Dramatic and Musical.

Otago Witness, Issue 1432, 3 May 1879, Page 17

Dramatic and Musical.

THE THEATRES, &c "At the special request of several ladies" — rio ran the announcement — the well known and well-worn play of " East Lynue," was placed on the boards at the Queen's Theatre, ou Friday evening, the 25th inst. Most pity-goers have seen this drama over and over again. And many | of them, no doubt, have been sorely puzzled to discover what peculiar merit it possesses to make it attract such large audiences as it does, at all times and in all seasons. Probably the ladies above referred to could enlighten us on this point ? Be that as it may, I notice that the fair and softer sex usually muster in large numbers at the representations of the drama, and from first to last bestow their undivided atten. tion on the passing scenes. The play is emotional and sentimental. It U also based on a highly improbable story,— a story, it is true, whose development may be comfortably made to extend over so many numbers o£ Belgrayia, each instalment terminating at a tantalising point, but a story that is exceedingly doleful and unlikely to be productive of any good. When the complications begin to come into action, you feel strongly tempted to interpose, and by explaining the real position of affairs prevent wholesale misery and wickedness. But then, if you. did this you would put an end to the drama in the first act, and would the ladies who seem to be constantly making the " special request," ever forgive you P On Friday evening the cast was exceedingly weak and decidedly unequal, and as a result, the performance was not more than ordinarily successful. Mr Ogden is not capable— or if he is, he did not justify the assumption— of playing the part of Archibald Carlisle. He is recognized hero as the " comic" man, and certainly is not sufficiently versatile to do justice to serious parts. In the pathetic passages, a large section of the audience appeared to discern some humour and laughed accordingly, thus marring the intended effect. Mr Theodore Hamilton was a rather too wellfavoured villain, Miss Beatrice gave an excellent impersonation of Lady Isabel, little 801 l Russell acted with her usual wonderful intelligence and taste in the child's part, and Mrs Fitzwilliam played with uncommon vigour and success, as the vinegar-tempered Cornoy. On Saturday night, _" Nancy Sykes/' a dramatic adaptation of Dickeus' familiar novel "Oliver Twist" was produced. EL-ewhero I have seen stage representations of several of this great and charming novelist's works, notably "David Copperfield " and " Nicholas Nickelby," and derived considerable pleasure therefrom. With "Nancy Sykcs " however, I was Badly disappointed. If you had not been previously conversant with the details of the Btory and the manner in which they are worked out, you would have arrived at a very erroneous conclusion regarding the abilities of the late Mr Dickens in holding the mirror up to nature. In the narrative itself, thereis a history of several events connected with crime and people of the criminal class, and what story is there without it in a greater or less degree ? But the particulars are presented bit by bit, and the author has not made too much of them. In the drama, however, the whole of the villainy has been carefully selected and heaped before the eyes of i tbe spectator in a confused mass.^ The adapter, whoever ho may be, does not give you time to swallow one picture of wickeduess before sue ceeding it with another, and you speedily become sickened therewith. You would like to see the timid Oliver ask for more soup at the workhouse, and witness tho indignation of tho parish authorities consequent therefrom. But no such scene is depicted. Indeed, the part of Oliver seems to have been made quite a subsidiary one— the villains, such as Fagin, the Artful Dodger, Bill Sykes, and company, are the engrossing cbarac ters. The plot is by no means easily distinguishable, save to those who have made themselves thoroughly familiar with the original story, and I suppose almost every reader^ has done that. As for the concluding act, it is simply revolting. Firat we have the horrible and brutal murder of the unfortunate Nancy. This is unnecessary realistic, and makes your flesh creep and your heart sicken, to look at it. Next we have an interview with the old Jew, Fagin, who has been pounced upon by the strong arm of the law, and committed to the prison cell. He raves in hiß talk, tries to tear himself to pieces, and drops dead in a fit of madness. The next scene reaches the very ' acme of morbid taste Fagin having fallen doad, and the prison walls having been opened, we are treated to a thvee-views-in-one scene. On the right we see a block of wood, dressed in man's clothes, with a res-pectable-looking whice hat affixed to the neck part. It is suspended to a rope and is intended to represent the terrible fato of Bill Sykos. On i the left we behold Oliver restored to his friends, j au4 everything is smiling happiness. At the '

back we have a picture of tbe spirit of Nancy Sykes ascending to the clouds. The tableaux vivants explain themselves, a»d, after being afforded a few moments' time to take in all this medley, tbe curtain falls, and the orchestra strikes up the National Auth im. Such as it is, the drama wa3 fairly represented. Mr Harry Daniels, as the Artful Dodger, may be regarded as having scored the hit of the evening, and was called to the lights once or twice. Mr Ogden's Fagin did not possess any particular merit, that gentleman evidently not properly comprehending the character so powerfully drawa by the novelist. Miss Greenlees did her best in the part of Oliver, and created an exceedingly favourable impression by her quiet, natural, and intelligent style of acting. Mr Joyce made the most of Bumble, the parish beadle. Mrs Fitzwilliam gave a creditable impersonation of Mrs Corney, the parochial housekeeper, and Miss Beatrice acquitted herself tolerably as the ill-starred Nancy Sykes, On Monday, his Excellency, Sir Hercules Robinson, Lady Robinson, Miss Robinson, and suite, honoured the theatre with their presence, whon " Never Forgotten" was reproduced.

At the Queeu's Theatre on Tuesday evening Bret Harte'a play, entitled "Two Men of Sandy Bar," was produced for the first time in New Zealaud. As it is possible that most of you are better acquainted with that humorous but faithful eharacter-sketcher's productions, "The Luck of Roaring Camp" and " The Heathen Chinee," than with " Two Men of Sandy Bar," I propose to give a brief outline of the play, so far as I c -uld comprehend it. Alexandtr Mcrcon, senior, appears to have lost a son prior to the opening of the plot, and after suffering long years from the keen pangs of conscience, sets out on an expedition to discover the prodigal. Like the celebrated Lady Tichborne, he stumbles across a man wh"m he imagines to be his son, and who, finding that he has for the time being dropped into a bed of roses, does not evince much inclination to undeceive him. Meanwhil9 tke leal son, who has earned the unpleasant title of " The Va*aboud of Red Gulch," is ignorant of another man having jumped his cl urn, and amuses himself by drinking whisky and saying pretty thiDgs to pretty girls. Presently the truth leaks out, and so extensive is the series of complications which ensue, that I do not feel equal to the ta-k of describing their manifold developments. All that needs to be said is that the spectator is kept on the tiptoe of expectation throughout these complications, and in the end every character meets with his or her deserts, except the villain who personates the prodigal son, who, curious to cay, seems lo meet with more than his desert?, since he marries the bestlooking young lady, and with her a handsome fortune. The principal character is the real son, Sandy Merton, and a vividly-limned portrait it is. Truthful too is it withal. It depicts the fortunes and misfortunes of the liquorloving wanderer in a manner which affords a really clever actor opportunities of scoring succets after (success. And this result Mr D'Oway Ogden, who represented the part, managed to attain. Hitherto Mr Ogden has not shown himself to us as possessing any extraordinary ability as an actor. Whether as Sample Swichel, Fluke, M.P., Fagin the Jew, or any other character he has assumed during his short sojourn in Duneiin, he has nevtr succeeded in thoroughly identifying himself with those characters. His Sample Swichel savoured of his Fagin the Jew, and his Fluke, M.P., savoured of his Archibald Carlyle. In other words, rob him of his garbdisguise and you saw Mr D'Oraay^ Ogden revealed. But as Sandy Merton this is not the case. He never exhibits the least trace of any former character, and it is not too much to say that so careful, so judicious, so impressive, and so faithful a portraiture cuuld harJly be excelled. Next to him in excellence ranks the impersonation of the eccentric Colonel by Mr Daniels, who has always tak^n the greatest pains to do justice to every part with which he has been entrusted. Mr Joyce played the part of old Mr Merton with moderate success, and Mr Theodore Hamilton earned much applause in the part of the impostor. Miss Beatrice acted wilh considerable spirit as the heroine, a Spaniard's daughter. She Bings two well-known ballads during the performance— " Thy Face " and " Good-bye, Sweetheart, good-bye." The reason I cannot tell. They are imported into the play without having the slightest connection with the events represented therein, are introduced in most inappropriate places, and certainly are not sung in a manner that justifies the adoption of this proceeding. No programmes being supplied, I am unable to state the names of thoae who constituted the remainder of the dramatis personce, but may mention that the lady who represented Miss Mary, the schoolmistress, was too lackadaisical to be effective, and that the part of John Chinaman was very creditably sustained. The greater part of the scenery was new, and tha artist, Mr Williams, has produced pictures worth looking at. The company brought their season to a conclusion on Thursday night in " Nancy Sykes." They will be followed by the "Royal Illusionists," a troupe of conjurors and "oxposers of spiritualism," under the same management. Mrs Clutsam, her two sons, and Mr J. Kelly, the well-known musicians, were passengers by the steamer Arawata, which left Port Chalmers on Monday afternoon for the North. At Port Lyttelton they will join the Stad Haarlem, bound for the Old Country, where, ■as our readers ara aware, Master George Clulsam will be placsd under a first-class musical tutor. At the music warehouse of Mr G. R. West, Princes street, is a beautifully-illuminated address which was recently presented to Mr Landergan, at Adelaide, on the occasion of his leaving South Australia to return to New Zealand. Mr Landergan possesses a high reputation both as an executive and theoretical musician, and in South Australia held a foremost place amongst the interpreters of the works of the classical masters on the organ and piano. He was located in Adelaide for the past five year 3, and his reappearance in this Colony will be welcomed by all his old friends, of whom he has miny. The address has been illuminated by Mr Miachin, of the Civil Service, Adelaide. Miss Dargon's success in Sydney has been unqualified. Sydney Punch pays the following eloquent tribute to the wonderful impersonation of Queen Mary: — "Mr Punch is, he need hardly say, most deeply impressed with what he has seen ; he feels that he has been in the presence of a great actress, with tbe highest artistic susceptibility ; and, while the impression of her genius is fresh, he would wish to express it as far as he is able, and with the conscioußness that his mind is undisturbed; for there is nothing impulsive, sudden, or fantastic in her readings. The powers that are needed for the full interpretation of the nobler passages are not summoned till they are required, and then appear noiselessly like spirits— and with spiritual force and tenderness— and thus the emotional play neither distresses the performer nor wearies the spectators. It is art obedieut to genius— grace, delicacy, affecting grandeur, molting sadness— all under the government of a judgment so just, of an appreciation of fitness co subtle and so accurate, that tho leaat thoughtful becomes impressed with the conviction that ho is lookjng upoa '

the results of long and patient study, and oon> templating a great intellectual triumph ; ana this gives to the whole performance a harmony and completeness which sustain and strengthea interest to the last." In conclusion, just a word to the good, Kind, intelligent compositor who prints this humblywritten contribution. Please have more mercy on my " copy " than you have been in the habit of showing. I have suffered long and keenly, and have enough sins of my own to answer without answering those of others. lam hero reminded of an incident that took place the other week in Dunedin. In the account of some Shakespearian readings written by the reporter for an evening contemporary, it was stated that Mr W. represented the part of Lady Macbeth. This was too much for the well-meaning compositor. He concluded that it must have been Mrs W. who undertook the reading of the part, and to the dismay of Mr W. himself, no lobs than that of the poor reporter who has been twitted with it ever since, he altered it accordingly. FtrzEßic.