DRAMATIC NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVI, Issue 6475, 28 November 1881, Page 3

DRAMATIC NEWS.

Mr Cary’s Company are playing Pinafore at the Theatre Royal, Auckland, to fairly good houses. Mies Leaf is playing Josephine, and Miss Maggie Knight little Buttercup, in which she is very successful, Miss Murieile not being in the cast. In the male characters the only change of any importance is Mr Corliss os Dick Deadeye, instead of Mr Alexander. The Mammoth Troupe (Ada Bwanborough and Co.) are shortly to appear in Auckland.—Thompson’s Diorama of the Zulu War is doing a big business at Sloan’s Theatre, Invercargill. Miss Amy Horton, of Lyon’s Tourists, took a benefit at Qreymouth on November 14, but was not very largely patronised. On the whole, however, the Oreymouth season proved financially satisfactory.—The Montague-Turner Opera Company have continued to increase in favour at the Princess Theatre, Dunedin, but strange to say, the audiences have not been equally satisfactory in a numerical sense. The Company are universally admitted to be of superior merit, yet the amount of patronage bestowed upon them is but moderate. The operas produced since our last have been II Travatore, Lucia di Lammermoor, and Lucrezia Borgia. —The Pomeroy Company have good reason to be dissatisfied with the treatment they have received at Napier. It is a very rare thing indeed for Napier to be visited by such a combination, and yet the public have not the sense to make the most of the opportunity. Perhaps it is that the general character of the performances is somewhat above the Napier stan* dard. Certain it is that while that morbidly sentimental and decidedly unwholesome drama Fast Lynne drew a house crowded in every part, Cymbeline, The Lady of Lyons , and The Hunchback were but moderately patronised.—Bent and Batohelder’s Minstrels opened at the Theatre Royal, Wellington, on Nov. 19, and have since been playing to excellent houses.—The Pomeroy Company are to ■ second-ana farewell season of five nights at the Theatre Royal, Wellington, to-morrow night. The latest ‘dramatic information from Sydney is dated Nov. 14. Fureka was succeeded at the Royal by Struck Oil on Nov. 6, and after running a week to good business the latter gave place to The Pirates of Penzance, with Miss Alice Rees as Mabel, in which she achieved a marked success. Patience is to be the next attraction, and it may be mentioned .that Mr Williamson has had the London locals in both these last-named operas altered to Sydney ones. In Patience, Miss Alice Rees will play the |itle r6le, and Mrs Williamson will create the part of Lady Jane, but Mdlle Andr<Se Navare has been engaged to play it alternate weeks with her in Sydney. Mdlle Navoro who did not join the Montague-Turner Company after all will alone play the part during the New Zealand tour. Patience is to be followed by lillee Taylor. Fn passant it may be mentioned that Mr Armes Beaurqont and Verdi are both members of Mr Willismson’s company.—At the Gaiety Theatre Never Too Late to Mend continues to draw—in the elegant language of a Sydney paper —like soap and sugar. The drama promises to run quite a month, and Will bs succeeded by a new play. Mr Sinclair is now manager for Mr Dampier.—At the Queen’s Jo has been succeeded by The Female Detective, which had a good run, and Mapeppa, with Miss Georgina Smithson in the, name parts.—Mr D’Aroy Bead has discarded his Ghost for the time being, and is exhibiting scenes from “The Passion Play” by means of L’Agioscope, an apparatus similar to the magic lantern, but of a much superior character. The entertainment is well patronised. —Wilson’s Circus is doing a very profitable bnsiness.—The Mastodon Minstrels are doing fairly well at the Opera House. Messrs Bandmann and Harkins have been playing in opposition to each other at Adelaide, with disastrous results to the former. While his opponent drew good houses, Herr Bandmann was comparatively speaking neglected, and bis season came to an abrupt close. It is also said that he has disbanded his company.—Miss Ada Ward is to follow Mr Harkins as the leading attraction at the Theatre Royal, Adelaide.—Herr Hons Bertram, a blind but clover pianist, is performing with success at the Albert Hall, Adelaide. —- Wivell’s Art Gallery, Adelaide, continues to be well patronised. —Pinafore has been performed in Adelaide by a number of amateurs with decided cleverness. Mr Dewhurst closed his season at the Theatre Royal, Brisbane with a benefit on Oot. 28. There was a tremendous house, and during the interval Mr Dewhurst was presented by the manager, Mr Hesford, with an address and purse of sovereigns. The Mendelssohn Quintette Club are giving concerts to good business at Brisbane—At latest advices the Lynch Family were located at the Town Hall, Brisbane j houses large.—According to the Woollongong “ Argus," a Mr Henri Davies is astonishing the local people by playing tunes on the piano with his nose and chin.Dr Simms, the phrenologist, has hada capital season at Newcastle.—Harry Simmonds and Sam Howard's company are at Cooma.—Miss Annie Mayor made a great hit os Ophelia, when supporting Mr Harkins, in Adelaide. She is engaged to Mr Holloway for the Ballarat season.—Messrs Hoskins and Holloway are, It is said, to become joint managers of a theatre in Sydney.—Miss Ada Word has been engaged by Mr James Allison, Adelaide, for twelve months.

Fobbiom Gobbip. Madame Christine NiUson has arrived in Paris. She will sing at tjtookholm during the royal marriage fetes, having been specially invited to do so by the King.—Thera is no diminution in tho success of Michel Strogoff in Paris, though it has run for over 800 nighty—Tilly Andrews is now in New York with a variety company known as " Smith and Meitayer’s Reconstructed Tourists.”— Mr F. B. Ohatterton ha* finally settled with Miss Isabel Bateman for a seven years' loose of tho Sadlers' Wells Theatre, London, and takes possession immediately,—Mr R, Pate* man and bis talented wife, professionally known as Miss Bella Pateman, are to visit America, being under engagement to Mr Edwin Booth for a period of thirty weeks. They expect to return to England in May.— Miss Ada Ward has accepted a now ona-aot drama for her Colonial tour. It is entitled Auld Sobin Gray, and is by Mr George

Duncan, —Mr A. Hayman has arrived in London to arrange an opening for Miss Louise Pomeroy.-—The entire provincial right for throe years of Youth, the enormously successful Drury Lane drama, has been secured by ' Messrs Holt and Wilmot. —Madame Janaus- j obeli is playing Marie Stuart in the United i Slates.--Balsbury’s Troubadours ore at Do- j troit.— Patience is in its third week in Boston, ! and still draws large houses.—John M'Oul- 1 lough, the American tragedian who recently | visited London, is now playing in King Lear \ at Baverley’s Theatre, Chicago.—Baker and j Farron are appearing at the Windsor Theatre, Boston. Bernhardt, on being hissed at Amiens, remarked “ I am not accustomed to play to goose,*’—Alice Oates arrived in Ban Francisco on Sept. 26, and will sail for Australia by the first boat.—Onzalo, the “demon of the air, is performing with a variety company at the Bella Union, San Francisco. Mario de Granville, the “woman with the iron jaw," is a member of the same troupe. Billy Oourtwright formerly of Kelly and Leon’s Minstrels, is exciting the risibilities of the Philadelphia folks by bis funny lecture on “ soap,” which is one of the features of the programme riven by Thatcher’s Minstrels.—The Hon Lewis Wingfield, who has made a number of contributions to the dramatic literature of the period, is on a visit to America. Miss Genevieve Ward has been seen in one or two of his plays in England, and intends to be seen in others in America, unless Forget-me • Not should keep her profitably busy.—Miss Clara Louise Kellogg’s reappearance in American musical circles after her two years’ absence occurred at the seventh concert of the Worcester Festival, Sept. 29.—Madame Camilla Urao, the celebrated violinist, is in Boston, having recently returned from her South American trip.—Miss Jennie Sargent has lately signed an engagement of seven months of opera in Malta, commencing Cct. 27.—H. B. Farnie, the English playwright, is expected on a visit to New York.—Miss Genevieve Ward will shortly produce a new play . called The Spiders Web. —Bnrnand’s latest London success, The Colonel, will shortly be produced at the Boston Museum. —Lawrence Barrett and Edwin Booth are both playing Richelieu in New York. The latter made his reappearance in the part after hie English tour on Got. 3.—The production of Michael Strogoff in New York has been transferred from Booth’s Theatre to Niblo’s Gardens.—L. Brabam has recently joined the San Francisco Minstrels. His singing of “ Hark, the drum!’’ meets with great commendation.—The Lingards have mode a big hit in America with Stolen Kisses. —J. K. Emmet was at latest advices playing an engagement in Baltimore. —Dickie Lingard, Alice Lingard’s sister, is with a variety tronpe in Ohio. —Michael Strogoff was to receive ite first Boston representation on Oot. 4.—Mr Byron is writing a new piece for the Adelphi, the title of which will be London. —Miss Mario Litton has severed her connection with Drary Lane Theatre, and the part she played in Youth is now assigned to Miss Helen Barry. In spite of his eccentricity and Wagner mania (says a London writer), 1 should like to win the favour of the King of Bavaria, who spares no expense when the whim seizes him. For example, a magnificent, richly gilt railway carriage arrived at Vienna recently, in which was seated, not the King, but his friend the aotor, Kainz, of the Royal Court Theatre, at Munich, who arrived m this circus-like state on a visit to his relations. I hear that the costly gifts showered upon this royal favourite “ cannot be ex* pressed by less than five figures,’’ Amongst others is a “ Nuremberg Egg,” so called, one of those old fashioned watches, the various sides of which are adorned with exquisite minature paintings j also a meerschaum mouthpiece, too heavy for use, representing the royal gala carriage drawn by six horses, with Louis XV. seated therein.

Speaking of the first appearance of Mr Sothem as Lord Dundreary in London, a well known writer says s—“ It was about the year 1861. Mr Buckstone, the Manager of th<r Hay market Theatre, was in want of an attraction j and taking aliking TO * the young American actor,’as he was called, agreed to § reduce Our American Cousin, although he id so with not a little fear and trembling. All the actors and actresses connected with the theatre predicted its failure. Buckstone himself consented to play the part of Asa Trenohard, to help the performance along, and nobody but Sothern had any confidence in his success. During the rehearsal of the play Mrs—, one of the old Haymarket stock company, and a representative of all the gossip of the green-room, came upon the stage while Sothern was running over his famous letter scene. He turned, and said, *My dear madame, don’t come on here till you get your cue. ■ In fact, on the night of the performance, you will have twenty minutes to wait during this scene.’ ‘ Why,’ said the lady, satirically, ‘do you expect so much applause?' ‘Yes,’said Sothern, ‘I know how long this scene always plays.’ ’Ah!’ answered Madame,’but suppose the audience does not take your view of the matter.’ ‘ln that case,’ said Sothern, * you won’t have to bother yourself, it and the piece .will have been condemned a good hour before your services will bo required,’ Obscure and unacted dramatists who complain so bitterly of lack of enterprise and discernment on the part of London managers in not reading their productions may derive some comfort from the history of the manuscript of Mr Sims’ new drama of the Lights o’ London, now performing at the Priuoees Theatre —unquestionably one of the most original and interesting of its class produced on our stage in recent years. The true story of the manuscript of this piece is this, according to the author’s own words: “ Two years ago I had the first four acts roughed out and quite fit for reading. I read them to Mr Gooch, who was then manager of the Princess’ j but he did not accept the play, or tell me to go on with it. Neither did he say ho wouldn’t have it; bathe didn’t. I then went to the Messrs Getti, lessees of the Adelphi, and said I had a drama I should like to read to them. “Very sorry. Can’t hear it," was the ans im. “ All engagements complete.” I then wrote to Messrs Holt and Wilmot, who had the Duke’s Theatre. Same answer; wouldn t even read it. I tried then to get at the Olympic people, but couldn’t. Everybody was extremely polite, but nobody would hear my drama read, or have anything to do with it. Of course after Mr Wilson Barrett some months ago heard my rough manuscript read and accepted it, I worked very hard at it, and elaborated and polished it j but, so for as the first four acts are concerned, the ideas, the situations, and much of the dialogue are practically what for nearly two years no manager would look at.** Some of the above pieces, which have been produced by London managers during the time alluded to above, are certainly not without merit, but they assuredly do not comprise any absolutely new play which can ho said to equal in freshness anti interest of story Mr Sims's long despised work. This observation may indeed bo extended to the London theatres and managers generally, who really do not appear to bo good judges of what is most likely to serve their own ends. Nearly every successful play and aotor or actress of merit, not even excepting Garrick, Kean, and Mrs Siddons, were all cold-shouldered by the managers ,wheu they first applied to them for engagements.