THE DARRELLS' DRAMATIC COMPANY.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 272, 7 March 1877, Page 2

THE DARRELLS' DRAMATIC COMPANY.

Mr. and [Mrs. George Darrell made their debut to an Oamarn audience at the Masonic Hall last night to a full house. The bill selected was a really first-class one, including in their entirety the fiveact tragedy of "Romeo and Juliet" and the comedy of " Katherine and Petruchio," or "Taming the Shrew." The company were placed at a very great disadvantage, not only through the want of mechanical effects, but also through being cramped up on a stage suited only for a concert-hall performance, and barren of really necessary stage accessories. Another disadvantage is the nearness of the performers to the audience, enabling them to perceive many little defects, which in a theatre of ordinary pretensions would, never be noticed. The balcony scene in '•'Romeo and Juliet" has seldom been produced under such difficulties as it was last night. The smallness of the stage would not allow of a proper balcony being erected, and the wretched make-shift ut last night took away all the romance from the scene.

Notwithstanding all these drawbacks, however, the performance was a thorough success, and Mr. and Mrs. Darrell were loudly applauded, and called before the curtain on two occasions. The Romeo of Mr. Darrell was a really excellent performance, and we do not.think we ever saw him to better advantage. Mrs. Darrell was evidently suffering from the effects of her rough sea voyage, but nevertheless her acting was as spirited and taking as ever, and this could not be better testified to than by the hearty applause tendered to her by the audience at various stages of the performance. As the querulous old nurse, Miss Bessie Vivian made a decided hit; and a word i>{- praise

P tß flSC|l mMtewtanflinff ©t the V™*dwnot'tT"'"'! „1 Peter' Mr. I>- Clmt*H, 8 T I , a-vo-nMlitlfor the manner tn which va11,, ' ,18 larion* parts. Mtss TST * "/.Jnwdjr rf •*, and U . • %r " Tftmins the Wirew, had iK-muchwlk doe* not de""lit P o» the scenery P ,tF ct Unrhter ami applause «ere ,l r,''li 7,ncdy, and it had the n Z and Katherine, »w r.cetyed *•?' « 1 " >* applause, and the *>ther ■tV£k^%rtof ? ' 'HmM-iml to Mm Wdlrs. , , i Mil wihU Mrs. torodt as Paulme, S£i nSilu, Darrein be*t p.rfonuhouse. -