"The Magistrate."

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 130, 19 November 1901, Page 3

"The Magistrate."

Mr A. "W. Pinero's famous farcical ' comedy, whioh the Waimate Amateur Dramatic Company intend staging to-uight in aid of the School Prize Fund, was first staged at the Court Theatre, London, in 1885, and ran for 300 nights without a break. Io has been translated into several languages, and is still a prime favourite, Since commencing its rehearsal the local club have been assiduously practising, aud have determined to make a thorough success of the production. The piece turns upon a topic that has afforded countless jokes to humourists of all times —the desire for concealment by a womad of her real age. Mrs Poskefc (late Farringdon), the wife of the genial magistrate of Bloomsbury street Court, had met. her \ future husband at Spa, and after a ' short courtship they were married, j But with considerable reticence-she | incidentally mentioned that her age ; was thirty-one instead of thirty-six. This necessitated making her son five years younger, and hero • was the ] trouble. Ttie boy'e precocity wus marked* and anyone but the mild, amiable would have notidftd »t- Ho.wWr, all went merry as a inju-riage boll till tho godfather of tho boy promised a visit. Mrs Posket want out' with her «ster at night to the Hotel des Prince, there to swear this gentleman to secrecy. When they went out the young hopeful took his Btepfather to the same place for supper. The party unknowingly occupied adjacent rooms, and when the police raided the bouse after eleven o'clock the hotelkeeper hid them all in the same room, bringing in the Magistrate und the boy in the dark. How these latter, still without being recognised, made a successful dash for liberty, and how the Magistrate got to the Court in time to 'sentence the whole of the party, including his wife and sister, to varying terms of imprisonment, will be graphically made known. Through the good offices of a brother Magistrate they were released, and it was found that Mr Posket's struggle " between love and duty," and in which the" latter triumphed, had been in vairi, for the visitors to the Hotel 'des Prince t had been within then: rights. The comedy throughout is very laughable, and affords room for much dramatic ability.- The; club h<w worked very hard, and it is certain their, efforts will be rewarded by an overflowing housed The box plan at Mr Frankhn'e is filling, well.