Dramatic And Musical

Free Lance, Volume VI, Issue 278, 28 October 1905, Page 14

Dramatic And Musical

<< YT AFFABILITY! That's wot it is M with me! No 'arm. Too '*"*' much haffability!" These are the immortal words of Captain James Barley, master mariner of the river barge "Heart in Hand." The skipper has been drawling a very large crowd nightly to see him in "Beauty and the Barge," at the Opera House, and, as the skipper is Mr. Brough, there, is nothing to he surprised at. Ihe "Beauty and the Barge" is full oi humour even as a "book," but the Brough company have such a delightful conception of the Jacobs-Parker wit and humour that it goes with a la.rge laugh all the time. * * * It is a simple story. A giddy little girl, daughter of a grey major, revolts for the usual reason — pa wants her to marry somebody she isn't going to marry. Giddy girl in garden, smart naval lieutenant climbs over the wail, falls in love, and the girl doesn't love him, of course. Girl, to escape the man she doesn't love, arranges to go to London in Barley's barge. The smart lieutenant compounds with fat barge mate, fat barge mate feels fearfully ill — funniest thing in the faree — and! the lieutenant's' way is made plann. The "haffable" captain is most amorous, and has given his great seaman's heart to the major's housekeeper, also to the wife of the landlord of the '"Old Ship," also, latest of all, to the giddy little girl. The housekeeper is consequently the captain's pet horror, and she is stowed by the lieutenant in the barge, and helps the large laugh and the awful complications. How the haffable captain was anything but haffable to has crew and the comic tenor is exhilarating in the extreme, how he makes love to every "lily of the valley" is shrieking, and how he finally, having seen the lieutenant drift towards a church with the giddy girl, returns to the hum-dirum of barge life, is immense. • * • Mr. Brough plays the exuberant skipper with great vim, animation, and skill. He rouses his audience, and tickles them "nearly to death." The naval lieutenant of Mr. Carter Pickford is done in an ultra-cultivated English accent, and is very smart. Mr. John F. Fordfe, as Captain Barley's mate, is almost too comic to describe. His frightful galvanic illness, for the lieutenant's gold, fairly doubled the audience up. Then, Mr. John Poulton, as the inn landlord, makes that person assume a one hundred horse-power expression with only half-a^barrow of coal to get the steam up with. He imagines he is always "chucking out" huge bargemen, until the bargemen sneeze or wink, when he fades. This actor is clever, and unquestionably comic. I am rather of opinion that the best work done in the farce is that of Miss Bessie Major, as the housekeeper. Hers is high art comedy. Then, again, Miss Emma Temple as the flirtsome landlady is refreshing, and Miss Katie Gair, as Mrs. Smedley, is also good. The Ethel Smedley of Miss Winifred Fraser might be more natural, and 1 the English less affected, and the same remark applies to the Lucy Dallas of Mass Gordon Lee. Why do fearfully-English people say "Good-bay" for "Good-bye"? • • • As the Lance goes to press the Brough company are appearing in "The Walls of Jericho," the famous play that has had so great a success wherever it has been produced. It is Sutro's satirical summing up of "smart" society, and not only is the shallowness of the article deftly dealt with, but the audience is kept highly amused by the vagaries of mammon's elect. There are wholesome lessons in "The Walls of Jericho," witfh which masonry has nothing whatever to do, that, while scarcely applicable to the "smart set" of the colonies, still may point out to it the pitfalls of silliness that Sutro believes "society*' at Home has fallen into. • • * Mr. Edwardi Branscombe's Westminster Gle© Party put on their first concert at the Theatre Royal on Monday night, to a satisfactory house. Unable to obtain a seat, I am unable to say anything further about the opening concert. The Tuesday concert showed that the West-

minster Glee Party is composed of high-ly-trained and talented singer^, and that Mr. Branscombe is particularly happy in, the possession of the services of Madame Marie Hooton and the boy choristers. Glees are always a most welcome form of entertainment, and this particular glee party compn&e excellent entertaimers. • * * Madame Hooten gave a rehned rendering of "Old and Young Mane." Also did she sing with pleasing plaintiveness 'Will Ye No Come Back Ajrain." The rather remarkable alto voice of adult Mr. Percy Coward is a true, sweet organ, and his "All Love Can Say" (E. D. Lloyds) was in his most sympathetic style. Mr. Edward Bransoombe's "The King and the Rose" went excellently, the organ-like effect of the vocal accompaniment being admired. Mr. Dudley Oauston, the humorist of the Party, made a hit xn a humorous musical sketch, the bizarre effect of the introduced musical travesty being amusing. "Little Boy Blue," as sung by little Willie Wattens, will be remembered kindly. It is, however, in the part songs that the "Westminster singers make the biggest appeal to the hearts of the audience, with the opening number, Kucken's "The Young Musicians." The whole Party gave a high-amiusing rendering, too, of Sir F. Bridge's "Bold Turpin," and the vocal waltz, "Hail, Glorious Love," composed by Mr. Branscombe, and sung with great spirit as a finale, was one of the most enjoyable features of <a good programme. The Glee Party have been doing capital business all the week. • • • Fullers' New Entertainers, at His Majesty's Theatre, have been reinforced by Mr. Leonard Nelson, a singer of songs of a comique blend (please note the spelling — "comic" is not so highclass as "comique"). Mr. Nelson appears in -evening dress, and bis quick changes consist of turning up his coatoollar and tilting his hat to one sidebeautifully simple. However, he sings five songs with rich expression, and somehow or other gives a Tod Callaway impression, although his trousers are not so tight. • * • Mr. Fred F. Stanbridge, also a new line in songsters, has a baritone voice, which he uses with vigour and tone in "The Deathless Army." Fred had to keep going for a bit as a penalty for his meritorious vocalism. The chief attraction on the prevailing programme is the quaint and curious quality of the work done by New Zealand's pal, Fred Graham, and his wife, Miss Nellie Dent. The pair have been playing "A Pair of Lunatics," and it is full of fun. Fred seems to be so very busy now-a-days that he forgets to look up old friends. Ingratitude ! • » Miss Beatrice English is a bit of a surprise. She is an operatic soprano, with a resonant voice of good! sound quality. The duet, "Oh, Maritana," with Mr. John Fuller, goes big. John's voice is wearing well. Miss Goldie Collins is doing a capital song and dance "turn," is good to see, and good to hear, and the McDonald (Stewart of

that ilk) is comic singing with that dash of nature which makes the whole world grin. • • • Alma Lyndioin, Bob' Lloyd (the topical songster), Miss Gertie McLeod (the gifted seno), and the sinuous and: smairt Sylvan. Sisters, not to mention Ted Stanley, are projecting their fun darts with promptness and despatch, and the Fuller orchestra is keeping up a wellwon reputation, and several other things I forget. "Oh, there's Charles Howard, the long ballad singer. Tomorrow (Saturday) Ajax, the flexible marvel, squirms around. Maybe he defies the lightning. Can't say. • • « The Wellington Shakespeare Club will give a public reading of "King Lear" in the concert chamber of the Town Hall on Tuesday next, October 31st at 8 p.m. Mr. J. F. Carr will sing, the music having been especially composed by Mr. J. Y. Solomon for the occasion. (Continued on page 18.)

Hearty congratulations to "Tom" Hamer upon ins appointment to sueoeed Mir. Huntley Elliot as Undler-Sec-retary for Mimes. If you searched the colony from top to bottom you could mot find a worthier gentleman, for the position, or one who has more richly earned it. The Mines Department has been singularly fortunate in its chiefs. Mr. Humtiey Elliot, of the silvered pow and the ruddy, unlined' countenance, looking singularly juvenile in spite of 'his white hairs, is one of the most popular men in the Civil Service. • • • As for "Tom" Hamer, he is known to everyone, and we never yet met the man who tad an unMndl word) to say of him. "Tom," in his capacity of King Dick's chief private secretary and right-hand man, has visited every nook and corner of the colony^ fallen, m ■with all sorts and conditions of men, and been able, amid 1 aH kindls of worries and distractions, to maintain that spirit of smiling urbanity and readiness to understand and oblige which is the best endowment that any young feillow can have who has to fight his way in the world. For years past "Tom" Hamer has carried out all the arrangements for the examinations for mining certificates, and has never lost touch with the Mines Department, of which he Las been chief clerk so long. Here's a lonig teniure of office ten him, with increasing emoluments. • • • His Excellency the Governor is never late. He us the most punctual public man in Wellington, and' he was at the lunch given in his honour by the Rector and Faculty of St. Patrick's College on. Thursday on time. The Premier, whose duties kept him at the House, turned up at 1.30, and was initrodluced to His Excellency by the Rector as "the late Premier." • * * The luncheon was a delightful function, the gathering: representative and the after-dinner speeches quite the most interestine; and less "shoppy" than any we remember dorrine; the yeair. As tlhe Lance is 'in the press, and time presses, we reserve personal remarks and: incidents for next week's issue, merely saying now that the function was entirely enjoyable, and 1 pay'tie; a tribute of praise to the smiart cadets of "St. Pat's" who mad© such excellent amateur waiters. The Westminster Glee singers hold a matinee in the Theatre Royal on Saturday afternoon, when a special programme will be presented. Children will be admitted to all parts of the house for one shilling. The copy of a circular issued' by Herr Max Hoppe has been, shown us. A meeting is being called} for Monday next, at the Dresden Piano Company's Booms, with the object of forming a permanent professional orchestra of at least twenty-five members. The idea is a good one, and deserves success 1 . Attention is drawn in another column to tune-table alterations/ in connection with trains under the control of the Government Railway Department in the Wellington, dastriot. The above alterations will take place on and after Wednesday, Ist November, 1905. Holiday excursion tickets may be obtained at any station on the Wed-Hngtoin-Napier-New Plymouth section to Wellington and Te Axo by visitors to the Christchurch show and races, available from 2nd and 9th November to 7th December.