THE COMUS DRAMATIC

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1307, 13 November 1880, Page 2

THE COM US DRAMATIC

The members of this Club will give the fourth of this season's performances at the Oddfellows' Hall, Hamilton East, this evening, and judging from the manner in which the dress rehearsal was gone through on Thursday, the performance will be quite as successful as any of its predecessors. The pieces intended for representation possess much intrinsic merit, being bright, sparkling and not too long, and when this fact is considered in connection with the well- known ability of our amateurs, a bumper house ought to be the result. The members of the Comus Club have hitherto played exclusively for ethers, and they have been at considerable expense to provide themselves with the costumes, properties, &c. , necessary to the conduct of the performances, they ought therefore to receive the heartiest support now that they are about to play for their wardrobe fund. "Meg's Diversion," with which tho performance opens, though entitled a "drama." must not be confounded with a host of dull, leaden blood and thunder pieces which go by the same designation. Were it not for the main incident which is full of pathos and appeals stronjrly to the sensibility ol tho audience, "Meg's Diversion" could be called nothing else than a light comedy, for it abounds with passages of the mo^t laughable nature. As it is these serve as an admirably foil to the more serious parts. Jeremy Crow, a Devonshire farmer of the old school, has two daughters, Cornelia and Meg, the former of whom has been educated at the expense of a philosophical gentleman, heir to a baronetcy, named Merton, who has conceived the" project of training a wife for himself in this way. Meg is loved by Jasper Pidgeon, the village carpenter, who has lately come in fora moderate fortune, but does not return his affection, playing all sorts of pranks with him ; making him, in fact, her " diversion." Mr Ashley Merton is sought after by a designing widow. Mrs Nefcwell and Cornelia fall in love with Roland, Jasper's brother. Farmer Crow is in difficulties, and in order to borrow money from Jasper, he persuades Meg to let him think ehe is in love with him, a task in which she is so successful that Jasper is deceived into granting the old man's wishes. How he is undeceived, how things get mixed up generally, how they get disentangled, and how all ends happily as such things should, we leave the audience to discover this evening. The amusing farce of ' ' Your Life's in Danger" contains the adventures of an English servant who finds himself in the capital of one of the small German principalities during a period of political ferment. Unconsciously he is mistaken by those with whom he comes in contact for a certain traitor baron, on whose head a price is set, and the endeavours pf these good people to conceal him, and his determination not to be concealed form a thread upon which depend an infinity of amusing things, though the principal figure is John Strong. "Your Life's in Danger" is by no means a one character piece. Schpoonenberg, Madame Schpoonenberg, Countess LansdorfF, Krakwitz, and Jenny are all admirable on their way, and all make considerable demands upon the ability of the actors. The performance this evening will be under the patronage of the Hamilton Contingent, Te Awamutu Cavalry. In addition to the Club's orchestra, the Hamilton Light Infantry Band will be in attendance and play selections during the evening. The members of the Club have very kindly consented to repeat the performance at Te Awamutu on Tuesday next, the proceeds to be devoted to the building fund of the Kihikihi Church.

Western Australia exhibits at the Melbourne Exhibiton; among other things, rubies and amethysts. Australia and New Zealand consume between them one-half of the spirits exported from England. There are 60, 000 Germans in St. Petersburgh,