THE MARSHALL BENEFIT.

Evening Post, Issue 128, 1 June 1895, Page 2

THE MARSHALL BENEFIT.

The complimentary benefit tendered to Mrs. Harry Marshall at tho Opera House last night can only be desoribed a3 a brilliant suooess from all points of view. Finanoiaily, it broke the amateur record for Wellington aohiered by £he £118 house for "Ruddigore" — last night's takings were £127 105, plus a donation of three guineas received from His Excellency, who, with Lady Glasgow, Lady Boyle, and Buite, was present. Artistically, it was the best all-round amateur performance of forcioal comedy we have soon. Tfee inception of the benefit wan mainly dne to Mr. Waiter, to whom a very large share of tho financial success was due. Each of the performers as be or she appeared reoeived a cordial welcome, and for Homo minutes the aotion of the comedy had to be efopped while the audience expressed by long-conijnced applanae its sympathy with Mrs. Marshall. At the ocd of each act the onrtain had to be raised again, and finally there were individual csUls, which brought opt the various performers before the curtain. The Garrison Band and Jupp's Band played through the gtrests to the theatre from either end of th,e City, and then from the gallery outside the Opera House, and tho strong' orchestra (1(J performers) organised and conduoted by Mr. E. J. King proved most acceptable and efiioient. The name part of the comedy is the most difficult role to Bustain in it. Practioally the action throughout depends upon it, yot it is not an effective part, and it was most creditable to Mr. Master's dramatio ability that he so well sustained the interest in it by excellent character acting. The " fat" of tho piece goes largely to the deaf ojd boatman, Theodore Maoclesfiold. It was a part in which Mr. Sayers revelled, playing it with touches of broad unctuous humour, depioting the hqt-tompered, selfcomplaoent old man and his infirmities with quite exceptional artistic skill. Mrs. Marebft.ll enaoted the part of tho boatman's pretty daughter Carrie with grace and oJjaruj'-a natural, c}over, and artistic portrayal of bright girlhood. Mrs. garter was good-partioulariy go in thefirst'aot— . as the young second wife of the jealous old Guvnor. The part of Freddy Butterscotch, the stuttering, love-siok son of " The Guvnor," wag an artistic triumph for Mr. J. M. Clark. He played easijy and naturally, the vocal infirmity consistently sustained, yet without the slightest appearanoe of nnna^uralness or strain, and without over-doing it, and his. love-making with Carrie waß prettily done. Another exoellent performance was that of Miss L. Waison as Mrs. Macolesfield, the deif boatman's wife — a fine character sketch, and one whioh might easily have been taken from life and for life. Miss Mabel Hill, too, made a bright, piquant, and pleasing Kate Butterscotch; but her lover, Theodore Macolesfiold, junior (Mr. T. Waters), did not play up to the level of the other characters. He would require to put much more spirit into a love-snit on or off the stage to achieve success. The striking feature of the production was the marked excellence of the minor characters— a most unusual thing m amateur productions, and rare even with profes»ional companies. Good as were the principals, the support was equally good. Mr. W. J. Haybittle's Jeilicoe, for jnstanoe, was a very fine bit of comedy; so, too, was the Yorkshire Yokel of Mr. B. Hall, who earned for himself quite an ovation in the first' aot. Then Mr, W. B. Corliss, first as Cabman and then as Gunnel, did his little parts exceedingly well. The same mnst be said of Mr. Wqolcott as -the groom and Vellum. Miss Piloher made an appropriately pert housemaid, and Mr. Saviori a "practicable" footman, while Mr. A. W. Newton " brought down the house " as The Mq.oTo4dy. ' Mr. D. Hyde " made up" the performers and'suppljod the wigi, &0., this, like all other Borvioes, being free. The Dresden Pianoforte Company supplied the pianos. Tho great sneoess aohieved has oaused the performers to decide upon repeating the performance on Monday evening, when those who have not already been, and the many who could not get seats last night, Bhould make a point of attending. The proceeds are to be divided between the Home for 'the Aged Needy, whioh is at present sorely in need of funds, and the widow of the late William James, recently killed on the Karori Road, who has been left with a young family in distressful oiroumstanoes.