THE " HAPPY LAND."

There wag a good attendance at the Academy of Music last night to witness the first performance of the " Happy Land " — a play similar to that recently prohibited in Victoria, the political allusions, however, being altered so as to adapt them to the cir« cumstances of New Zealand. Every allowance must be made for a first night, but it cannot be said that the piece went very smoothly last evening. There was great delay in commencing, and the intervals were unnecessarily long. The impatience of tho audience consequently manifested itself loudly more than once. The performers, moreover, with one or two exceptions, were anything but well up in their parts, and failed to give effect to the various " points." Briefly stated, the plot is as follows :— The fairies invite prominent members of the late New Zealand Ministry to their kingdom, in order to instruct them in the mysteries of popular government. Sir George G — y (Mr. Wilkinson), J. S. M— c— n— w (Mr. T. Williams), The Great O1O 1 Johnny (Mr. F. Crooko), and the Hon. Johnny M— n (Mr. R. W. Cary), accordingly make their appearance, and excite the merriment of the audience by their confessions as to their mode of conducting the business of the country. Of course, on their recommendation, persons are appointed to the various portfolios, on account of their notorious unfitness for the office, it being the golden rule in the "Happw Land" to appoint as Ministers men "wio know nothing whatever of the duties, and as soon as they have learned something of them to turn them out to make room for the opposition. Mr. C&ry's acting and make-upas the Hon. Jchni-y M— n (who, for some mysterious reasra ia described as " A demon" in the bills) were excellent, and completely convulsed tho audience. The make-up of " The Great O' Johnny " and "J. C. M — c — n — w " was also in each case exceedingly good, but it was generally re* marked that Mr. Wilkinson oxhibited very little likeness to the "Knight of Kawau." A great drawback to the due effect of th« caricature was that (except in the case of Mr. Cary) none of the actors attempted to imitate the voices of their prototypes, or, except in a very mild degree to copy their tricks of manner. Probably the piece will improve in all these respects with subsequent representation. There is no doubt, however, that to make it really successful i^ requires to be prohibited, inasmuch as. political excitement has now pretty well died out in New Zealand. The principal female parts were sustained by Miss Amy Johns, Miss Amy Thornton, and Mis 3 Lena Wyatt. Tho latter young lady performed her role with surprising spirit for one so young. The play, we should odd, was preceded by a miscoi* laneous entgrtamment, in which Mr. Wilfcinson.Mr- Bffifcy, O'Neill, Mr. Cary and Miss St. Clarr tfeolfmrt.