Theatre Royal.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XX, Issue 6312, 20 July 1895, Page 4

Theatre Royal.

CAPTAIN THOMAS' VARIETY COMPANY. The variety entertainment in the Theatre hat ni»bt was sufficiently good on paper to draw a large down-stair house at the popular prices announced. It was a quarter of an hour after time whenthecortain rangupand Captain Fred. Thomas came on and sang " Queen of the Earth." Wc presume he does not intend to he taken seriously as a vocalist ; for though posaesains a fairly good baritone voice he has no idea of using it and if he I could only enact the double personality of n r Jefcyll and Mr Hyde we have no doubt he could give us an admirable imitation of himself singing a serious liallad. This was followed by a hitch in the scenery, an item which evidently took the gods by storm, and Captain Thomas stepped into the breach and while the refractory "pieces" were being cajoled into union delivered a running fire of anecdote and reminiscence, more or less witty, more or less new, and more or less old. He is a good raconteur, a trifle fast, but that can hardly perhaps be considered a disability. It is as a whistling ventriloquist, however, that he shines, and here we may say, without reservation, that in this respect he isexceptionally clever, his performance being as unique as it is interesting. He also gave evidence later on of his ability to sing a good comic song. To refer to the rest of the programme: Miss Malvino sings and dances ; she has a light voice and some good steps, but that is all that can be s-»id. Messrs Collins and Brown are a couple of variety performers, evidently old hands at the game, and the dancing of the former was especially good. Mr Stapleton also is good in bis own line. A capital orchestra under Mr Towsey's direction assisted to make the performance "gee." Taken as a whole, the show was "scratchy," not by any means without many redeeming features, but still with marked blemishes, and if, as we understand is the case, the Tivoli Company intend to give a weekly entertainment here, they most not make it weakly, and must eliminate the touch of vulgarity which was too strongly in evidence on occasions last niaht. The members are quite sufficiently clever to provide a good evening's amusement without having recourse to that sort of thing: If they rely upon their merits and act up to them, they will deserve, and doubtless will a fair shared pobllopeiroiiage. !