THEATRE ROYAL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3919, 22 September 1891, Page 2

THEATRE ROYAL.

The Production of lolaatiio.

The Greytown Amateur Dramatic and Operatic Society, which produced that charming opera of Messrs Gilbert and Sullivan, " lolanthe," in the Theatre Roynl last evening, was deserving of a much better audience than that by which it was greeted. A good many causes, which, for obvious reasons, we will not mention, may be assigned for the meagre attendance, but it is to be regretted that the inconvenience and trouble to which our Greytowa friends were put was not rewarded by a better house. From a musical point of view the opera was a decided success. The selections of the. orchestra, under the conduitorship of Mr M. K. Varnham, were highly appreciated, whilst the choruses were really pretty. The stage appointments and scenery were handsome and the dresses superb, the effect produced by the limelight being charming in the extreme. The various characters in the piece were well sustained, although the amateur style of recitation was rather noticeable. Probably nervousness had a good deal to do with this, lhe plot, which is •» simple one, was worked out with gracefulness and care : lohnthe, a fairy, is banished from fairyland for the offence of marrying a mortal; her life being spared on her undertaking to leave her husband, who believes her to have died childless. She has, however, a son, Strephon, an Area- j dian shepherd, who loves Phyllis, a ward of Court. Plrllis, however, is loved by the whole House ot Lords, including the Lord Chancellor him-! self, «vho consequently withholds the! necessary consent to her marriage with Strephon. lolanthe, on the earnest pleas of her sister fairies, is recalled by her Queen from banish ment, and being surprised by Phyllis and her lover lords, conversing with herson Strephon, she is mistaken for j a " maid of seventeen '*— being as a fairy free from the ravaging effects of! time. Phyllis rejects Strephon, who J is "half a fairy," puts him in col Parliament, where he " plays the I deuce with everything." Phyllis is, j however, very unhappy, and on) discovering the cause of loianthe's youthfulness, asks her lover's forgiveness. lolanthe, at the request of the lovers, pleads with the J Lord Chancellor for his consent to the marriage, and on his refusal reveals herself to him as his wife, whom he had thought dead. By this disclosure she has again incurred the penalty of death, but the Fairy Queen on finding that all her band of fairies have likewise married members of the House of Lords, remits her sentence, and the PeerJ, transformed into fairies, fly off with their brides to fairyland. As Lord High Chancellor Mr D. J. Duff fairly excelled himself, his acting being both realistic and pleasing. Mr F. J. Hunn also scored a decided success as Strephon (the Arcadian Shepherd) his undoubted vocal and histrionic powers being remarked upon by all. The Earls of TollolJer and Mountararat were faithfully represented by Messrs Munt and Bickneli respectively, the fine tenor voice of the former, although he was suffering from a severe cold, being heard to advantage- The title role was ably sustained by Miss A. Hastwell, her interpretation of the part of " lolanthe " being creditable indeed. Miss Cameron bad a most difficult part to perform in " Phyllis," but displayed great care in its pourtrtyal. The ".Queen of the Fairies " found a clever exponent in Miss A. Jackson, whilst the fairies themselves were perfection. The performance was produced without a hitch, and the appreciation of the audience was demonstrated by its loud applause, floral compliments being paid to a number of the performers.