Hawtrey Comedy Company.

Taranaki Herald, Volume L, Issue 12343, 27 August 1903, Page 5

Hawtrey Comedy Company.

V TBE OTHER MAN'S BUSINESS."

The Hawtrey Company renewed acquaintance wiifci a local audience, in the Theatre Royal, on WehnesHay niffht, when a farcical comedy, "The Other Man's Business," was played before a fairly large audience, who appeared to 'be highly aamusoH anrJ entertained by the rjointed. dialogue ancl absurd situations on wMch the Success of the piece depenlUed. As in all farcical comedies there is just the "pretence oE a plot in "The Other Man's Business"; just enough plot to malke the incidents unjdersbaivcldble to the audience. Aarthony Blog'gett, a fast yotimg man, . gave tvp dentistry at -which he was- a failure, rind borrowed money from his uncle to pi'rehase a tobacconist business, the uncle being a retired vendor of tobacco, pipes*, etc. The uncle arrive® at Bloggett'e house at a day's notice, and Bloggett had to borrow another man's business in. order to show h?£ .uncle over ike siupposed purchased shop. Bloggett* s wife managed to clo so *unjtnown to the real owner through ihe instrumentality of the owner's assistant, who visited Bloggett's house to court the housemaid. The complications that arose over the fictitious owjnersfoip, and the subsequent unravelling of the absurd , situations in which the characters found t[h Jimseßves placed gave the members of the company plenty of scope to show, their Versatility as mirth, provakers. As Bloggett Mr -Gregan HacMahon was resqonsible for a good deal of the fun, especially in the last act When he arr?vejd hk>me in a dilapidated condition, after escaping from a ipolice raid on "fjn'e Para£Hs6 Club" at the tobac; oonist sffiofp. Mr Hawtrey in the piar'l of Rattledhip, the; uncle, gave the audience a neat piece of acting. Ho was seezrat his best in the scene where he ijutoectetjf his nephew's stop-tops-od t6tt&conist' shop. Horatio Bloggett, a precocious spj«oolboy, was played by Mr G. W. Elton' with a good deal of "g uto > ' ut a * times he was widsnt to inFuse a little too mftich "B'ly me" into the character. The ntosft am.using character in the piece was Henry Hill, the tobacconist's assistant, wjho was ini'per,sionate'd by Mr 0. P. Heggie and whose make-up was excellent;* and his "Put it all down to me," wjhen in trquble seemed qtuite a "catdh" ■pihmsc. ' Mr L. Stanley played the part of the mystjtf^d tobacconist, Williajn SfriKprfon, the real owner of iihe shop, and did his wonk well. In lastly talent the contpany has a strong po^nt. Miss Winifred Austin in the part of Mrs Bl'oggett played a difficult role with niueh flkill and grace. Miss Mary Bancroft as- Emma, ■ the maul, mafle the most of the part, her rapturous meetings' with her 'Enry 'TO appealing strongly to the risible facilities of the an&ieape. The "Flossie" character of Topsy Temple was playdd with just steifficjent abandon by Miss Elsie Austin. The small part of Miss OhetlW ('M5«s Maud Torr»>n/;p) anrJ the parts of the members of the police who raided the club vcre all well taken.

LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEBOY

iThe company will conclude their season here to-night, when the popular play, "Little Lord Fauntleroy," with Mt»°« Addie Lorking in the name part, will be staged.