THE JUVENILE OPERA COMPANY.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3606, 1 February 1883, Page 3

THE JUVENILE OPERA COMPANY.

"LES CLOCHES DE COENVILLE."

The resources of Messrs Stanley and Darbyshire's Juvenile Opera Company were brought out to full advantage last CA-ening, Avhen Planquette's sparkling comic opera '' Les Cloches de Comville'' was produced at the Theatre Royal. It is not too much to say that the performance in nearly every detail was an luiqualified success ; indeed in very many respects it was superior to the excellent representation of the same piece given her by Pollard's troupe some two years ago, and which then created such a furore amongst local playgoers. " Les Cloches de Comville " last night was Avell mounted, AA'hile the dresses were in good taste, and the scenic effects appropriate. The grouping too was cleverly arranged and reflected credit on the management, as did also the ballet, the latter evoking much applause. Not a point in the dialogue was missed by any of the little performer*, and the singing was exceptionally good for juveniles. The orchestra was fairly effective, but it avus CA'ident that the iioav conductor had only a very crude notion of the use of a baton. His beating time (r) seemed to be more of a farce than anything else, and served no good purpose Avhatever. Miss Amy Childs looked exceedingly Avell as the Marqiris de Comville, and sang aud acted with becoming dignity. Her conception of the character seemed to us to be much more perfect than that of any other performers A\'ho have proceeded her in the same rol°. here. Her sister (Miss Flo Childs), an infant almost, made a capital Christophe, and her business and dialogue caused no end of merriment. The Germaine of Miss Amelia Hodge was a careful and praiseworthy performance. Her numbers were all given AA-ith good effect, as were also those of Miss Flora Graupner, Avho personated Scrpollette. The acting of the latter, especially in the first and third acts, showed the little artiste to have a just appreciation of her part. Master E. Osmond, aa'lio seems to have recovered from his cold, made a higlily acceptable Grenicheux, and sang the barcarole " On BilloAv Rocking," and the vulsc song, •' That night I'll ne'er forget," in capital style. " The Legend of the Bells," by Germaine and chorus, avus also very nicely rendered. Master Willie Driscull Avas appropriately made up as Gaspard, the miser, and expounded, the author's text in a style worthy of an actor of three or even four times his years and experience. But perhaps the crowning successes of the whole performance Avere the Gobo of Miss Dolly Inman and the Baillie of Master C. Favarger, for any tiling better than their respective personations of the parts entrusted to them it Avould be difficult to imagine ; suffice it to say that a more pompous Baillie and a more woebegone Gobo have never appeared in Napier. To sec them alone is (if we may be pardoned for using so hackneyed an expression) avcll Avorth the charge demanded for admission. At the begimdng of the third act Miss Flo Childs and little Qu._iuo Hodgo danced a schottisehe together in very clever style, for which they received a most demonstrative encore. All the minor characters in the opera were Avell sustained, and the choruses Avent much more smoothly

than did those of "Pinafore." " Les Cloches de Cornville " willbe repeated tonight, when those who desire to AA.tness a pleasing and really clever performance should not fail to be present.