The Kennedy Company.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XIV, Issue 2970, 11 May 1893, Page 2

The Kennedy Company.

" HANS, THE BOATMAN."

I Last night). "Hans the Boatman" was played most successfully to a crowded house- Mr Charles R. Hill's "Hans" was a moat delightful performance, and the applause the young actor received showed that the audience appreciate* his work to the full. Miss Ruby Kennedy took the parts set dpwn for the indispensable precocious juvenile in the pi«ce, and as the baby coquette and " Little Hms " was quite captivating. Mr J. J. Kennedy's "Yank Thursby " was the amusing character that all Mr Kennedy's assumptions are, while Miss Collier's " Jeffie " couW not have been much improved upon. Miss Lily Hill had an arduous task in the character of "Gladys," which she discharged satisfactorily, and the rest of the characters were well filled. One, however, we must find spaoe to notice, cramped as we are—that of " Lion," Hans' dog. The part was taken by Trooper Watt's fine St Bernard, and there are few amateurs in Ashburbon who could with two rehearsals get through any part in the piece as well as he did the one assigned to him for he went about the stage, and took his part with the "little kiddies" as though he had been trained to it fiom his pttppyhood. The attendance was the best the cqmpany had yet been honored with, and Mr Saville in thanking the audience for their patronage announced that to-night the "Colleen Bawn " will be given, perhaps the feest piece of work of the kind Dion Bounicaulc ev«r did— assuredly one of his most popular Irish dramas; and that on Friday " Little Lord Fauntleroy " would be the piece presented.