MISS GWEN DAVIES’ COMPANY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVII, Issue 2545, 25 June 1895, Page 2

MISS GWEN DAVIES’ COMPANY.

Miss Gwen Davies, the soprano of MadaUlS Belle Cole's OoiiCCrb Wild ttAVUllod tllvdttgU Ne# Zdiilitrid last £car; and #llO bepaiiio a’d grOftt & ftltfdurite then #itll ilio Wellirigtdn people; cdninleiiced Whit slid ifitiuUtes as being a short season at Thdaias’ Hall last_ night. Miss Davies ha& auttoUrldcd herself by a coiiiiiact.little coterie df uiusicdl people #Ho lire able td afford dno of the belt ehtertainnients given in this citjr for years past. Miss Davies has not struck out a .new lino, but hers is one that for at least quite a quarter of a century has not boon presented to the New Zealand public. Old Victorians of the fifties will affectionately remember the monologue entertainments of Miss Emma Stanley, Mr Lodor and his accomplished wife* Miss Neville —tho latter a delightful recollection of somo of our boyhood's days at thd old also “ Barry Coleman/’ a good old showman of “ Old Hendig©:’* Later on in London tho Gorman Reeds established themselves; and it* is after this class of entertainment Mass Davies has followed; These artists; every one of them, were good, but they depended at least on a portion of thoir success for adventitious aids. They told you whom they intended to represent, and presently they, to use a well-worn phrase, “ bobbed up serenely.” Miss Davies’ method is totally 7 different. Last night, in evening costume, and solely by her histrionic and mimetic skill, sho.carried her audience with her. Miss Davies, in her entertainment, has woven a lot of interesting material into her sketch which she aptly describes as “ Township Tattle.” In tins sketch she impersonates quite a variety of more or less bucolic personages. She presented a series of clever sketches. She was, of course, never at fault, and her imitations were each one of them well applauded. Her cleverest pieces of mimicry perhaps wore those in the scene in which Mrs Smith “titivates herself ” after having presented a fountain to her villagers in memory of the late lamented Mr Smith. Miss Davies, as her name implies, is a Welsh woman, and hor duologue between two Welsh widows was excruciatingly funny. Her satirical sketch of tho mayor’s children, who were called upon to recite before the august provincial company, was simply delicious. That Miss Davies is, in addition to being a vocalist, a student of human nature was abundantly proved in other delineations of town and country life she gave her audience. Unfortunately lasb evening she was suffering from a severe cold, and hence could give her audience only a slight idea of the quality of her voice. However, the artist sang two or three numbers which, perhaps, scarcely did her justice from a musical point of view. In the second part of the entertainment Miss Davies gave a serio-comic recitation in tho place of a song on the programme which had been set down for her. The artists who are associated with Miss Davies are each of them likely to become favourites, but they, are introduced so incidentally and so unpretendingly that one is quite unprepared for the result. Mr M. Marcus is an old acquaintance, and he received quite an ovation on hia appearance. Ho possesses a good robust tenor voice, and sang several ballads in his usual pleasing and finished manner, and received an encore on each occasion. Herr R. Ruhl, tho solo trombone performer, undoubtedly is a most accomplished musician upon perhaps one of the mostdifficult of brass band instruments. His tongneing last night was perfect, and his tone delightfully mellow, and his style noble. He was loudly applauded and imperatively recalled. Tho greatest praise must also be given to tho viola playing of Herr G. Handke, with its breadth, strength and delicacy of tone and brilliant execution ; so difficult was tho latter that it may be said to by a revelation to our amateurs. Tho programme was somewhat prolonged on account of the frequent and imperative encores.

/The same programme will be repeated to-night. It is a unique and most enjoyable entertainment, which never flags, and has not a dull moment in it. It deserves crowded houses.

In order to give the young folk an opportunity to attend an entertainment by Miss Gwen Davies’ Company, the management havo decided to give a inatineo on Wednesday afternoon, when there will bo a special programme, including reminiscences of Corney Grain’s celebrated sketch, “ Little Bimbo’s First Pantomime,” which is specially adapted for children.