ABBOTTS OPERA HOUSE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7914, 5 April 1887, Page 5

ABBOTTS OPERA HOUSE.

Thk Royal Comedy Company produced one of their pronounced successes at the Opera House last night — Burnand'a three-act comedy of Betsy." The unfavourable weather prevented persons living a distance away from town from attending, and the result was that the attendance, in the dress circle especially, was muoh smaller than it ought to have been, but the comedy or farce, whichever it may be called, was thoroughly appreciated. To diagnose the plot ia difficult in a short space, but, briefly put, it ie this: Mrs. Beckett has a son twenty years old, whom she chooses to coneider a child. A tutor of the Dr. Pangloss style ia introduced for his Btudiea, so also ia a friend up to the ways of life, Dick Talbot. An Irish racing man, Captain MoManus, and his wife, and a female teacher of music, are also introduced, and such a conglomeration of incidents, and such ludicrous situations asthe play affords it would be difficult to imagine. With this brief introduction we have to pass over anything in the shape of an outline of the farcical comedy presented to the audience. Mr. Anson sustained a leading part as Mr. Birkett, a country gentleman, immersed in political newspapers, and oblivious of the domestic arrangements regarding his son Adolphuu. It was as cleverly sustained a comedy part as Mr. Anoon has yet shown us, aud it called for the warm encomiums which it received. Never, indeed, has Mr. Auson appeared to better advantage amongst us, for the character was sustained from first to last without an apparent effort. The principal rolo is, howovor, that allotted to the tutor, Mr. Pawson, and in this Mr. Frank M&Uby achieved a wonderful success. It goes on the lines of Dr. Pangloss in some respects, but it is an enlargement of that character, and by the aid of fortuitous incidents enlarges the farcical bordero of that pedant. Ic was a cencumm&to piece of acting from tint to laut, and no wonder that hie humour was thoroughly appreciated. Mr. Titheradge found a congonial character in that of Captain McManu3, who sustains a leading role, but no! at all equal to that playjd by Mis 3 Agneo Themis as his better half. Mr. Fr&nk Catta played admirably in tho youthful part of Dick Talbot, the bosom friond cf tM~i yoathfel Tolly Birketfc (Mr. St*:.fiald), \\ for his own part fully equalled his iinperoonntiau in the Magistrate. But what shall we cay of Botsy ? From a very minor eh-iraci&r as a domestic in the Birkett family this young woman assumed a groat deal of impsrtance through a hold which she had on the youthful Aclclpbus, and she played t ( n character with great vigour. The complications throughout arc intensely amusing, and the comedy posscßces all tha advantages of good ctaging and artistic dressing. If it does nob draw good housos for the few nights it reiKaiua in poscession of tho ctago it is certainly not tho fault of the company or of tho management.