THE SHAKESPERIAN FESTIVAL.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7265, 26 January 1889, Page 6

THE SHAKESPERIAN FESTIVAL.

WHAT WILL BE SEEN THERE,

The arrangements for the Shatesperian Festival are rapidly approaching completion. It certainly promises to be one of the greatest "shows" ever held in Christchurch. It may be fairly said that all the local talent of every kind available has been pressed into the service by the Committee. Persons of all denominations are cheerfully assisting their Catholic fellow-townsmen to make the affair a success from every point Special thanks are due from the Committee to MrKinsey for his courtesy in interesting himself in order to make the musical forces as utrong as possible, and to Mr Donnolly, of the Rink, for drilling the Shakesperian host in the grand march. Several letters from leading citizens occupying high social and official positions have been received by the Secretary, Mr J. P. Kelly, signifying their intention of being present on the opening night. The interior of the Rink will be fitted up like a street in an old English village. There will be £our blocks of Elizabethan buildings. Two of these blocks will be placed down each side of the Rink. There will be a wide promenade right round the hall, between the back of the buildings and the side galleries. This open space will be abont nineteen feet wide. In front of the buildings, down the centre of the hall, there will be a wide. space representing a street. Visitors will be able to pass in and ont through the buildings, which will be open both at back and front. In each of the buildings there will be three Shaksperian stalls. Each stall will represent a separate play, so it will be readily understood that there will be ample scope for the display of elaborate costumes, seeing that the characters of twelve Shaksperian plays are to be reproduced. x . ~ At the Armagh street entrance to the Rink, where the high-boarded wall is now in front of the skates and ticket offices, Shakespeare's house will stand. A passage vrill be cut throagh the boards m order to make room for this building, ■which will be an exact facsimile of the poet's birth-place at Stratford-on-Avon. Shakespeare himself is to return to his old home and act as ticket-taker in the house in which he was born. Doubtless the great "actor-author," to quote George Darrell, often acted as his own cashier in the days when he was a strolling player. Therefore he should know from his previous experience on earth how to rake in the shillings. Opposite Shakespeare s house, at the Gloucester street end of the Rink, the organ is placed. At the right of the organ there will be the refreshment stall, which is to be fitted up to represent the Boar's Head at Eastcheap. There in the temple sacred to the memory of Sir John Falstaff and Prince Hal, visitors to the festival will be able to obtain draughts of a substitute for the potent " sack," which the fat knight so eulogised, and may have a chance of " cracking a quart" with Pistol and Bardolph. At the left of the organ there -will be one of the features of the show. This will be a very fine representation of Loch Katrine and the hills above the famous lake. There will be an immense picture of the lake on the walL In front of this picture, on the floor, there will be what is technically termed an opaque water row. In front of this again there will be a strip of "gauze water." This latter is the best kind of stage imitation of water, and under the gaslight will give the effect of the real shimmer of water. This stream is to be bordered all round the edge with ferns and plants in order to heighten the natural effect. A rustic bridge 29ft long spans the artificial water. On this bridge lovers of the gentle sport may stand and fish; but if a oaby's sock instead of a salmon trout rise to the bait, they must not be too much surprised at the phenomenon; From the line where the plants will be arranged to the hills above the loch a perspective of something like ten miles will be given. If the representation of the lake, when finished, be as artistic as the model promises that it shall be, Loch Katrine ought to be one of the attractions of the festival. In the end gallery, over the Armagh street entrance, a Richardson's Show will find; a place each evening. This company of artists who will " star w it in the gallery have several dramas in their repertoire. Around the gallery there will be a promenade, so that visitors to this part of the Rink will be able to enjoy in perfect comfort the fine old sensational drama which will there take place. Among the attractions will be an art exhibition of a very beautiful kind. Upon looking through glasses, coral caves, gold mines, salt mines, and various natural wonders, including the newly-discovered Sutherland Waterfalls, will be seen.

Another novel feature which is to be introduced by Mr Houlihan, who has charge of all these side shows, is a telephone concert. Twenty-five telephones will be in use. These will be laid on to a room at Papanui or Lyttelton, where the singers 'will be. To those who are not much in the habit of using the telephone this novel concert should prove interesting. Visitors will also have the opportunity of seeing how the Telegraph department is worked. Boys in uniform will receive and deliver messages within the boundaries of the Hall. Mr Meddings, the Inspector of Telegraphs, has been most kind in assisting the Committee to perfect their arrangements in regard to this part lof the business. Visitors will be initiated into the mysteries of the printing and engraving arts at very moderate charges. In order that visitors maybe well supplied with the news of the day, the Festival Gazette, under the editorship of Mr i Norton-Taylor, will be published; There will be a Gipsy tent, in which a real Gitana. after the important preliminary of having her hand crossed with silver has been observed, will dip into the future, and tell people what fate has in store for them.

On the opening night a grand march by the ladies and gentlemen, in costume, will take place. This should prove a very magnificent spectacle. It will certainly be a most curious one to. see so many of the rank and file of Shakespeare's creations assembled together. But, probably, there will be more of the rank than of the file. The ladies, and the gentlemen too, all appear to have developed a sadden rage for satins and velvets, feathers and lace, royal mantles and crowns. The quaint characters are likely to be rather out of court, as their homely garments do not recommend them to favor.

The ladies appear to be rising to the level of the occasion in regard to designing and fashioning their dresses. Some of the costumes which I have been shown would not disgrace the wardrobe of a fashionable actress, and considering what the wardrobe of a fashionable actress, is now-a-days, that is saying a great deal. The representative of Hermione in the "Winter's Tale" is dressing the much-wronged Queen as she generally appears on the stage in the statue scene. The dress is a long, loose, flowing, classical white robe, with a gold border and gold waistband. The over drapery is bordered in a similar manner. Upon her head she is to wear a gold crown richly ornamented with jewels. Perdita is to be dressed as she appeared as queen of the shepherds' feast, where Florizel likens her to Flora. The dress is of soft Indian muslin, profusely ornamented with flowers. On her head she is to wear a floral crown, and in her hand she will carry the crook of the shepherdess. Catherine of Aragon's robe is a gold underskirt. The square-cut bodice and long train are of dark green velvet. The flowing sleeves, corsage, and velvet head-dress are trimmed with pearls, and a heavy pearl girdle is round the waist. The dress of one of her maids of honor is blue velvet bodice and train over a cream brocaded under skirt. The train and bodice are trimmed with silver lace. Anne Page wears a blue velvet overskirt, crimson brocaded underskirt. As there is a tradition that the Merry Wives first fooled Falstaff for the amuse ment of Queen Elizabeth, Mrs Ford and Mrs Page have decided that they will not re appear at the Risk unless the Maiden Majesty of England comes from her tomb to again behold them sell the public as they once sold Falstaff. So Elizabeth and her favorite cavaliers, Leicester, Essex, and Raleigh are to be - there. -Her Majesty's robe is a very handsome one. It is of pink brocaded satin. The bodice ana train are of crimson plush, richly trimmed with gold fringe. Across the breast she wears the usual royal decorations, and upon her head a plash crown ornamented with diamonds andpearls. Cleopatra is to be dressed as an Egyptian queen rather than according to the fctage costume. These of course, are only a very few of the. ladies' dresses, and are merely mentioned as specimens to show the public that the ladies have been ransacking books on costumes and illusi trated Shakespeares to some purpose. 1 The gentlemen's dresses are on quite as

magnificent a scale as those of the ladies. MrHouliban, who has been indefatigable in assisting everybody over the difficulties which lay in their way in regard to their costumes, is to dress as Henry V. at Agincourt. Another gentleman, as Ferdinand of Navarre, is to be resplendent in crimson satin doublet, puffed trunks and hose, heliotrope cloak embroidered with silver and small cap with a long white plume. The representative of the ghost in Hamlet is making for himself a complete suit of maiL It must not be supposed that the ladies have devoted all their attention to their dress, and that there will be nothing to sell at the carnival but the visitors. That is not so. I was shown by one lady a most beautifal lot of fancy work. These things were not the ordinary kind of goods made up for bazaars, but comprised really artistic specimens of needlework. As a rule, I must say that to some extent I share George Eliot's contempt for the useless and often ugly things which are classed under the generic term of "fancy work," but these things to which I refer were sufficiently beautiful to cause mc to lose my prejudice in admiration. Every evening there will be a military band in attendance. There will also be a stringed orchestra and vocal music The programme will be changed nijzhtly. The goods will be disposed of upon the art union principle. In the hall, there will be a platform where all the art unions will be publicly drawn, and a black board, upon which the names of the prizewinners will be posted. The names of the winners of important prizes will be advertised in the Festival Gazette. So it will be seen that every precaution has been taken by the Committee to guard the interests of the public. The fair Shakesperian troupe will only be permitted to relieve the people of their cash in the most legitimate manner. On the opening night, when the scenery, which, it is said, will be the most effective of the kind ever produced here, is in place, when the hall is brilliantly illuminated, and the gaily and quaintly-dressed Shakesperian crowd is present, the scene in the Rink should be a most memorable one. If the Christchurch public do not turn up in large numbers, it must be a most unconscionable public, and must expect to get a great deal for a shilling. The manager, Mr Lonargan, and the Executive Committee are to be congratulated upon the success of their efforts as amateur " showmen."