GAIETY COMPANY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1107, 19 May 1893, Page 29

GAIETY COMPANY.

' JOAN OF ARC

The fourth and last of the Gaiety burlesques waß produoed last week to a firstclass house. Vaibus reasons would dispose the publio to oonjecture that ' Joan af Arc' waß the feeblest and least successful work in the oompany'a repertoire. , There is, for instance, the suggestive fact that It has been reserved for the fag.end of the season, and there is the further fact —more significant still—that from the outset it was only ' billed ' for a couple of nights. Those who went to the Opera House last week with these qualified expectations, and with minds braoed up to be thankful for small mercies, were treated to an agreeable surprise. In the judgment of many 'Joan of Aro 1 has proved to be the brightest and best of all the burlesques. As a matter of fact, it captivated the audience at sight, and by the force of its broad caricature, its grotesque absurdities of action and dialogue, its extravagant excursions from its slender current of plot, and its large variety of introduced ' oharaoter v soogp, dances and utterly ridlculoub but exceedingly funny ' business ' it elicited an almost continuous accompaniment of irrepressible laughter, diversified by frequent bursts of applause. The piece is described aa an opera bur> leßque, and it runs through two acts of two soenes each. It Is the joint work of J. L. Shine and Adrian Rose, the music is by F. Osmond Carr (with * introductions ' by A. Chevalier, Coßtello, Le brun and Lovell Phillips), the scenery is by Geo. Gordon (a name which will oonvey the assurance of excellence) and the dances have been ar> ranged by John D'Auban. The plot aa we have already indicated is of the flimsiest texture. There is just sufficient consistency about its historical incident and sequence to justify one in saying that there is a plot at all. At the same time it is a plot of the greatest elasticity, affording opportunity for the utmost extension to permit of the introduce Hon of 'gags' without number, and of anachronisms in song and by.play the mont whimsical and startling. The burlesque opens in the village of ' Dore ml ' (an obvious perversion of the historical Domreniy), with the baker's shop of Jacquoa D'Aro in the foreground, overtopped by the castellated walls and towers of a fortress. Arthur de Eiohemont (Mr Lonnen), in love with Joan of Aro, is in the village hiding from the King, who has ordered him on pain of death to pay a fine of a million franos, Charles VII. of Franoe enters with his consort and retinue on their way to Monte Carlo where the King hopes to replenish his empty exchequer by trying bis luck at the gaming tables. The royal party obtain refreshment at the shop of Joan's father, and the King pays him with a cheque, which is subsequently dishonoured. After their departure, an Engliah Embassy consisting of the Earl of Shrewsbury, the Bishop of Bovril, and the Duke of Burgundy arrives, and after some very laughable 'business' depart in a ridiculous "bus' for the royal castle of Chignon (otherwise Chinon). Then follows a transition to the castle hall at Chinon, where the King is being interviewed in turn by various parties of his household clamouring for payment of their overdue wagec Joan's father and sisters also appear with the dishonoured cheque, and the King ennobles them all on the spot. Joan meanwhile has had her vision, and having found the magic sword of Charlemagne in a hollow troe, enters the hall arrayed in golden casque, and corselet, and presents the King with his royal insignia. De Richemont at this moment is borne in for execution seated upon a chair and smoking a long clay. The block is brought out and the king proceeds to saw off De Riohemont's head, but as sawdust and not blood pours out from the wound he concludes that it is hardly worth while to out off \» wooden head and thereupon pardons the condemned man. The ouitain descends just aa De Richemont has taken a p>t shotjat goal with the royal globe. Ttn> second aot opens upon the fcnglish army enoimped before the walls of Orleans, and the beleaguered forces are driven from the walls by a shower of baker's rolls. Joan loses Charlemagne's sword and is oaptuied by the English enemy, but soon afterwards an armistice is proclaimed, the scene changes to the market place and the play ends with the betrothal of ' La Fuoelle' and the versatile De Eiohemont, As De Riohemont, Mr Lonnen is the life and soul of the pieoe. We have not the space at our command to enable us to follow him through all his numerous changes or to recount Vie various phases of his versatility. 1 He It i jontiuually appearing in some

fresh disguise. In a kind of polioe- ; man's uniform, adapted to burlesque and suggestive of his office as Constable of France, he sings the comic song ' Or Words to That Effect.' He returns to the stage as a village patriarch in long blue smock and low-crowned hat, and then follows comic ' business,' first with Joan and later with the King, with whom he has a screamingly funny dialogue in pantomime. A mock quarrel ensues, leading up to a set of Impromptu rhymes inteilarded with looal allusions. Then we have a praccful danoe by Mr Lonnen and Miss Lethbridge. The lion comique next appears as Stanley the Explorer, arrayed in that travel* ler's semi • military garb of vthite. with bottles of brandy and soda depending from his waist-belt, his cartridgebelt stuffed with cigars, and a huge volume of 'ln Darkest Africa' under his arm, In this comical part be sings ' I Went to Find Him in (Emin).' After the exeoution scene Mr Lounen and Mr Courtneidge enter as a pair of costers with song, 'Anything to Earn a Honest Brown,' and upon being encored return as cheap bookmakers of the 'Welsher' type, and, again being encored, faoe the footlights as impoverished street musicians. Mr Lonnen next caricatures Lord Randolph Churohill on his trip to Maahonaland, and sings the song 'l'm a Regular Randy Pandy,' whloh, on its introduction to London, was proscribed by the Lord Chancellor. Next, as a policeman, he danoes a sailor's hornpipe, and sings ' What do you Think,' and finally he emerges as an admiral attended by Mr Courtneidge as a manofwar's-man, Mr Courtneidge aB Jacques D'Aro (Joan's father) ably supports Mr Lonnen in his buffoonery, and is eoually successful as the village baker, the brand-now baron, and the bluejacket, or in his other characterisations, in keeping theaudienoe shaking with hearty laughter. His parody song ' Sally's in the Ballet,' waß persistently encored. Miss Addie Conyers, it need hardly be said, makes a graceful and handsome Joan of Aro. With rare good taste the playwrights have not attempted to carioature this the most pathetio and romantic figure in the entire range of Frenoh history. It is a small part and is almost free from the extravagance of burlesque. Two p»etty songs of a patriotic character are associated with it, and Miss Conyers sings them both with nice excression.

Mr Bert Haslera has a capital part to play as (he impecunious Charles VIL, and he invests it with a great deal of comicslity. Miss Aguio Kelton well sustains her rOle of the Qieen Oonsurt and Miss Laura Honey that of the stingy mother-in-law. Miss Leila Rczs is a gallant and debonair Earl of Shrewsbury and Mr H. Gribben as the amorous and gaunt Bishop of Bovril, and Mr Reid as the stolid Duke of Burgundy contribute their full share of frolicsome humour. Mias Alice Lethbridge aa Catherine of Rochelle oxecutes some pretty dances, and notably a charming tarentelle. Miss Leamar, as Blanche D'Aro, also dances in, her own distinctive style a clog dance, and slogs the music hall aong, ' I Suppose YouVe Heard of Madame Duvant.' Mounting, ssenery, costumes, appointments, and finally, the music by the orchestra (under the direction of Mr Lovell Phillips) are all that could be desired, and quite up to the ' Gaiety ' standard.

The Gaiety Burlesque Company left for Lyttelton on Monday evening by the Rotomahana. There wa» an immense crowd of people on the wharf to see the company.off, and there was a good deal of cheering as the steamer moved away from the berth. (BY. TELEGRAPH. A CORRESPONDENT.) Christcuubch, May 12. The Gaiety Company's box plan was opened this morning, and there was a treat rush to eng'tse seats. Twelve hundred were booked in four hours, which is the largest booking ever known in New Zealand, and the show promises to be one of the. biggest successes ever seen in Christehurch.