THE BEGGAR’S OPERA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19047, 18 December 1923, Page 9

THE BEGGAR’S OPERA.

lifts iLUESTY’S THEATRE. Dunedin theatre-goers will have ; «t» opportunity of seeing The Beggar’s Opera *. at His Majesty's Theatre, commencing on Boxing Night. It is described as the real- “ Merrie England” of which we, .have heard but never seen. John Gay turned the imisio to his purpose and used it to. accompany his great satire on the corruption of his age. A Wellington paper comments as follows on the performance: “ The cast is an exceptionally strpng .boa* all the performers—actors and actresses alike—being’ admirable. Mr Hilton . Osi borne plays to the very life the part of the gorgeous highwayman, Captain Mapheath, husband of Polly Peachum and ; lover of ' Buoy Locltit and many, another- - buxom wench. Those delightful, thorough? going scoundrels. Peach urn qnd Lockit, are portrayed -most excellently by Mr Reginald Roberts and Mr George Willoughby speotively. • The part of the dainty and charming Polly Peachum, which has for 200 years past claimed the greatest of English actresses, is meet delightfully filled by Miss Pauline Bindley, whose, fine quality as a singer has long been known to Dunedin musio-lovers, and in this exaotingrola . she proves herself equally grat, as .an actress. Miss Beryl Walkley makes a very good Lucy Lookit; and her pleasing voice is heard to great advantage in a couple • of solos, and also in duets, eta, with Mia Pauline Bindley and others. Miss Bind-, ley’s numbers were all beautifully sung. 1 " Best of all, perhaps, was her ‘ Swallow Song,’ the soft trills and turns in which. , were exquisitely rendered; whilst ■ among ' her duets may be specially noted that with Maobeath, ‘Oh, What Pain it is to Part.’ Mr Hilton’s Chanticleer song and dance was very cleverly done; and other good numbers were: ‘ When the Heart- of Man is Depressed With Care,’ * Love is Then "• Our Duty,’ with chorus; of wenches; hit trios with Polly and Lucy, ‘ How Happy Could I be With Either, Were T J Other Dear Charmer Away,’ ‘ Dear Husband/ - and ‘ Would I had Been Kind ’; - also 1 ‘ At the Tree I Shall. Suffer With Plea- - sure,’ and ‘ Oh, Cruel, Cruel Case.’ Mr Charles Mettam, who made a very excellent Filch, sang ‘ Fill Every Glass ’ and ‘ Let Us Take the Road ’ most acceptably. The part of the Beggar was well filled by Mr Harry Schofield; and a' special meed of praise is due to Miss Elly : Mhlyon, who gave a wonderfully g6(xt ’ character study as a fashionable-lady-aping Mrs Peachum. " Just as it captured ancient London ? so it has captured London from generation to generation since, till now it is in its fourth year at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith.; - Arrangements have been made with thov Bristol Piano Company to open the plan ; for reserved seats next Friday at .9 a.n>.