AMUSEMENTS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 878, 28 December 1888, Page 13

AMUSEMENTS.

The Theatre. We are promised quite a revival in theatrical matters. Tbere are two ' companies in Wellington now, the Jungfrau Kapelle will be here during next month, and the Craw-ford-Hunter family of Scottish vocalists and humorists will be here shortly. The lastmeDtioned company are now performing in the South, where they are very highly spoken of. Mr R. A. Underwood, the well-known theatrical agent, passed through Wellington bn Saturday en route for the North. Mr Underwood is securing dates for the Jungfrau Kapelle, a combination of Swiss singers and musicians, who have had a very long and successful oarber in Australia. They will probably open in Wellington about the middle of January. • ! SILBON!S NOVELTY COMPANY. ! Silbon’s European Novelty and Pantomime Company gave their first performance in Wellington at the Theatre Royal on Monday night. As might have been expected, the audience was not a very large one, shopping

and sight-seeing being more popular on Christmas Eve than theatrical amusements. Allowing for obviouß drawbacks, however, the performance was very well patronised. The entertainment itself has been tersely and aptly styled a circus without horseß, although there are, perhaps, rather more “stars ” than usually shine in the firmament of one circus. All the items on the progiamme are acrobatic and gymnastic, with the exception ot one recitation (given by Miss Ida Silbon), which, although well done, was hardly in keeping, we think, with the rest of the performance. A peculiarity in' the entertainment is that, with the exception mentioned, everything is done in dumb show, not a word being spoken ; and that the company were able to give as good a performance as they did without the use of their powers of speech, proves their skill in the various lines in which they - perform. The first item on the: programme was a pantomime—not the familiar pantomime in which the familiar clown performs the familiar tricks with the aid of the familiar pantaloon and is subsaquently brought to justice by the long-suffering policeman—but one in which the clown iB half policeman, half soldier, and in which “ tricks ” are unending—quite in the French style in fact. This was not only novel but decidedly amusing, and the antics of the performers, who were greatly assisted by admirable stage tricks, kept the . audience in a roar of laughter. “The athletic tourists,” Messrs Moulton and Dashaway, are far better than any similar performers we have bad here, and of their fests on the triple bars were simply wonderful. The Dale Brothers, also, are the best in their line we have seen, and do, in addition to their acrobatic feats, some very clever and amusing fooling. The Silbons gave a capital exhibition of exercises on the rings, and, later on in the evening, the flying leap from the dress circle to the stage was made, one of the brothers swinging by a flying trapeze from the circle, turning a double somersault after he left the bar, and finally catching the hands of his brother, who was hanging from a trapeze on the stage. This was a remarkable feat, aid well-deserved the hearty applause which followed it. The Girards (Kate, Emile, and Louis) appropriately described in the bill as “ leg maniacs,” did an entertaining “turn,” their contortions being very.well done. The performance concluded with a “ grand ballet de action,” which proved to be an old friend with a new name,'but which was very well done. The Company suffered somewhat by the weakness of the orchestra, and during the evening Mr Silbon, sen., apologised for this defect, explaining that it was caused by a gentleman, who had been engaged as conductor, failing to keep his word. On the whole the performance is an exceedingly good one of its class, and many i of its features are far above anything of the kind that has been seen in the Colony. AttheTheatre Royal on Wednesday a most meritorious programme was presented to the holiday-makers. The Silbons, who are accounted by the English press as the greatest gymnasts in Europe, performed some really marvellous feats. The jump from the edge of the dress circle by one of the brothers turning a double somersault on his flight to the stage, where he is caught by his brother, is one of the most daring acts ever seen in this Colony ; and although there seems a spice of danger-in the undertaking, yet the graceful manner in .which it is done, and the apparent ease with which each performer plays his part, makes it very attractive. The athletic tourists, Moulton and Dashway, astonished all athletics present by their splendid performance on the triple bars. The Dale Bros, are the most laughter-producing clowns vs e have seen for a long time, and the excellent fooling of one of the brothers on reaching the dress circle, raised roars of laughter. The Girards performed some wonderful feats of contortion with neatness and ease, and from their comical attitudes raised screams of laughter from a delighted audience. The Company all-round are the best of the class we have had in this city, and in Europe and America have everywhere they have visited attracted very large audiences. We notice that the Company have for the holidays made their prices of admission Is, 2s, 3s, and 4s. THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB. After an absence of about three years, Mr George Darrell began a season in Wellington at'the Opera House on Wednesday before'a Very large audience, every seat in the theatre being occupied. The drama selected for the oooasion was a dramatisation of Fergus Hume's novel, “The Mystery of a Hansom Cab. - ’ Mr Hume, as everybody knoWs, is a NsW Zealander, aid while some fastidious people'might wish that the author’s success had been made’in a higher class even of fiction, all New Zealanders should, and doubt* less do feel, a proper pride in their fellow* countryman. Mr Darrell, if the truth be told, has Improved upon the book so far as plot ia concerned, having made the ‘story clearer and more connective. An oldf old story' it is, too, tvith air the familiar characters "of the drama and the novel figuring in it. The Unwise man who married hastily after being deserted by his first'wife ; the deep-dyed villain who discovers that the first wife is alive,‘and makeß capital therefrom; the impossibly noble hero, who knows all, and persists In marrying the daughter of the second marriage ; and an equally impossible heroine, who is ' true and loving to an unearthly extent. These are the ancient time servers whom the dramatist haa marshaled together so as to form a plot which is, indeed, excellently constructed. Dialogue was never Mr Darrell’s strong-point, and he has still a weakness for the melodramatic and the heroic ' in language as well as in situation. The first act of this drama is appallingly heavy—so heavy indeed that in dull times it would probably cast a gloom OVef the whole performance ; and although things are more enjoyable in : the other acts, some of the' language in Mark Frettleby’s part is so melodramatic that "it positively nullifies the effect Of excellent Mr Robert Vernon, who Wrestled with the part manfully, is to be commended for making muoh the best of a bad bargain. Mr Darrell himßelf was seen to considerable advantage in Brian Fitzgerald. His acting was quiet but effective, although the

heroic sentiments whioh he wai *o frequently called upon to utter had a damaging effeot upon it. Mr Darrell always dresses well and makes up well, and in these respects no fault could be found with him. On the whole his performance was a decided improvement upon what he has hitherto shown us. Villainy has very little chance* in the drama for even the transient triumph usually granted in Order to throw virtue into bas-relief is here denied it. ' Mr Kennedy was the principal villain—one Oliver White, the adventurer who has.; the. secret that Mark Frettleby’s first wife and daughter are still alive, and that in consequence the second daughter (to whom Brian Fitzgerald is engaged) is illegitimate. .This i 3 the individual who is chloroformed to death while in a cab by Roger Moreland, his 'partner, who takes from the hpdy the papers proving Frettleby’s first marriage and the birth of a daughter. Brian Fitzgerald is arrested, but as the secret has been confided to him by his first wife (Hosannah Moore) on her deathbed, he, out of his feeling for the Frettlebys, refuses to give any information, and i 8 only acquitted upon the testimony of Kate Rawlins, who turns out to be Frettleby’s daughter, and who followed him home on the night of the murder. Mr Kennedy made the most of the part, and infused a good deal of life into the early stages of the drama. The other villain, Roger Moreland, was played by Mr F. Stephenson. Villain No. 2 ekes out a precarious existence until, just as Fitzgerald suspects Frettleby of the murder of Oliver White, he turns up in the nick of time to sell the papers, and is arrested by the convenient and inevitable detective. Mr Stephenson displayed an intelligent conception- of the part, but his acting was tame. Mr Alfred Rolfe Bhowed a good deal of ability in his representation of Richard Gallon, and Mr Harry Diver acted .exceedingly well as Felix Rollestone (a new chum), though he sadly needs a little of what the Americans call “snap.” Mr Charles Hill, who played the detective, had-an excellent part, to which he was not equal; and Mr Haygarth as the cabmaD, and Mr Berkeley as Nosey Aarons, each acted their parts well. Mrs Darrell’s Kate Rawlins was one of the best performances of that class of character we have seen, and the lady Hhows marvellous improvement. In the first and second acts she was very strong indeed, and amply proved her possession of considerable dramatic ability. Miss Jessie Howarde made an excellent Madge Frettleby, for she played the part with grace and force, and dressed it well and in good taste. -Hosannah Moore (Frettleby’s first wife) was played by Miss Mabel Tracey, an old acquaintance, who did the best that could be done with a part in wh’ch the melodramatic tone is predominant. Miss Maggie Oliver’s Arabella Ann Sampson, thelodging-honsekeeper, was ah admirable piece of acting of its kind, and well deserved the applause it evoked. The general dressing of the piece, merits the hightest praise, for Mr Darrell is in this respect perfect, as he always has been. The scene of the murder, at the junction of Collins and Russell-streets (Melbourne), was very fine indeed, and the introduction of a horse and cab was admirably managed. THEATRICAL NOTES. ’ The Hicks-Sawyer Minstrels will put in the holidays at Dunedin. When the New Zealand tonr is over the Company will go to Australia, where they andi the Silbons will be amalgamated Into one show, both being under the management of Hiscooks and Gaylord. - As 'Hands Across the Sea ’ was getting a wee bit stale in Melbourne, * Never too Late to Mend’ was put up in its place. Mr Warner is so delighted with Australia that he overflowed while talking , with a reporter te this extent: — \ •‘Look here, old boy, the people at home simply don’t know what Australia is in the matter of amusements. The places heie are more patronised, audiences are more appreciative, and there’s far more money to be

made out here than at home.’ Williamson, Garner and Musgvove, continuing their operatic revivals in Melbourne, had put up ‘ Princess Ida ’ when the mail left. Messrs Vernon, Lemanue, Woodfield, and Benham, and Misses Nellie Stewart, Liddiard, and Kelton, were the principal performers. .

Dora Wiley’s Opera Company recently playing in Australia have - gone where the woodbine twineth. A Melbourne paper of the 11th inst Bays : ‘ During the progress of the performance by the Dora Wiley Opera Company at the Gaiety Theatre to-night the announcement was made that the performance could not be completed owing to the chorus having struck for their previous week’s wages.’ , i> :' " The following particulars are given by the Sydney Morning Herald of the 1 divarsion ’ at Essie Jennyns’ wedding * Invitations had been issued for one thousand friends, but they had to give way to a crowd of people who came to indulge in sight seeing a crowd that hurrahed in a plaoe set apart for the worship of the Creator, at a service iu its nature a most solemn one, at a time when silence was fitter than even the slightest demonstration. It was a crowd that ruthlessly despoiled beautiful floral deco, rations, that demolished wooden ornamentation, that injured communion rails, that tore down curtains, that climbed upon places held in reverence in ohaneel and sanctuary, that broke gas standards, that used an organ for a foot-stool, that crowded and abused each other, and that made a chuich set apart for a nobla and sacred ceremony a plaoe for a display which was in bad taste, and had not even the warm spontaneity of any loyal attachment or genuinely honest regard to redeem it. The Cathedral authorities may be to blame, but muob more to blame are

they who forgot where they were and helped to make a travesty, of a beautiful service. We wish, for the sake of the bride and bridegroom, that there had been less vulgar enthusiasm, but we are glad that there was an evident intention to do them honour, and we wish them happiness.’ Autoeycus.