DRAMATIC .ENTERTAINMENT

Temuka Leader, Issue 2544, 19 August 1893, Page 3

DRAMATIC .ENTERTAINMENT

The Geraldine Cricket Club entertainment at the Volunteer Hall on Thursdayevening attracted a splendid house, the fi out seats especially being all taken up. The Misses Fish opened the programme with a pianoforte overture, " Faust," which was met with acknowledged gratification by the audience, and then came the veil-known laughable farce " Box and Cox." The thrifty lodginghouse keeper, Mrs Bouncer, was well represented by Miss Macdonald, and the character of John Box —a much-worked, tired-out-looking journeyman printer — was " got up " and acted very naturally by Mr W. M. Moore. The other character, James Cox, a journeyman hatter, found a very original exponent in Mr S. Willoughby. Some episodes of this farce dragged rather slowly, and the least bit more vivacity thrown into them would have made a wonderful improvement. The acting, however, in some parts was really good. Aiter an interval of ten minutes, Miss Fish played very nicely an overture, " Grand Valse," and Mr L. G. Gubbins, a commercial gentleman at present in this district, made his firsc debut before a Geraldine audience with a couple of humorous recitations. « How Tom Corrigan won the Steeplechase on Shamrock " with a few original local hits thrown in—showed that Mr Gubbins possesses a strong faculty for character sketching. It made one almost see the racecourse before him, and the orowd jostling the excited Irishman, and the jocks and the horses and Tom Corrigan at the lead. Mr Gubbins was equally successful with u How Bill Adams won the Battle of Waterloo." Miss Fish and Mr F. W. Fish received a good round of applause for the overture " Caliph of Bagdad." "Poor Pillicoddy"— a ludicrously funny farce —brought the programme to a close. Mr A. E. Hawking represented Mr PiUieoddy, a nurseryman six months married to a charming widow, on whom he wastes his cash and on whose account he neglects, his business. Miss Wilson Smith was the charming and ex • travagant Mrs Pillicoddy, whose voice sent poor Pillicoddy into ecstasy. Miss A. Fish took the part of Sarah Blunt, the saleswoman at Pillicoddy's seed shop, who rated "Pilly" for neglecting his " bis." and scared him with the thought that Captain O'Scuttle—Mrs Pillicoddy'<> first husband—might turn up some day awd break " Pilly's " pate. Mr F. Wilson Smith was the ferocious and gruff Captain o'Scuttle, who turns up from a desert island, and frightens the wits out of poor " Pilly," but turns out afterwards tq \)e; not the real Captain O'Souttle, but a relative, Miss Orbßll was Mrs o'Scuttle, the lady that caused all the trouble bv mistaking a letter of Captain o'Scuttle's to mean that he had abandoned her for another. She called on Mrs PiUieoddy for solace, and Captain O'Scuttle on his arrival traced her to Pillicoddy's house, and that is how the trouble began, and when Mrs O'Scuttle was found it ended. All the parts were ably represented, and the scene, Pillicoddy's nursery grounds and seed shop, was worthy of praise The Geraldine Cricket Club must, by Thursday's entertainment, have benefitted to the extent of about £9 or £1(), less expenses. Last night the programme, with slight variations, was repeated in aid of the Geraldine Literary Institute.