THE GOURLAYS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume II, Issue 147, 14 March 1874, Page 2

THE GOURLAYS.

The last performance given by this Company at the Music Hall on Monday night was certainly not among the least of their triumphs in Gisborne, indeed the public began to feel that the longer the Gourlays stayed, the more surely would they become established favorites here, as they have done wherever they have appeared. Mr. Gourlay is a wonderful man. The versatility of his talent knows no bounds. Taken in any branch of the Dramatic profession, “ From grave to gay, from lively to severe,” this gentleman displays histrionic powers that shine “ like stars i’ the darkest night.” The serio-comic drama, “ Milky M hite, or Early Love ” selected for the farewell performance, gave abundant evidence of this, as joy and sorrow, sunshine and shade, follow each other in such quick succession as to employ the actors’ whole attention in rendering a faithful portrait. The character of “ Milky White,” possesses the most extraordinary combination —we may say the most felicitous blending—of the sublime with the ridiculous, that can possibly be conceived of, and brought out Mr. Gourlay’s dramatic talent in a most effective manner. A short outline of the play may not be uninteresting. “Milky White” is a well-to-do farmer, as fond of law as he is of his only daughter Annie (Miss Gourlay) who, ultimately is the innocent cause of all his trouble, through an attachment she has formed for a young Doctor (Mr. C. Gourlay) (visiting the house professionally, to operate on her father for deafness,) but whose affection, the old man thinks is bestowed upon a yokle cowherd, Dick (doubled by Mr. C. Gourlay) employed on his farm, from a conversation he overhears between them after regaining his hearing. The sudden surprise of Milky White; his struggle with, and final ejection of

Dick from the house; the fearful maledictions he invokes on A nnie’s future life, and the terrible denunciation of his only child, whom he curses and ultimately casts into the streets to “ beg, starve, and die,” are rendered with a power of pathetic declamation—entirely devoid of rant —which entitle Mr. Gourlay to rank in the highest walks of his profession. In this scene, which causes him to visit his daughter’s supposed filial disloyalty with perpetual banishment from his roof ana parental affection, Mr. Gourlay vests the various gradations of his wrath with a sublimity which, from its naturalness, is as perfect a piece of acting as is possible to see. No less so is his battle with remorse in having acted on what he considers a stern duty demands of him ; these are master pieces of dramatic effort; Mr. Gourlay carries the house with him ; his audience is in tears, and the curtain falls to the first act, amidst thunders of applause. The second act provides the various processes by which n reconciliation is effected, principally through the instrumentality of Widow Sadrip (Mrs. Gourlay) who befriends Annie. Milky White proposes to the Widow, Dr. Smith obtains the hand of Annie, and all are happy except Diek. As we have said there is much light and shade in the plot, puns and witticisms relieving the dark cloud of sorrow which for a time pervades it. By no means the least attraction in the performance of “ Milky White ” was the naive gentleness of Miss Minnie Gourlay as Annie; and the circumstance of a blood relationship between this young lady and Mr. Gourlay, lent an additional charm to the surroundings, especially in the denunciation and reconciliation scenes, and in her tender, sweetly unaffected rendering of the song “ Early Love,” which she sings to her father (in the latter scene) at his special request, and at the conclusion of which she bursts into tears. During these two scenes there were many moist eyes besides Annie's among the audience, whose pent-up feelings found relief only, when the reconciliation was effected, in long-continued plaudits, and in a special mark of approbation, for which the curtain had to be raised at the end of the drama. “ Milky White ”is the best play ever performed in Gisborne. Mrs. Gourlay and Mr. C. Gourlay had unimportant parts to play, but they cannot be parted with, without an expression of approbation for the pleasure they afforded in the musical melange which preceded the drama. Mrs. Gourlay is a charming vocalist and sang, among many others, “ The Lover aud the Bird,” “The Swiss Girl” and “Jessie’s Dream ” with such brilliant effect as to command hearty encores. We cannot close this imperfect notice of the talents of these artists, without regretting the shortness of their stay, and hoping for their speedy return.