THE THEATRE.

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 9139, 10 November 1890, Page 4

THE THEATRE.

(From the iWir Zealand Mail, November 7.) Mr Christie Murray, Mr St Maur, and a select company are in Melbourne, where they recently played 4 Jim the Penman* for one night, putting on Mr Murray’s plays ‘Gratitude’and 'Chuma/ afterward, Mias Florence Seymour is the leading lady, and the Argus says that she 4 turned an impending failure (in “ Jim the Penman,into a pronouaced success."

‘ The Maseotte * is having a very big run in Melbourne. Maggie Moore, says an os. change, is a veritable Maseotte. Good luck follows her, good humour waits about her, and good friendship greets her wherever she goes. She gets atoims of applause and showers of bouquets and shrieks of laughter whenever she sings or speaks or jukes or dances ; and her own enjoyment acta and re. acta on the audience until it seems sometimes as if nothing else but a general shaking of hands all round would satisfy the folk. The part of Bettina might have been written for her, it fits her so well ; and certainly no one else can ever be so acceptable iu the oharaoter as she has been. Mr Elton makes a very good foil to her, as Laurent XVXf. his dance at the end of Act I being especially good, and all bis business funny. La Maseotte should run easily until Cup time, if not afterward . * Paul Jones * was to be revived in Melbourne at Cup time by Mias Nellie Stewart. Mr S. Beane (presumably the gentleman who was to have gone with the last Australian cricket team, was cast for the hero. Also in Melbourne is Miss Jennie Lee, who was billed to appear in Burnand’s burlesque of 4 Black.eyed Susan.’ Miss Myra Kemble has returned tc Australia, and is to play iu 1 Dr Bill * shortly Miss Janet Aohuroh and Mr Charrington began a season ot Christchurch in 'Frou Frou ’ oq Monday night. Mr Lusoombe Searelle has fallen foul of Clement Scott, the famous Loudon orltio, whom he accused of causing the failure of the ( Blaok Rover ’ through sitting iu a box with Mr Gilbert and Mr D’Oyly Carte, while the performance was going on. Mr Soott writes a very pretty explanation to Truth, in the coarse of which be says: 'Should Mr Luscomba Searelle’a next venture unhappily fail and the inclination be strong npon him to ventilate his grievances in some ill informed American gessip sheet, 1 should like him to know (a) that X am not a musical critic, (b) that by the meroy of Providence I shall be some hundred of miles from London when the '‘Black Rover ” is produced, and (o) that the heavens are as likely to fall as that a London theatre should be the scene of a private box containing the author of-* Braut-. ingb&m Hall/ his recent partner, Mr D'Oyly C«rte, and the luckless wretch who has driven Mr W. S. Gilbert from the ranks of serious dramatists, and who is the object of scorn of one of his oldest literary friends.’ The plot of anew play submitted to Mr Henry Irving by Mr Alfred Calmour has been approved of by the manager of the Lyceum, and the author is said to be bard at work, but in order to turn out a good drama he means to devote a whole year to the task. The sppearance*of Miss Hatton, daughter of the well-known litterateur, on the London stage as the heroine of Bret Harte’s * Mliss,’ in a version of that story prepared by her father is postponed in consequence of Miss Hatton having accepted a New York engage, ment, Horace Bent has been playing Uncle Tom in Melbourne, and secured a big success. Mr Simonsen ha? a new prima donna, Miss Marie Stevenson, who is said to be a New Zealand native. According to G, C. Miln, when by any chance he happened to make profits, they were frittered away ‘on a crowd of people who ran after him to be fed and wined.* The distinguished foreigner who, having astonished the natives and myrmidons of Asia Minor, telegraphed home in approprlately foreign language that he had come, seen, and conquered, was not any more successful in his own line of business—which w© take to have been heavy lead—than Mr Toole in his. Like Caasar, Mr Toole has conquered the people of many outlying countries. Wherever he goes bia success is continued.

It is very evident, however, that however timely the tragedy business of Cssar is to-day (the desire to shed other people’s blood bring naturally strong within us), artificial tragedy, such as we see on the stage, is unpopular. Xbe world has' declared that it only wants the mirror held up totbe bright sldo of human nature. Motley is the only wear. We don’t ask for keen character study or nlceness of art. All through the day men work and women weep over the little to do and many to keep ; and at evening the theatre is to be purely a relaxation. Let us leave to a cold and wicked outside world the hopes and fears, the anxiety, and the misfortunes that beset our everyday life. The wind will blow and tho rain will pour on the scarce holiday when we were to have enjoyed ourselves ; accidents and mischances will befall us, and death itself will visit ns and out friends soon enough ; in the theatre we shall sit at ease and enjoy the spectacle of a world where all is good look, purity .of mind, and downfall of wickedness. Hence people have welcomed Mr Toole, recognising in him the apostle of a new religion, the man with a mission. Then let us eat and drink, and laugh and grow fat j for to-morrow wo die. Mr W. S. Gilbert's share of the profits made by him and Sir Arthur Sullivan's comic operas is £90,000. Mr Toole plays for one night at Palmerston North on bis way to Wanganui. The Palmerston people have a treat in store. Autolycus.