HAMILTON COMUS DRAMATIC CLUB ENTERTAINMENT.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1141, 18 October 1879, Page 2

HAMILTON COMUS DRAMATIC CLUB ENTERTAINMENT.

Last night, at Le tjuesne' s ' Hall, ; the ; curtain rose ou'/whafc ,we may term the most ambitious effort .-on. the part of .our local amateurs yet attempted m Hamilton, and we are v,ery pleased to state that the effort was as successful as ambitious, Robertson's comedy qt "-.Caste," as may :; be seen from the 'synopsis, gives ample scope for both high and low comedy, m? both male and female parts, whils<; there are several deeply : ' pathetic passages. r throughout , .the. y . piece. /Wo • . -would especially congratulate ;the lady, amateurs', on the excellence of their several performances. The lady who took the part of . Esther, seemed thoroughly to enter into the spirit of the piece from the first ; but was particularly; effective -; in , the p^thetiu. passages m the 2nd and 3rd Acts. Her acting, was, natural,, her .elocution t good j and she 'looked and acted the character to. perfection. ; ;' The be4utif;ul: ballad' '* In Sheltered Vale," which is introduced m the piece, .was exquisitely sung.: i It is seldom we have the, pleasure of • listening to a voice of ; such compass andsweetness, as that of the Esther of last night ; arid, the audience tesfcfied their appreciation of the occasion by the rapturous applause which greeted the fair eantatrice. The. lively, piquante, and warm-hearted "Polly," was splendidly, represented by a young lady, who seemed to make her- . self a favorite with the audience from the first, and seemed' quite at .home m the part. Her lively sallies with the irrepressible " Sam fairly brought down the house, whilst her acting was worthy of a much more practised artist. , The stately . , " Marquise " fouud an excellent representative. Her really admirable acting iri'the 2nd 4 ct, when she discovers her sou has married into the Eccles family, may be particularly instanced. Old Eccles arid, Sam Gerridge, the low comedy^ parts, found excellent .representatives iv Messrs T. A. 801 l and T. G. oandes, who kept the house m roars of laughter at intervals. The soliloquy of Eccles by the. kitchen fire, was particularly good; indeed, the whole/part was a splendid pipool of'aotiugi Mr. Peter Wallier, as D. i A'lroy, showed great care and. study, and when proposing to 'Esther to "become his wile, and a^ain on, his rgfcara from Jn.dia t

fully carried out his part. Mr Field, as llautroy, was good. tJis got up was unexceptionable, and tho "long-swell's" manner of handling the kettle was immensely f unuy ; whilo tho blaze way iv which he spoke of metals, showed him to bo a good repr9sent|(|ive of "i he Man about To>n." Tho^icehestr n w.as- m gpqrl haridSjv'aiid Mded ve^ylppnsiderablyto thn evening's anjusementf: whilst^ the lately fonifed Bafi|; '' of tlfs Hamilton 'T^ht Infantry, .whg '■ .kiudi^l : volunteered their serriceßj^jt'6nished'<j|Kie.gene^al''pubU^;iij; the amount 6f pi-ofioiency they displayed m suoh a short time. The thanks of the Club are due to them, as also to the lady pianiste,-and-the; other' members "rof" theH orchestra. Ai>ter j^ nights performance, we may ,antiojpate periodical treats" from the Club, who "will at all times be willing .to perform for anycharities' of ¥ deserving .nature. Finally, we congratulate the I Hamilton Gomus Datnatio Club on their first appearance,- and shall ;lopk forward 7 yith pl i easure^to:th*eir,next. v I It was anuounced by the manager, at -the close of the performance, that, m consequence of numerous requests, the piece would be produced again to.-night, when the proceeds Would be given in,aid of the Hamilton Presbyterian Church building "fund./ ;"'""' i '•' ':'