COOKE, WILSON, AND ZOYARA'S

New Zealand Herald, Volume II, Issue 1127, 25 June 1867, Page 4

COOKE, WILSON, AND ZOYARA'S

GREAT WORLD CIRCUS. The large hippodrome erected on tlie vacant space near tlie market place was literally crowded to suffocation last evening, not fewer than 1000 persons being present, and every available inch of standing and sitting room commanding a view of the arena being occupied. The pit was one vast sea of animated faces, and the dress circle and boxes were crowded with one of the most fashionable audiences that we have witnessed for some time. The splendour of the lout ensemble and the rapid transition and shift of exciting feats of the most astounding description, varied by the well-timed witticisms and exaggerated burlesque imitations of men and manners by Messrs. Cooke and Bird, combined to render the eutertainment most attractive, and withal instructive, for the comic humour of Mr. Cooke is of no ordinary standard, and there is in it an entire absence of that vulgarity and coarseness so frequently found in the Jesters of the uneducated class. Mr. Cooke, however, belongs to the mocern and refined class of popular jesters, and his wit bespeaks originality and a desire to educate while he amuses. If you are thrown into uncontrollable fits of laughter by some clever pun or satiric touch, you can still learn a lesson in morality. There is none of that repetition of old, stale, threadbare jokes, that have been familiar to us since when, wayward juveniles as we were, we stole away from the dreaded presence of the spectacled old pedagogue to marvel at the juggleries and delusions of some twopenny travelling show, but Mr. Cooke's drolleries come from a vein of comic humour that is inexhaustible. The feats on tho double trapeze were of the most astonishing description, and flexibility of muscle and elasticity of limb displayed were a physical marvel. The entertainment concluded with tlie grand equestrian drama " Turpin's ride to I'orlc," which aDoundsin exciting scenes and rapid transitions. Indeed the several characters were sustained to the life and it needed only the addition ol appropriate scenery to impart all the apparent reality to the performance which characterises this drama when performed on the most extensive scale ; particularly some of the genuinely pathetic parts which intersperse the piece were well rendered, as also were the comic parts. This programme will be continued throughout the week.

We have not space to particularise all the gymnastic, acrobatic, equestrian, and other feats to be witnessed, which can only be understood and appreciated after a visit to the Circus itself.