THE GOURLAY FAMILY.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 428, 14 December 1868, Page 2

THE GOURLAY FAMILY.

The G-ourlay Family gave their second entertainment in Westport, at the Masonic Hall, on Saturday evening. The fact that the hall was well filed was not more than a deserved recognition of the character of the entertainment. If it had been crow ded to inconvenient excess it would not have been more than might reasonably have been expected. The entertainment is one of intrinsic merits sufficient to attract, and to thoroughly gratify those whom it attracts; but it is especially meritorious compared with the class of entertainments which "Westportians, as the result of their commercially secluded position, have the misfortune to be accustomed, and are so good-natured as to recognise as legitimate sources of amusement. We refer more particularly to the portion of the entertainment in which Mr and Mrs Grourlay themselves took prominent part —the illustrations, or rather the caricatures, of Scottish character. Although there was, on Saturday evening, only a selection given from the melange of characters represented in what the artistes have named " Mrs M'G-regor's Levee," the selections given were sufficient to show that, as conductors of a drawing - room entertainment, Mr and Mrs Grourlay have few, if any, superiors ; and by the national selection which is made, the entertainmeut is unique and thereby refreshing. Excellent as was the entertainment given by Mr and Mrs George Case, it was not more than an extract from " Howdin's Carpet-bag "or from entertainments of a similarly purely English, or partly Cockney, character. Fisher and Lloyd, or the two Lloyds are, perhaps, the only performers who have had the temerity, with ■ success, to introduce Scotchmen and Scotch-women into a " drawingroom," and they have not visited the colooies. Even if they had, their entertainment would not have excelled that of theGourlays. Of course there ■is a good deal of extravagance and exaggeration in the dressing of some of the parts, but that is an allowable accompaniment of low comedy; and it is even possible that in some of the villages of the " east neuk " of Fife, where the scene is presumed to be laid, some such venerable relics as MissM'Tavish and Mrs . Paterson might be found, bonnets and "braws" included, and with their carnal appetites equally developed ia the direction of whisky and scandal. Eat mere " dressing" can neither aid nor 1 detract from Mr Grourlay's sterling qualifications as an actor. His vocal imitations, and his caricatures of Scottish mannerisms, are capital ; and they are not all mere burlesque. The ' apparently trifling character of " the old nurse"—the last of the levee—was a genuine piece of something more than comedy. In speech and song, Mrs Grourlay renders good assistance ; and in the first part of the entertainment " Little Johnny" and his sister . take and fulfil really more than their fair share. A proficient player presides at the piano. This evening is announced to be, although it should not be, the last evening, with a change of programme, and afterwards we believe the family proceed to Charleston.