MRS. SCOTT-SIDDONS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 260, 21 February 1877, Page 2

MRS. SCOTT-SIDDONS.

The Masonic Hall was exceedingly well filled with an appreciative audience last night, on which occasion Mrs. ScottSiddons made her first appearance, in selections from Shakspeare and other authors, and the rounds of salvos which greeted her every effort must have been very gratifying to this artiste, who was suffering from a severe cold oil the chest, as she explained later on in the evening to tiie audience. The first part of the programilie was a selection from Shakspeare's well-known comedy " Much Ado About Nothing," in which the description of that satirical scene between Beatrice and Benedict, who, having just returned from the wars, finds himself tete a tete with Beatrice, who, as her sex usually do, had the best of the argument; and then, turning over to the last scene, where the well" known ruse adopted by Don Pedro to bring the lovers together by means of a little deception, was really good ; in fact, any person not looking on the stage would think that the conversation was being carried on by three distinct persons, so admirably was the tone of voice changed. The second item on the programme was that excellent poem of Tennyson's, entitled " Lady Clara Yere de Vere," which was rendered with much pathos and feeling, and showed that the reader is one capable of entirely carrying the feelings of an audience with her through any selection of that nature. We were not prepared for the rich treat which followed in the .shape of a selection from one of Lover's works, entitled " Father Phil's Collection," the audience being kept in a state of suppressed merriment by her imitation of the brogue, which, to our ears, we thought perfect. But suddenly there came a change—such a one as she described as of not uncommon occurrence in Ireland)—over the audience when she reached the part where the good Father Phil's act of charity became known to his parishioners through the poor woman's confession. The listeners, we are sure, must have thought themselves in the place of the parishioners for the time being, so truly great was the change from the humorous description of the subscription-list to the latter part of the chapter. The sleep-walking scene from " Macbeth" concluded the firs 1 - portion of the programme, and from the manner in which it was rendered stamps it at onco as being one of the most successful efforts of this really gifted artiste. The second part of the programme commenced with a chapter from " The Innocents Abroad," which very clearly showed that the reader was equally as much at homo in that line of art as she is in the higher spheres. But the gem of the evening, as we thought, was the scene from " King John" between Hubert and Arthur, where again was particularly noticeable that remarkable change of voice in which Arthur supplicates Hubert (the gaoler) not to fulfil his murderous intention of burning his eyes out ; and when she came to the part where Hubert, through listening to the innocent appeal of the young Prince cannot do as he has sworn to do, the feelings of the audience were entirely with the reader. The well-known scene from "The School for Scandal" between Sir Peter and Lady Teazle brought one of the most enjoyable entertainments ever witnessed in Oamaru to a conclusion. We learn that the Oamaru public are to have the pleasure of once more hearing Mrs. Scott-Siddons prior to her departure from New Zealand.