“The Magistrate."

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 132, 23 November 1901, Page 3

“The Magistrate."

On Tuesday evening in the Oddf Allows' Hall. before a packed audience, the Wai mu te ■ Auiate 4 v Dramatic Club staged Pin'roT three-act farcical comedy '‘The Magistrate,” The plot, which we outlined in Tuesday's issue, gives ample opportunity for the performers to present much “unconscious l»miour ” to the audience. The sortie opens in the drawingroom of Mr Poskot’s (one of the , magistlfetea of Mulberry Street Cgurt) house, and shows Master (,'ia Farjfegdou (Mr W. Lee), stepson H Posket (Mr Pitcaitbly), learning the piano under the tuition of Miss Tomlinson (Miss Clarks), * young la ly of Sbveutoen or so reduced to going out teaching music. Cis is an old-looking lad of fourteen, ns he says his age is, and he does very base music, bat liirts a good deal with h;s timber. They are getting on very amicably together, but there are several, alarms introducing Wyke the butler (Mr K. Ferguson), and Papham, Mrs Poslcat’e maid (Miss i Ferguson). The latter is jaalous of Beattis, the music teacher. Mr Posket aad Mr Bullamy (Mr A. J. Cox), a brother in igistriu.o, tbeu eater, and shortly uftux Miss Charlotte Verinder (Miss Sims), Mrs Bosket’s sister, arrives on her first visit do her brother-in-law's house. After introductions, Mrs Poskett (Miss Evans), takes her sister to her room, and Master Ois instructs Mr Bellamy and his stepfather (“ Guv,” as ho calls him), in the art of a game called “ Fireworks.” Cis cleans them out, and Bellamy, who has not money for a cab faro and refuses to accept a loan, walks out in high dudgeon. Wyke now enters with the letters. One is for Mrs Posket (Miss Evans) and tells her Lad} Jenkins has neuralgia; one for Cis fegm Achilla Blond (Mr Or A. Wilson), telling him that bis private rooms at the Hotel dos Prince must be paia for at once; and one for Mr Posket, stating chad an old friend. Colonel Lukpn, is coming to dine next evening. As this gentleman Was god-father to Cis, and knows that he is really nineteen, Mrs Bosket resolves to visit him at his lodgings and secure bis silence. Bhe makes her poor hen-pecked husband stay at. hdma and goes oil with her sister “ to visit Lady Jenkins” Cis then badly wanes to go and square the proprietor of the Hotel des Prince and induces his “ Guv ” to go with him, the latter privately resolving that he 'will stop his stepson’s pranks. As they arrive and - are shown to a room Colonel Lukyn (Vlr A. LeCten) and Capfc. Vaile (Mr 0. Akhurst) come up to.the adjoining room for supper, and are soon followed by and Miss Verinder,,, the latter of whom his lately quarrelled With Oapt. Vaile and broken off fibeir «ugigement, As it is raining ouipide tjie Colonel puts his friend out bn ft balcony and asks the ladies in. As the proprietor is the Colonel carelessly asks if there is any method of getting off the balcony and is told there is none except by getting on it, as it was unsafe. In the horror 1 occasioned by this disclosure, the Colonel shows himself terribly- agitated, ■ and finally makes the required promise to get the ladies away. A llo w e\ e r, they stay to supper and Vaile slips in behind the window curtains. By accident the ladies discover him, : and there is a scene, which finally ends in the , reconciliation of the lovers. Just then—after eleven — the hotel is raided and the party have to hide in the darkened room, into which thepropriotc: also brings Posket and Cis. As the police come in the latter two jump through the balcony and c\ 'way. The rest of the p« r ty arc. * eked up for, v;f'iu!ting the police apd brought before Mr Pop ct. in the morning and sentenced to /varying ter,ms of imprisonment, k hvy are, howeveh released on a technicality by Bullamy. - , d)h'e fun- iaevor" &,ils th eqghoufc, and/ihtr chantcltrr v.Gre without, exception >*o\l ' In the’ M^i 4 I'

As Cis, M? W. Lee wad a “ bright youth,” and in appear ances On the etagb he never- played better. Mr A: J. Sox, »a Bullamy, with bronchitis and >an. infinite capacity for jubajubes, "scored at his every appearance. Miss Evans, as Mrs Posket, and a familiar figure to Waimato audiences, sustained the character well, and Miss Sims, as her sprightly sister, was very natural and played carefully. Mr Arthur LeCren carried off a heavy, trying part in a way that did him infinite credit, and Mr Charles Akhnrst in his part took the character to the life. Miss Clarke played Beattie with much success. The other characters acquitted themselves creditably, Mr Menzies as Wormington* Messrs Freeman anil Chas. Dash as Sergeants Messiter and Lugg, both capable blueooats, and Mr George Evans as Isidore, waiter at the Hotel des Princes. The orchestra of the Choral Society rendered valuable assistance under Mr'Goldstone. The play will be repeated on Thursday night next.