SHAKESPEAREAN ENTERTAINMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6441, 4 October 1882, Page 3

SHAKESPEAREAN ENTERTAINMENT.

The St. Matthew's Shakespeare Club, gave one of their popular entertainments at the Temperance Hall last evening to a fairly large audience. The Rev. C. J. Byng occupied the chair, and delivered a short preliminary address. The performance, taken as a whole, was a very creditable one for amateurs, and the Club have no reason to be discouraged with the result of their studies. The relative merits of the best-known among the members have Often been canvassed, and there was nothing in last niglit's performance to change or modify former expressions of opinion. In more than one instance shortcomings had been wholly or partially corrected; but there is, of course, a wide field for improvement open to many of the younger aspirants. However, all appeared to have their heart thoroughly in the work, and under these conditions progress should be easy. The first recital on the programme was "King Richard III," act 1, scene 2, in which the characters were sustained by Mr S. M. Park and Miss Home. Mr Park's Richard was, as is usual with this gentleman's impersonations, vigorous almost to a fault, seeing that at times in his hands the more telling portions of the dialogue lose some of th«) force that would be afforded by contrast. Thpre is; however, so much to commend in Mr Park's elocution that it would seem ungracious to search for .minor defects. Miss Home, although not quite at home as Lady Anne, lacking sufficient emotional power, acquitted herself very creditably. Of the next item —scene 3, from act 4 of "King Henry V"—there is not mitch to be said; as Mr G. W. Hadfield gave but an indifferent rendering of Henry's famous address to his nobles. The part is ill suited to him, and had the King been in no firmer mood than was depicted by Mr Hadfield, he would probably never have won Agincourt. This gentleman did, however, far better subsequently, when he impersonated one of theDromios in "A Comedy of Errors." A very fair rendering of a scene from " Measure for Measure" was next g'ven by Messrs J. Stevenson, Little, R. rinsley, and Miss Armstrong; and the programme concluded with scenes from " A Comedy of Errors," which were productive of considerable amusement. In this Mr Park, as Antipholus of Ephesus, and Messrs Stevenson and Hadfield, as the two Dromios, were deserving of most pfaise- Misses Armstrong and Home also acquitted themselves creditably as Amelia and Adriana. In the course of the evening Miss Home gave a most pleasing rendering of " Ring out, wild bells," being in excellent voice, and Misses Hall and Beck subsequently sang Glover's duet, " O'er the hill, o'er the dale," both items being encored. Miss Paterson, besides officiating as accompanist, played a pianoforte solo, "Le Zephyr," very tastefully.