AMUSEMENTS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 956, 27 June 1890, Page 10

AMUSEMENTS.

The Theatre

At the Opera House last night week Mr Miln’s company produced the tragedy of “Macbeth.” The play was exceed. Ingly well staaed and played well right through. Mr Miln’s Macbeth was a power, ful impersonation and equal to any of his previous performances. The Lady Macbeth of Miss Kate Douglas was a creditable piece of acting. The other characters were well sustained.

There was a very good attendance at the performance of “Romeo and Juliet” last Friday night at \ the Opera House. Mr Miln gave another capital illustration of his versatility as an actor in the character of Romeo. The change from the impetuous Richard 111., to the love-sighing Romeo is a severe teat of an actor’s capabilities, and last night’s performance showed Mr Miln in a most favourable light. The Juliet of Miss Kate Douglas was a finished piece of acting, and she was warmly received. The other characters were all well played, aud the play was admirably mounted. Mr H. St Maur and his dramatic company were passengers by the Mararoa ivbloh arrived from North on Suuday. The company opened in Christchurch on Tuesday evening in Mr D. Christie Murray’s new play “ Chums.” Several members of the company left for Lyttelton by the Mahinapua, and the remainder went on by the Mararoa. Mr Murray was also a passenger by the Mararoa. The company will return to Wellington shortly and play “Chums” here.

Mr G. C. Miln concluded his Wellington season at the Opera House on Saturday night with a benefit bill, which consisted of an act each of “ Othello,” “Julius Csesar,” and “The Merchant of Venice,” and the comedietta “Ruth’s Romance.” There was a fairly large audience, and the performance went exceedingly well. Mr Miln is an actor of conspicuous ability who deserves better recognition from the public than he has m t here, even allowing for the unpopularity of the “illegitimate.” The Company went North on Sunday, and will play in Wanganni, Napier, and other towns on their way to Auckland. THEATRICAL NOTES. Mr Langtry has been playing Sydney Grundy’s drama ‘Esther Sandray ’ (founded on Belot’s novel 'Femme de Glace’) in London, and a new musical farce called ‘ The Tiger,’ by Burnand and Solomon was produced on the same night. Mrs Langtry and her play were an immense success, but the farce went very tamely. Mr Charles Wyndham, who is at the head of modern English comedians, revived Goldsmith’s 'She Stoops to Conquer ’ in London recently, playing young Marlow himself, with Miss Mary Moore as Kate Hardcastle, and Mr George Giddens as Tony Lumpkin. Mr Giddens is a gentleman who has earned celebrity a 3 a drawing-room entertainer, and the critics take exception to some of hio business in playing Tony. A new play by Mr H. A. Jones, of ‘ Silver King ’ and ‘ Middleman ’ fame, was to ba produced in London last week. The plot is quite modern, the action taking place at the present day. The scene of the first and

) third acts ia laid in the drawing-room of Asgarby Castle, near the city of Beachampton, while the venue of the second act changes to the terrace, moat, and keep of the old castle. Mr Willard playu a young minister named Judah Llewellyn, of halt Jewish and half Welsh parentage, while opposed to his earnest nature is a dry, shrewd, kindly cynical, sceptical old scientific professor. Mr Jones considers this the most importaut play he has yet written. ‘A Modern Marriage,’ by Mr Neville Doone, is the latest London sensation. The Sunday Times says the play is an uncompromising melodrama, with the usual good young man who loves the same girl as the relentless villain, and is, of oourse, robbed by him of title, wealth, and wife, until these are lestored by the arrival of Nemesis in che popular person of the reformed accomplice, with a grievance and a handy revolver. But iu spite of its crudeness and conventionality, there is some real dramatic force in Mr Doone’s play, and several of the inoideuts, familiar as they are, have been handled so effectively that such admirable acting aa was vouchsafed gave them almost a coDvinoing air. Wirth’s Circus, now in Auckland, have had added to their grand aggregation of equestrian geniuses a Wild West rider whose stage name is Signer Lonandi. Notwithstanding the lone hand gentleman the oircus continues to do big business. Mr Toole, and Brough and Boucicault’s Comedy Company are all doing large business in Sydney, and so is Mr Wm. Rignold, who has been playing * After Dark.’ Also in Sydney Mr C. B. Hicks’ Coloured Minstrels have been playing ‘ Uncle Tom’s Cabin,’ with Hosea Easton as the avuncular Thomas. M. Leon C»ron, the conductor of the Opera Company now in Auckland, has written an opera, which will be produced in Melbourne shortly. Mr Charles Warner played ‘ Dora ’ and 4 The Barrister ’ aa one of his final bills at Melbourne. Sir Charles and Lady Halle are assisted in their Australian concert tour by Mr Charles Turner and Miss Annis Montague. An exchange reports that Miss Solanga Novaro (Mrs Digby), so long associated with theatricals in New Zealand and Australia, is now playing the important part of Mary Langley with Mr Wilson Barrett’s English provincial company in ‘ Good Old Times.’ ‘The Little Lord Fauntleroy’ Company have returned to Melbourne, where they have been playing very successfully. The agent continues to describe the play in the ads. as ‘ that beautiful poem of childish love, truth, and purity.’ Williamson, Garner and Musgrove’s Opera Company were playing ' The Yeomen of the Guard ’ and ‘ The AJikado ’ at Auckland last week. The first-mentioried opera was put on ou Monday, but had to be withdrawn in oonsequence of Mr Elton coming to grief while out riding. Miss Merivale was also indisposed. Mr F. Cowen's new opera ‘Thorgrim,’ which was produced on the 22nd April at Drury-lane, has met with a considerable amount of sucoess. The libretto deals with Scandinavian legend.s aud stories, and is thus peculiarly well adapted for handling by the author of the Scandinavian Symphony. The characteristics of Scandinavian music are introduced, especially in the first act, which contains a succession of telling numbers, including a drinking chorus for male voices, ‘ certain to become a favourite with choral societies.’ The love scenes in the third act are said to remind the hearers of Wagner’s ‘ Tristau and Isolde.’ Autolycus.