Trinity Church Entertainment.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 947, 28 May 1881, Page 2

Trinity Church Entertainment.

McFarlane’s Hall was very well attended on Wednesday evening last, by a patient, if not a delighted audience. Taken en bloc, and criticism apart, the performance passed off tolerably successful. The principal features in the programme were “ Barnum’s Show,” and three “ Tableaux Vivant.” The first consisted of an exaggerated copy of the greatlv exaggerated Showman — Barnum—whose extraordinary spectacles of a natural and unnatural kind, have brought him a fortune. Of course, the “ wax-work ” figures were living beings, and the “ get up ” of each in support of the character represented, testified to the individual and collective trouble and taste displayed by the promoters of the project. Mr J. Bourke acted as “ Showman,” and acquitted himself very well, although the material he had to work with—no particular line requiring to be followed—afforded him, more than he appeared to take advantage of, abundant opportunity to display his powers of facetiae, and the more extravagant the more suited to the purpose. The audience was highly amused, Mr Bourke’s voice being at times inaudible, through suppressed laughter in all parts of the hall.

The tableau representing the “Sleeping Beauty,” was accorded a meed of praise, as were also the tableaux of “ Cinderella.” We could not see exactly where the “ beauty ” came in, although with a liberal use of saltpetre, and redundant lurid flames, giving a very faint idealism of Dante’s “ Inferno,” the effect was highly colored, if the tableaux themselves were not improved on. Most present seemed desirous of consideration towards the efforts put forth to furnish an entertainment, which, whatever its pardonable defects, as illustrating works of j>rt, claimed, at least, the merit of originality ; but there was a—perhaps unavoidable—tediousness in the too frequent delayt that occurred. And here we may re mark without being hypercritical, tha nothing is more impatient to an audi ence than to see persons connecte< with the performance stepping up an< down from the floor to the stage, an, in and out, back and iront of th proscenium, without any object of ifl terest, but to regulate that whicl should invariably be performed out <1 sight of the auditorium. FoPinstancl during one of the songs, a persol moved about with a big ladder, alteril ately ascending and descending, ol cupying himself by turning up til

lamps that had been lowered during the preceding tableau. Then, again, some of the performers do not suit the action to the word.” They appear very often before they or their accompanist, are ready. Sometimes a piece of music is not at hand, or the musician is not aware of what the lady or gentleman is about to sing ; therefore follow certain whisperings and expressions of wonder and surprise. A lady may stand facing the audience for some minutes in painful and unnecessary suspire. If a gentleman, he suddenly disappears, or holds a sotto voce recrimination with some one. At the recent entertainment a gentleman appeared at the footlights, and, from the severely conventional state of affairs, it was presumed that “ all was rightit was not so, however, the music could not be found for some time ; but we do Mr Berry the justice to say that his rendering of “The Warrior Bold” redeemed the vocal of the programme from failure an exception —no, we except Mr Montague Smith, who was requested to sing at the last moment, and repeated his “ Cup of Warm Camomile Tea,” to the great delight of his hearers. There was a “ Punch and Judy ” show; but —well, as we do not wish to say anything to clash with the good, but ill-advised, intentions which produced such a baby pastime for the delectation ■of some 200 adults, we withhold our pen from further remark ; and it was badly done at the best We remember that we depend on our lady and gentlemen amateurs for the furtherance of these social gatherings — for that is the most kindly light to view them with—and, public amusements being so few, we accept with a good grace the best we can obtain; but the line of absurdity must be drawn somewhere, and it is as well to let it be drawn at “ Punch and Judy” exhibitions. Mrs Brooke Taylor and Mr W. Clarke played the pianoforte portions of the music, and Mr McFarlane’s Baud played two overtures. The Church funds will be augmented by about £lO as the result.