THE AMATEUR ENTERTAINMENT.

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 150, 26 December 1868, Page 4

THE AMATEUR ENTERTAINMENT.

The repetition of the performance lately given by the members of the Mutual Improvement Society took place on Tuesday evening last in the Council Chamber. There was a tolerable attendance, considering the unromantic, though telling nature of these performances. And here we would say that we should hail with pleasure the more frequent recurrence of such entertainments, believing them to be of an improving nature to both actors and audience, and calculated to do much good by taking off many of the absurdities of public life. On this occasion the disguises of the respective performers had been been well got-up, mainly attributable to the ingenuity of the talented Professor Augustus. A well-written prologue by Mr. Dickens of Spring Creek opened the proceedings. We are inclined to think that a short lively speech might have been an improvement, as prologues and epilogues we vote dry and old fashioned now-a-days. In the Breach of Promise Trial, our notes chronicle the Judge as having been so good a personation that we could not find fault, as a critic is inclined to do whenever he can, Mr. Pickwick, as causing much amusement; Attorney Dodson and Fogg, lifelike in his attentions to his client .and her female friend; Sergeant Buzfuz, very good ; Mrs. Cluppins, excellently done by her juvenile representative, the different shocks that excited the merriment of the audience being quite electric,; Mr, Winkle, although not a character, in which one might shine, deserved praise ; and Mr. Weller was par excellence the cream of the dish, and was highly appreciated by the audience. Mr. Pickwick’s counsel made his defence with such power and, .warmth as we might, have expected, from so accomplished a reader, and we .would remark, as.wej might also in the case of some other speakers, that a good deal ol the intonation was too solemU and formal. We imagined our learned friend in. law, who wasl amongst the audience, saying,to. himself, “Ah j Sergeant Snubbih, if I were in your place I would show you how to intone that speech !” A farth- 1 ingdamages exceedinglydisappointed thewidow’s counsel who had made a cat’s-paw of her for their own attempted profit. Mr. Kiernan gave a reading entitled “ Going to a Public Dinner, which was admirably delivered, and pleased the audience very much. -He was”foUbwed by MrJ Rae, who read an’extract fr,om“?Josh Billings,! on,Kissing,”. ,A want of time space, pre-J eludes our noticing the Parliamentary .Debate,; in which a considerable number ] of orators took part. After an epilogue, by Mr. Dickers, which was dqUyetpdjVrith spirit and liveliness, the au-j dience, which,, we must, not, omit to mention] included a large sprinkling of fair ladies from both town and country, dispersed, evidently pleased with- their evening’s cataf,, ;; ’vrxC • . • ■ .Ij '.v-..! j