WANGANUI THEATRICAL NOTES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1610, 7 January 1903, Page 32

WANGANUI THEATRICAL NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent).

The recent season of the Leigh-Doug-las Bramatic and Comedy Company has been the most lengthy in the history of the Opera House, a season of eight nights being played. The organisation is a powerful one, and should do good business in any town. The one performance given of that fine drama, “My Partner” —one of Rignold’s greatest successes—proved that each member of the company possesses dramatic ability of a very high order. A two-nights’ season of Merivale’s comedy, “The Butler,” showed this coterie of clever artistes in quite, another style of work, and throughout it was most enjoyable. On New Year’s night “Confusion” was produced, preceded by the one-act playlet, “Cinders,” followed on Friday and 'Saturday by the farcical comedy, “My Soldier Boy/’ This piece is quite new to Australasia, and was produced by Mr Leigh in South Africa during the recent war, where it eiijoyed a lengthy run of prosperity. One of the most finished pieces of acting seen in Wanganui for some time was Mr Harry Douglas’s impersonation of the name part in “The Butler.” This piece was a great favourite of Mr John L. Toole, the eminent English comedian. The Taylor-Carrington Company played a successful two nights’ season in the Opera House on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, 7th and Bth inst. The opening piece was the sensational melodrama, ‘‘Bisowned,” from the pen of Mr J. B. Mulholland, of the Theatre Metropole, London.

Frank Thornton’s long looked for season of comedy commences on the 17th instant with “Facing the Music.” This piece has been singularly successful wherever it has been given. The Williamson Opera Company will play a two nights’ season in February, when those popular successes, “The Runaway Girl” and “San Toy” will be staged. The past year has been a prosperous one for the Municipal Opera House, bookings being heavy, especially during the latter part of the year.