THE POLLARD SEASON. "SAUCY SUSIE."

The sea of nautical burlesque is unfathomable, and its limits illimitable. For goodness knows how many years one William, beloved of Black-eyed Susan, and his rollicking messmates, have roamed the raging main, and braved the battle and the breeze of public criticism, and now we find them all bobbing up as serenely as ever in " Saucy Susie," a burlesque presented for the first time on any stage by the Pollard Company at the Opera House last night. The piece is divided into three acts and five scenes, and plays for a little over three hours. As first nights go, this was very good going, but at least half an hour of the time ought to be saved before Susie and all who follow in her train are finally turned loose upon an unsuspecting public. This should be an easy matter, and we would suggest the first act as the first point of attack. If there were any good points about it beyond the comprehensive curse of Mr. Percy as Captain Crosstree, a pretty song, "Won't You be My Sweetheart," given to Susie (Miss May Beatty) and the spirited finale, the audience failed to see them, or else lost them in the too boisterous behaviour of Messrs. Quealy and Fitts. The act wants rearranging and brightening up with something catchy in the way of spectacle or .music. The other two acts bowl along briskly, having scenery, song, and incident to help them, and are perhaps as good as anything ever expected of burlesque, whose chief function is to turn things topsy-turvy. The trial scene in the tnird act is made the pivot of a lot of uproarious fun, but here again Mr. Quealy was too obtrusive to be amusing, and a portion of his evidence from the witness-box is sufficiently suggestive to warrant the use of, the blue pencil that obliterates. A ballet or two would add considerably to the general stage effects, which have not anything specially novel about them, beyond* briskness of movement and kaleidoscope views of dresses of rainbow colouring. The humour of the "book," which Mr. Bert. Royle is responsible for, is light, and frequently happy in its local allusions, and Mr. Harrison has put the incidental music together very neatly. Among the introduced numbers may be specially mentioned the song and chorus, " Lazily, Drowsily," sung by Miss Agnes Smith, the ballad ' Beloved," by Mr. Charles Carter," a dramatic scena, " Those Wedding Bells," by Mr. D. O'Connor, "A Sweet Little Womanly Woman," by Miss Maud Beatty, the coon song "Melons" (written, by-the-way, by Mr. Sydney Hoben, formerly resident in Wellington, and now in Sydney), the comic item " Zizzy ?izzy Zum," by Mr. Quealy, and a duet with a whistling refrain. There were recalls given for most of these, and also for a sailor's hornpipe danced by Miss Nellie Borthwick. The full .s^fcjcc.ngth of the company is employed in' the," cast, and particular honours fall to Miss Maud Beatty as " principal boy," Miss May Beatty as Susan, Miss Gertie Campion, as Dolly Mayflower, Mr. Percy as Captain Crosstree, Mr. Charles Carter as Knatbrain, Mr. Alf Stephens as 'the Judge, Mr. Quealy as Dame Hatle'y, and Master Chavles Albert as the Lone Fisherman. As before recommended, with a little judicious alteration and cutting the burlesque 'should run easily and naturally, and help to fill Mr Pollard's coffers. It will be presented until further notice. The Benevolent Trustees met this afternoon. Present — Messrs. G. H. Baylis (Chairman), D. Robertson, G. Webb, F. Bradey, and the Revs. W. A. Evans and J. R. Glasson. The Finance Committee (Messrs. Ba3'lis, Webb, Izard, Evans, and Robertson), to. whom at the last meeting of the Trustees the question of the selection of a storekeeper was referred back (after bringing down three names selected from the list of 64 applicants), reported to the meeting that six names had been selected for the final decision of the Trustees. The Rev. J. K. Elliott (who reopened the question at the last meeting), was not present to-day, but Messrs. Bradey and Glasson thought that the Trustees as a whole should go through the list, and that a special meeting be held to consider the matter. Mr. Evans thought the appointment should be made without delay. Ultimately, it was resolved that a meeting of the Trustees be held at 2 o'cicck to-morrow afternoon to decide the matter. Nothing fresh has been ascertained as to the whereabouts of the missing young man James Copland, who left the Occidental Hotel between 10 and 11 last Thursday night to see a friend off by the Talune, but has not since been seen. The parents of Copland, who live at Oamaru, have not heard from their missing son. The police would be obliged for nny information likely to throw any light on Copland's mysterious disappearance, ov as to his present whereabouts,