"KENILWORTH."

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 186, 24 November 1876, Page 2

"KENILWORTH."

4 The Lydia Howarde Troupe gave their second performance in the Masonic Hall last evening, to even a larger house than on the previous night; and considering the increased rate of admission to that generally charged, the fact that a large number of those present at the first entertainment also patronised the second, is proof positive of the worth of the artists and the attractiveness of the programme submitted. The pieces chosen were Henry Byron's historical burlesque of "Kenilworth ; or, Queen Bess," concluding with the petite comedy of "The Kiss in the Dark." It must be confessed that the author has taken considerable liberty with history in disposing of his characters, but that is a license which novelists, poets, and dramatists all, more or less, arrogate to themselves. Though completely different from " Our Boys," the same dry humor which pervades that most excellent of comedies, crops out on every conceivable occasion in the burlesque, and it requires no great powers of observation to detect the same master-hand in each. For the successful representation of burlesque it is necessary that the dialogue should be light, racy, and sparkling ; the situations, ludicrous and comical ; and the makeups and bye-play, grotesque and natural. In that presented last night the author has done the first and second, and his efforts towards success have been ably seconded by the Company, for it has rarely been our lot to see characters dressed to such perfection. When we first heard that " Kenilworth " was to be put upon the stage, having in our remembrance the gorgeous scenic and stage accessories 'which it required, we looked forward to, if not failure, a very qualified success ; but although, last evening much of the pomp and pageantry of the dressing of the piece had necessarily to be dispensed with, when the Virgin Queen made her appearance one lost sight of the fact that Her Majesty should have arrived in her barge of state. Miss Howarde personated the dashing Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and if the original looked only half as captivating, it is quite easy to forgive even the virginal breast of the Queen for her tender passion. She was splendidly attired in the costume of the day, sang the various songs which fell to her lot with care and precision, and but for a lack of dash which is necessary to the character, would have played the part to perfection. Mdlle. Navaro appeared as the gay and volatile, but unfortunate, Raleigh, the light and semi-comical music which fell to her lot being given with vivacity and piquancy. This was especially noticeable in " Somebody's a Kissing of Somebody," and "Trust her Not, She's Fooling Thee." Too much praise cannot be given to what we may be allowed to term the low comedy men, the appearance of Messrs. Stoneham, Herbert, and Emmett being the key-note for a general outburst of merriment, and we have never seen a finer piece of satirical acting than the scene between Messrs. Stoneham and Herbert, in which the death of Amy Robsart is planned. The parody upon the deep tragedical instructions usually issued in the legitimate drama was so excessively amusing, that the sanguinary dialogue had to be interrupted more than once to allow of the full indulgence of the laughter of the audience. Again in the tournament scene, when Varney and Smith, mounted upon hobby horses, fight a Voutrance after the manner of theknights of old—save that instead of lances they are armed with stuffed bludgeons—the struggle was so excessively ridiculous that the whole house fairly roared again. Of the vocal efforts of the evening perhaps the one deserving most praise was " Nil Desperandum," by Mr. Carey, Ms magnificent bass voice and extensive range bringing out every note, high and low, clear and distinct as a bell. Miss Jenny Nye enacted the part of Amy Robsart, and acquitted herself most creditably, being heartily applauded for her Swiss song. But perhaps the greatest treat of the burlesque was the duett-song and dance between that lady and Mr. Emmett, their Terpsichorean performances having such attractions for the audience as to necessitate an encore. We cannot conclude without a word of special praise to Mr. Herbert, as the Swash-buckler. His make-up was perfection itself, but supplemented by the eccentricities which he gave to the character, he had only to appear on the stage to convulse the audience. Taken as a whole, the second appearance of the Troupe was even far more successful than the first; and were "Kenilworth" reproduced to-night, we would not wonder to see the same faces there again. If laughter be constituted to increase adipose matter, and there ar w - any desirous of the change, we. should cer-

tainjy advise them to visit the .Masonic Hall, for the man must indeed be in a sad way who will not give full rein to hig risible faculties. As the prices are to be reduced to the old standard of 35., 25., and Is., we expect to see a crowded house to-night, when the operetta burlesque of "Lucia di Lammermoor" will be submitted.