hearted to uphold the stage tradition. Miss Kate Gaix, the beauteous; May Edwards, who thinks a lot of Bob throughout his chequered career, is bright and winsome, and the Mrs. Willoughby, with the big pocket, the unconscious assistant of the villains, makes a great deal of a. part which requiresi a facile tongue and a good deal of genuine comedy. • # • Bumand's comedy, "The Lady of Ostend," which is the opening piece of the Hawtrey Comedy Company's forthcoming season at the Opera House, commencing next Monday night, is spoken of on all sides as an exceptionally well-constructed and cleverly-writ-ten play, ia which a. modern invention, the cinematograph, plays an important part. The laughter-provoking qualities of the comedy-fa Tee, and the effectiveness of the performance by Mr. Hawtrey's capable company, have contributed to make the production one of the most popular in tho company's 1 repertoire, and it is expected that no theatre pabron in Wellington will miss an opporfcunitv of witnessing the representation of the amusing story which had its genesis at the gay French seaside town. (Continued on page 20.)