PRINCESS THEATRE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2490, 4 December 1901, Page 61

PRINCESS THEATRE.

"A TRIP TO CHICAGO." A change of programme was presented by the Sheridan Dramatic Company at the Princess Theatre on Wednesday, when a farcial comedy entitled " A Trip to Chicago " was staged. The piece was designated on the programme as a " happy, merry, musical, farcical cpmedy^"" and one might go a little further and state that it is a melange of nonsense, which serves principally to introduce a sometimes amusing old Irish lady named Johanna Murphy, who bears a very marked resemblance to a certain other well-known stage character rejoicing in the appellation of Widow O'Brien. Although Mis Johanna Murphy does occasionally jar on the nerves with a brogue so thick that it is difficult to follow her when she gives expression to her vigorous sentiments, and although her choice of colours in the matter of wearing apparel is an outrage on the artistic sensibilities" of a cultured and discriminating audience, the said audience, as witness last evening's performance, can afford to penetrate deeper into her character and find much to admire m a rough exterior and a great deal that affords genuine amusement in the brusque, droll fashion in which she sweeps aside the false sentiment of a society in which a capacious command of the almighty dollar has introduced her. Mrs Murphy, to quote one of her own expressive phrases, has " planted ' 9 coiiple of husbands, but as these had left her in a position of affluence she finds some solace for her loss m

"doing" the '* continong," absorbing the manners and fashions of Gay Paree. She returns with all the honours of a grand tour upon her to Chicago, and takes up a permanent residence with her son-m-law in Chicago. Many curious acquaintances call upon her — principally a fire-eating major who has lost various limbs in tfamous battles, a somewhat seedylooking adventuress who has immensely valuable salt mines to dispose of to unsuspecting investors, and a Cockney flunky whom, she believes to be a typical son- of La Belle France and whom she accordingly regales with frogs and similar delicacies, much to that individual's disgust. It will be seen, therefore, that the adventures of such an estimable old lady open up an illimitable field for an imaginative author, and all sorts of amusing situations and ludicrous incidents succeed one another. There is ample material for providing a pot pourh of mirth-provoking scenes, and " A Trip to Chicago" is full of them. An acceptable diversity is lent to the proceedings by the introduction of a very varied programme of musical items, dances, etc. The entertainment wa» evidently enjoyed by last eveuing's audience, for its progress was frequently punctuated by quite uproarious outbursts of merriment. Mi Sheridan as the volatile old Irish lady found a congenial part, which he made the very most of; but not a few of his witticisms missed their mark by reason of their being uttered in a dialect which it was quite impossible to follow, Mr Frank Crossley as a dude of a particularly empty-headed type acted with commendable skill, and was lesponsible for no small amount of the mirth which marked the performance. Mr" Edmund Duggan as the bellicose warrrior who achieved distinction on many a gory field lacked for nothing in the matter of " make up " and acting. Mi Fred. Weutworth as an impecunious company promoter, Mr Walter Dalgleish as a newly-married man badly afflicted with mothers-in-law, Mr Herman as the fraudulent French footman, Miss Mavis and Miss Barns as Mrs Murphy's daughters, Miss Gwynne as an extremely stately specimen of English aristocracy, and the other members of the company adequately filled their parts. The piece was capitally staged, and one paiticularly good scene was that wherein the Chicago Fair by night was depicted. The concert programme, consisting of ballads, tongs, duets, coon songs, costei items, and a musical duologue entitled "Romeo and Juliet," was sustained by Misses Daisy Chard, Mavis, and Barns. Messis Sheridan, Ciossley, and Tom Edwards.