THEATRICAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1819, 1 October 1886, Page 28

THEATRICAL.

(Contributions from the Prof essian chronicling their movements and doings are invited. All communications to ht. addresed to "Pasquin,' Otago Witness Office.) NOTES BY PASQUIN. Mr Mallaby, who left here some weeks ago, has, it seems, succeeded in getting a comedycompany together in Melbourne, and will be back here in November to commence a New Zealand tour. The company has for its bright particular stars Miss Florence Wade and Mr Henry Alleyne, who are just now starring at the Bijou Theatre, Melbourne. These artists came out about a year ago from Home in company with G. W. Alison, and opened their Australian tour last December at the Opera House, Sydney, in a piece called " Grimaldi." They were not then a financial success, and misunderstandings arising with Mr Alison they parted, Anson joining the triumvirate, and Miss Wade and Mr Alleyne going into seclusion for a time. Not long ago the latter pair began a season at the Sydney Gaiety in " The Great Pink Pearl," and this proved a success, as it had done in London. They have since appeared in several plays and in several places, and their present engagement with Messrs Williamson, Garner, and Musgrove terminates on the Friday of this week, when they will be free to join Mr Mallaby. "The Great Pink Pearl" will be the chief attraction of this new comedy company in New Zealand. 'Miss Wade plays the part of Princess Penikoff, Mr Alleyne that of the Prince, and Mr Mallaby will take Anthony Sheen, the light comedy part. The cast will also include Miss Jennie Gwynne, Miss Medway, Mr Melville, and others. As to the remainder of the repertoire that is I believe a little uncertain at present, but there is a likelihood of the farcical comedy "On 'Change" being secured, an adaptation froni the German of Yon Moser," author of the original of " The Private Secretary." One of the principal characters is a Scotch professor of money - grubbing propensities, a part Mr Mallaby would take. The piece ran for about 250 nights in London. Mr Mallaby had an idea, I hear, of securing Mr Phil. Beck, now in Melbourne, but seems to have failed in this. Mr Liddy, in the course of a chatty letter, remarks that his engagement with Messrs Rignold and Allison will terminate at the commencement of tbe Brisbane season on October 11, and that he may very likely be in New ■ Zealand again before Christmas. This is good news, as he is pretty certain to bring something \ with him worth seeing. Liddy, by the way, has seen " The Crimes of Paris," in Melbourne, and opines that if the piece lasted half an hour longer everyone of the company would of necessity have to be slaughtered to maintain the interest. As it is, few escape. Mr Liddy's budget of gossip from Melbourne contains the following: — The Opera House with Rignold and Allison's comic opera company have been doing fairly well till last week, which was bad business on account of a row with Verdi and Miss Melville. The management had to substitute operas that did not take with the people, consequently the business was not as good as it might have been. That matter is now all settled, and last night " Griofle Griofla " was produced with Verdi as Mourzouk and Melville as Griotla. The house was good and the opera went splendidly. The Victoria Hall with " Clark's " Silk Stockings and the great gun act 16 doing a big business — in fact, the hall is crowded nightly. This is the 19th week, and there seems no falling off in the attendance. St.George's Hall opened on Saturday night after a long spell, and " Fun on the Bristol " had a tremendous house, but I don't think it's going to go. The people here have had enough of that kind of piece. They say their next move is India and China. J. A. Meade, who you will remember as being with Rignold, has joined them again, and he does not look happy in his position. The Japanese Village is having a very fair share of patronage; they also have the great gun act. The Alexandra Theatre is tast approaching completion, and is to open on the 18th of October ; " Bad Lads " the opening piece. All the dress circle seats are let for the first night, and they are now reserving the stalls as dress circle. I don't like the building, and I fancy it will take a long time to make it a popular place of amusement. The Princess Theatre is the handsomest structure in Melbourne, and is fast approaching completion also, and can easily be ready for its opening date, Boxing Night. I hear it is to open with opera, but it is impossible to know what it will open with till the time comes; for the proprietors are peculiar in that way they don't give much notice to anybody what their future is going to be. Mr J. C. Williamson on last Saturday commenced a season in Adelaide. He has a good company with him, and will play " Struck Oil " and several of his greatest successes. Thornton and the " Private Secretary " Company open at the Bijou here next Saturday, and after them comes Minnie Palmer with "My Sweetheart" Company. Next week's steamer will bring the M'Mahon and Leitch Company, who, after a short season at Invercargill, will open at our Princess Theatre 011 October 18 in " His Natural Life." Mr W. E. Sheridan's season at the Dunedin Princess Theatre closed on Tuesday evening, having been somewhat shortened. Business was not so good as might have been expected, and the tour will not be financially satisfactory to Mr Abbott. Mr Sheridan and Miss Davenport will have done with the present company after leaving Invercargill x and* they proceed at once to Melbourne to play a season there. As regards the artistic standing of our late visitors, Mr Sheridan is to me a most; perplexing actor. He has played eight pieces here in eight nights, and almost the only one to be remembered as a whole without regrets is " Louis XI." This is, in my opinion, Mr Sheridan's strongest character, and it was very nearly a great performance. He was perhaps best of all in the second act, when he succeeded with consummate art in depicting, almost with one touch as it were, the strange compound of craffc, venom, cowardice, cupidity, aud superstition which went to make up that eminently Christian monarch Louis of France. Mr Sheridan had the ungainly shamble and the treacherous voice proper to the sordid nature of the creature he impersonated ; and if ever an actor truly lighted up his face with despicable malice and infernal laughter, Mr Sheridan did so when plotting the murder of Nemours with his trusty Tristan. He was again strikingly good in some passages of act IV, and in the grasp of his enemy presented as perfect a picture of ugly, grovelling terror as an audience could wish to see. His death scene was as it should be, the culminating stroke of art. Mr Sheridan died in his kingly robes, not melodramatically but with intonserealism, and brought a flno and admirably studied performance to a worthy conclusion. I In most pieces though, it seems part of this actor's method thnt he should permit himself to be most flat and unprofitable until he has almost alienated bis audience, and Bhould then Buddenly

virify before their eyes into an artist of consummate ability and resource. In everyplay in which Mr Sheridan appeared there were scraps of inimitable acting, and it is a pity that they cannot be pieced together in order to show this powerful but perplexing artist at his very best throughout a whole evening. His dialogue with Tubal in "The Merchant of Venice," and his whole second act as Louis XI, it is safe to say he will not improve upon,andno one who has been close enough to note his remarkable play of feature during these passages will deny their claim to be ranked as rare efforts of art. "Ingomar," which was played one night last week, was not a bad performance, but the costumes of the Alemanni were painful. There was Mr Rede, for example, pacing the stage clad in a couple of yards of staircarpet— an acutely depressing figure. It becomes Mr Sheridan's duty in the course of the piece to slay one of • his followers who had ventured to lay violent hands upon Parthenia, and he- might very well have singled out Mr Rede and spilt his blood in the wings. But it was not to be. Mr Rede reappeared, staircarpet and all, and remanded eu evidence to the finish of the play. Mr Sheridan's final performance as Bertruecio in " The Fool's Revenge " was a very fine one. The production of " The Merchant of "Venice" last week drew a letter to the press from the Rev. B. Lichtenstein, the rabbi of the Dunedin Jewish congregation. He commenced as follows :—": — " Sir, — Shakespeare's Shylock in his • Merchant of Venice' has done the Jew gross injustice, no doubt, and is doing yet wherever it is produced. That pound of flesh episode is as unnatural to the Jew, as contrary to his character aud temperament, as the accusation of democracy would be if brought against any knightor priest of the Crusades. Still it appears Shakespeare vindicates the Jew's avarice and cruelty, and intended to show that under such circumstances and surroundings it is natural that one should be incensed to the very furious wrath of demanding the pound of flesh cut from his foe's body. None can read the. drama carefully and unbiassed without coming to the conclusion that Shylock's action is, under the circumstances, justifiable, and was certainly so in that barbarious corruption and beastly degradation of human nature." Now I am° not a Jew, and I am not going with Mr Lichtenstein so far as to call Shylock's action justifiable. Shylock plotted a brutal revenge. But this I am going to say that his conduct was estimable compared with that of the contemptible Christians who surrounded him, and that of the two parties he comes best out of the affair. Antonio never attempts to deny that he had railed at and spat upon the Jew, called him misbeliever and cut throat and spurned him like a stranger cur. Antonio in facb merely says that he is likely to do it again. If Shylock was not fairly entitled to nourish a little malice, who is? A Christian " gentleman " (save the mark) steals his daughter in his absence, and steals not only her but the valuables which he encourages the little baggage to carry off. And finally when the tables have been turned on Shylock by quibble the Christians wreak merciless vengeance on him, stripping him of absolutely everything, and provide that half his goods shall go to the eminently Christian Lorenzo who lately stole his daughter, as a reward to that worthy for a most contemptible and blackguard action. Last of all it is exacted that Shylock " do presently become a Christian," abjure the faith of his fathers, and under pain of death espouse that of the fiendish crew who had persecuted him thus. The man who can read " The Merchant of Venice " without a blush of shame for these blackguard Christians and a thrill of sympathy for the Jew is peculiarly constituted. The Tasmanian prices, it seems, are 3s, 2s, and Is, and Mr Rignold is believed to have lost some business by refusing to play to such money. Mr H. Norman (late of Dunedin) is playing with the Rignold Company in Tasmania, and will remain with them through the Brisbane season. The first chance that he gets at a really passable part I am convinced he will make a success, but these chances have to be waited for by the neophyte. Mr Rogers says he has transferred his contract to play Miss Minnie Palmer in Australia to the Hon. George Coppin. This means that there is a row somewhere and several hitches, and I shall not be surprised if Australia and New Zealand do not see "My Sweetheart" after all. She and her company and Mr Rogers were to have sailed in September. The doctors have given poor Bartley Campbell, the insane American playwright, only six weeks more of life. The marriage of pretty Violet Cameron, who had everybody at her feet a year or two ago, has turned out a mistake. She married a Greek named De Bensaude, who turned out to be thoroughly impecunious, atid has been living upon his wife ever sine*. She, in fact, returned to the stage to keep him. Latterly the Earl of Lqnsdale, inspired by a kind of platonic friendship for the beauteous Violet, has been furnishing money for her professional tours and travelling with her, acting as paymaster and general business manager. Notwithstanding that the actress was beneath the shelter »of the maternal wing, the husband, De Beusaude, seems to have viewed the arrangement askance, and at Newcastle there came a rupture. De Bensaude entered a sitting room in the hotel occupied by his wife and the Earl, and upon being informed that his presence in that apartment, for which his lordship had paid, was not desired, refused to leave, and had the dis- ' tinguished honour of being " chucked " out by a peer of the realm. The husband summoned the Earl for assault, and wept occasionally while giving his evidence. This would seem to show a tender heart, but the lady nevertheless declares she is going to get a divorce on the ground of cruelty, that she is in bodily fear of him, and that he has threatened to stab and shoot her. The.magistrates found an assault had been committed, and Lonsdale was fined, while his little theatrical speculation has given all the world something to talk about. The new Gilbert and Sullivan opera is already in rehearsal. It is now understood that the story is based upon Mr Gilbert's sketch " Ages Ago," written for the German Reeds and now out of print. Whether the scene is to be laid ia Egypt or in England during the Georgian era is a detail no one seems to be informed upon. The circumstances attending the commencement of Sara Bernhardt's South American tour will surprise no one familiar with the ingenuity of the ladyjs advertising methods. On entering Rio de Janiero she evaded the public reception prepared for her and allowed the subordinate members of her company alone to receive the ovations of the crowd, while she slipped quietly ashore incognito. Result, a riot. As soon as houses showed a tendency to languish, after tho excitement attending this puff preliminary had died away, Mdme Bernhardt bethought her of her little horsewhip, «nd getting it out of her portmanteau applied it to the shoulders of one of the ladies of her company. This escapade, landed Sarah in prison, the Brazilian judge failing to

make due allowance for "temperament," the plea urged in extenuation by the defence. Mrs Stirling has now virtually taken her far c well of the stage, and her place in the Lyceum company is to be filled by Mrs Chippendale. She was led forward to the footlights by Mr Irving on the last night of the season and warmly received. She has just ,passed the age of three score years and ten, and has had a public career of 57 years. She was the original Peg Woffington, and the first Olivia in Tom Taylor's version of Goldsmith's novel. The London press finds Mr Boucicault's new comedy "The Jilt" exceedingly disappointing, and as a racing play absurd. Miss Thorndyke was coolly welcomed at first for reasons quite outside her histrionic ability, but she gained approval as an actress. THE STAGE IN AUSTRALIA. NOTES BY SCALFAX. Melbourne, September 21. We are a remorseful people. We have done much evil during the past months of this year. We have dallied with " lolanthe," we have Boomed " Hoodman Blind," we have even smiled at " Blow for Blow," but we do not consider that we deserve " The Crimes of Paris." We are patient and long-suffering, but when it comes to dramas like " Tim ; or, The Irishman's Revenge," and the one under review, we kick with emphasis. It shows an appalling amount of 'callousness and indifference in any dramatic authors, in the first place, to construct their dramas in six acts. That is what Messrs Paul Merritt and George Conquest have done. This startling drama originally graced the boards of the Olympic Theatre, London, and is adapted from a well-known French original. The plot is complicated and highly improbable. Jules Martel (Mr H. Vincent) is an artisan who has been wrongfully sent to Cayenne. He is, of course, very virtuous. Pepin Cardell, a detective (Mr G. S. Titheradge), interests himself in his case and secures his pardon. Jules has a wife, Angele (Miss Maggie Knight), and child, whom he left in Paris, and who have fallen into poverty and trouble. Although Jules is only an artisan, he left with one Pierre Belport (Mr Clitherow) a bond for the payment of 400,000 francs to his wite. The bond has, naturally, gone astray. A. highly fashionable villain, the Viscomte de Vismes, alias " The Demon " (Mr Phil Beck), wishes to make Angele his mistress, but being on a visit to her domicile one day Bplits open a writing-desk with the poker, and discovers the bond and a few odd thousands in money the existence of which is unknown to the intended victim. The Demon alters his plans, as the money is payable to Angeles husband, and really does marry her. As may be expected, the real husband turns up just as the wedding party leaves the church, and Helene (Miss Constance Deorwyn), a former mistress of the Viscomte, begins to " show him up." The virtuous and deceived convict raves somewhat, and gets to wandering round the streets of Paris in search of work and food, totally ignoring the 400,000 francs. Angele also gets wandering round about the {morgue and the apple boats on the Seine in white satin and an opera cloak. She has recognised her first husband, and braves death and robbery every five minutes in her pursuit of him. Here, on the banks of the river and in full view of Notre Dame de Paris, we have the first murder— that of Pierre Belport, the holder of some forged bills issued in a moment of abstraction by the Viscomte. Belport is stabbed and chucked in the river, while " Martel, who comes on the scene, i£ knocked insensible, and the child is also thrown into the river. Cardell, who is always on hand when he is wanted, rescues the child, and files him for future reference. Helene turns exceedingly rusty, and Cardell nearly catches the Demon by making an unexpected appearance through a trick wardrobe. After many remarkable adventures the Viscomte accidentally cuts the throat of one of his comrades and shoots another, is captured by Cardell, who handcuffs him, but is disabled by_n well-directed kick. Just as the remarkable Viscomte is about to jump Out of a window he is shot dead by Helene. Martel and his wife are /reunited, and Cardell heroically marries Helene, the demimondaine, because he loved her when she was virtuous. To give any detailed account of the horrors of this drama would take the whole of my available space, and I am not going to attempt it. Event follows event with rapidity, and the dialogue is merely used as a paste to join the startling incidents together. The only bright spot is a Mr Johnston (Mr W. Elton), who got married in Paris, and lost his wife on their wedding morn. He searches all Paris for her, and eventually finds her at Mabelle. As a whole, " The Crimes of Paris " is the worst specimen of its class we have had for many a day, and one can only deplore the itaste of the management in ever allowing it to be produced. It was performed on Saturday last before a house crammed to excess in the cheaper parts, and the practice of glorifying clever criminals, as is the fashion of these dramas, cannot have any exalting influence on the morals of the adolescent gallery boy. Mr Phil Beck gave a very clever personation of the chief villain, and had the honour of a call before the curtain. He appears to be very active, and made a feature of bis struggling scenes. He speaks with foreign rapidity, ' and ~at times foreign indistinctness. The scenery was picturesque, and met with the cordial approval of the house, especially a view of the Avenue de l'Opera, which the programme perversely calls a boulevard, by moonlight ; and one of the river bank, apparently on the He St. Louis, and close to the Pont de la Tournelle. The remainder of the nineteen speaking characters did their fragmentary portions with their usual skill. On Monday night the attendance dropped sensibly ; and, without wishing harm to the management, one cannot help hoping that " The Crimes of Paris " will be a failure. Such a drama is almost an iusult to our intelligence. " Human Nature " is underlined for early production. Last Friday night " The Bohemian Girl " was revived at the Opera House, Miss Colborne singing in her usual admirable manner the leading soprano music. Mr Warwick Gainor replaced Signor Verdi as Count Arnheim, and, from nervousness probably, fell a whole tone in his opening solo, the orchestra having to transpose, the music suddenly to prevent a contretemps. Mr Gainor has a fair voice, but his acting wants looking to. On Monday night, September 20, " Girofle-Girofla " was tried, with Miss Emelie Melville in the title role and Signor Verdi as Mourzouk. From this you will gather that the little difficulty with the management has been arranged, and harmony once more reigns, the only disappointed one being Miss Ivanova. The music was somewhat knocked about to suit Miss Melville, the well-known "See how it sparkles " going for once without an encore. Signor Verdi was splendidly made up as the Moor, and his fine voice added greatly to the effect of the concerted music. Mr John Forde was the Don Bolero, and Sfr Pordo v&ll

always " gag " until you sigh for missiles. Miss Fanny Liddiard was just the sort of cook as Pedro you would like to have about the house ; while Miss Colborne, in a Whistlerian " arrangement " of orange and green, gave piquancy to tae music of Paquita. Miss Colborne's voice appears to improve daily, but her acting requires much improvement yet. I>lr Beaumont was the Marasquin, whose name the company conspired to pronounce Maraskene when not calling it Marascane. " Curmen" will be the next opera on the roll. On Thursday last Mr John Forde had a narrow escape at the Opera House from a severe accident. During the tumult at the end of the first act of " Madame Angot " the act-drop was lowered before its proper time and struck him ou the head with considerable force, leaving him on the stage between the curtain and the footlights. Beyond the shock and a slight dazing Mr Forde was none the worse for the mishap. The Opera House drop is mischievous. It came down once before on Mr Riguold, and not long ago quietly broke away and Jowored itself. It ought to be warned that any future carelessness will result in instant dismissal. " Fun on the Bristol " opened to a crowded house at St. George's Hall on Saturday night, and the old familiar piece went with all its old familiar spirit. Mr John F. Sheridan has lost none of his humour as Widow O'Brien, and our public have evidently not lost the capacity for enjoying the amiable widow's Malapropisms. Mr J. A. Meade and Miss May Livingston aro the only members of the original company who now remain with Mr Sheridan. An unexpected effect was produced in the first act by tho sudden extinction of the gas in the auditorium owing to defective pipes, but the matter was soon remedied. Mr Sheridan will only play, four weeks here, as he is desirous of going to India during the winter. Mr Dion Boucicault, jun., arrived last Thursday per Orient steamship Potosi. He and Mr Robert Brough appear to have secured an efficient company, the names of Misses Fanny Robins, E. Romer, and Messrs G. L. Gordon, a good actor and playwright, Walter Everard, and Royce being among the principals. Mr Royce and Mr Elton, who is now at the Royal, were theatrical partners once. Amongst the plays arranged for are "Comrades," "On 'Change," "Turned Up," "Robin Hood," " Onr Regiment," and other comedies of more or less note. The company was to leave for Melbourne on August 19, aud the season commences on October 9. The opera company now occupying the Opera House close their season on October 2 and go on tour to the larger inland towns, thence to Hobart, and from there to Sydney, after which the New Zealand tour will bet hought of. "As You Like l Ib" replaced " Tim ; or, The Irishman's Revenge," at the Bijou Theatre on Saturday last, Miss Wade appearing as Rosalind, Mr Alleyue as a very melancholy Jacques, and Mr Phil Day as Touchstone. The wrestling scene was made a feature of by the engagement of Messrs Miller and Victor to do a little ground and lofty tumbling, the rest of the act being, of course, subjugated to it. It is not the sort of innovation that the Shakespearean student approves of, but possibly it pays, and that which pays is good. There is a new aphorism for you. " The Private Secretary " is due next Saturday, and, for my own part, 1 prefer laughable comedy to gymnasium Shakespeare. It is the way I am built. Yesterday Mr Corunna Pollard, of the Pollard Juvenile Troupe, was sued by Broadbent Bros, for £30 15s Bd, for cartage and storage of scenery and luggage. Non-indebtedness was the defence, and a sum of £5 3s was paid into court as covering all claims. The Silk Stocking Minstrels still appear at the Victoria Hall, and their ranks were augmented on Saturday by Messrs Walsh and King, the dancers. Last night Zazel was too ill to be shot out of the cannon, and Leoni volunteered to take her place, Mr Charles Woodward taking his on the trapeze. Although both performers were new to their respective parts, the result was a complete success. Aeola, having recovered from her sprain, gets shamefully propelled into j space every evening and afternoon at the Japanese Village. Mermaids must be cheap in the Japanese market just now, as there are fully a dozen on exhibition in the Village. Music halls are not always expected to be models of propriety to the world at large, and I know of one here where it becomes sultry at times. The press is now calling attention to "an indelicate dance " at another one, and gently insinuates that the can-can may be all very well at Bulliers, but that in a growing community its public exhibition is calculated to disturb the morals of all the bald-headed men in the front row. Mr Locke Richardson has been continuing his Shakespearean recitals at the Masonic Hall, " King Lear " being last right's selection. Mr Richardson is an able reader, a devoted student, and an ardent admirer of our great dramatic genius. He has been requested to give a series of readings at popular prices, five shillings being above the average of our ordinary lecturegoers. The Misses Joran gave their eighth concert in the Town Hall on Saturday night. Sydney. — " The Mikado "is drawing firstclass houses to the Theatre Royal, as was to be expected. — Mr Alfred Dampier is doing "Faust" at the Standard Theatre. — The Royal Comedy Company have removed to the Gaiety Theatre, and " The Man with Three Wives " was announced for, ; Saturday last. He ought to have every marrried man's sympathy.— Mr W. J. Holloway is playing Frank Harvey's drama " A Ring of Iron " at the Opera House with much success.— The Academy of Music, Alhambra, and Protestant Hall are occupied by minstrel and variety companies. An animated controversy is now raging between Mr George Darrell and Mr E. Finn, the author of a story entitled " The Priest's Secret," and published in the defunct Bulletin. Mr Finn claims that Mr Darrell stole "The Soggarth" from his story,,a fact which is indignantly denied by the author-actor. I fancy that when all is settled up it will be found that both got their idea from a poem of Charles Lever, unless my memory fails me. I am informed that the " Colleen Bawn " will replace "As You Like It" at the Bijou tomorrow night, and that on Friday Mr Alleyne and Miss Wade will benefit in " The Bells " and " The Great Piuk Pearl." CHURCH MUSIC. * At St. Paul's last Sunday evening Gounod's beautiful anthem "Send out Thy light" was sung. This is one of the best anthems the choir •f St. Paul's sing, and it has become very popular with the congregation. As an offertorium, a lady chorister (Miss Weidner) sang the same composer's fervent setting of the hymn "There is a green hill," and her rendering of the music was correct and very expressive. The service sung was Tours' ju B flat. The " Magnificat " is rather heavy in character, but improves on acquaintance 1 . The "Nunc Dimittis" is remarkable, however, for its sweet and religious opening, »nd it kas a very N eftective " Gloria."