THEATRE ROYAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4296, 28 December 1874, Page 3

THEATRE ROYAL.

A house filled to the full in boxes, stalls, and pit rewarded the exex-tions of Mr. and Mrs. Bates and then- company on Saturday night, the drama presented being “The Streets of New York”; and as in the old country in years gone by, the tragedy of “ George Bavnewell ” was presented on Boxing-night for the behoof of city apprentices, so upon the present occasion the moral was not far to seek, inviting us at this season to think kindly of the poor and distressed, and to view with contempt and aversion riches dishonestly acquired. We hold it a good custom, and one we shall not break in this instance, not to define the plot of any drama, act by act, that may be presented to the public for the first time. Lot those interested pay their money and work it out for themselves; suffice it to say that the weight of the piece falls upon Tom Badger (Mr, F. M. Bates), a reckless scamp, with very hazy conceptions of the right of menm ct tuum, yet with the germo of a virtue not xmiuroly smothered sufficient in the end to atone for his bad life and laud him in decent soviet}’. In the delineation of the character, Mr. Bates shows great power and versatility, and in depicting vice he does not descend, as is too often the case, into buffoonery, if not something worse. Mr. Bates throughout the play was well deserving of the plaudits he received, culminating as they did in a universal call from all parts of the house at the end of the fourth act. Mrs. Bates as “ Lucy Eairwoather ” had very little to do, but being an artiste she made that very little prominent by careful attention and appropriate action. Incidental to the part Mrs. Bates sang the ballad “ Dreaming of Thee ” with such success that she had to submit to an encore. Although singing is not her speciality, yet Mrs. Bates possesses a good contralto voice, very pleasing to listen to, and one not inferior to many that have met with deserved success on the operatic stage. The other characters calling for notice are Buffy, a peripatetic pieman, pfayed capitally by Mr. J. B. Hydes ; Mrs. Buffy, his rib, by Miss Howard; Fairweather ■pere et fils, doubled by Mr. Charles Burford, and played with his usual care •, Mrs. Fairweather by Mrs. Stoneham, and the heartless banker's heartless daughter by Miss Jessie Raymond. The drama is well mounted, no fewer than five new scenes having been painted for it by Mr. Charles Massey, the snow scene and the fire scene being particularly successful; for the former Mr. Massey very narrowly escaped a call. In conclusion we must not forget to thank the stage manager for bis energy on this occasion—the not uncommon cry from the fair sex, “ such a long time to wait between the acts,” having no place. The programme will be repeated to-night,- and if we may make a suggestion, it would be that the comic (?) song should be deleted.