THE STAGE IN AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 1754, 4 July 1885, Page 23

THE STAGE IN AUSTRALIA.

NOTES BY SCALFAX..

Mulbouhnr, June 23. The Theatre Royal was literally packe-l last Saturday afternoon on th« occas-on of the Gordon niatiue, 1 . Be Fore the curtain rose Mr Garner came forward and stated that the receipts even then were considerably over £200 ? and that more money had yet to come in. The management have already dorrs' ' 2100 to the fund, and the proceeds of last Saturday will swell the Royal contribution to a very pretty figure. The programme was a long and varied one, and was carried' out without a single hitch. The Royal Company opened the performance with an abbreviation of the first act of "lolanthe." Mr Alec. Mayne then recited "In the signal box;" Miss Lucinda Blackham sang "Lo! hear the gentle lark;" Mr G. B. W. Lewis gave " The 'midnight charge ;" Mr Armes Beaumont's tenor was heard to effect in " The maid of the well;" Miss Isabel Reid contributed "When the flowing tide comes in;" M. Poussard played a violin solo ; Miss Elsa May told us " The power of love;" Signor Paladini's share was the well-known romanza " Alia stella confidente ;" and Miss Amy Horton incidentally mentioned that " I won't' play with you any more." The Emerson Minstrels gave a short entertainment; and the Bijou Theatre, Company gave us the last act of " La Fille de Madame Angot." Mr John Hennings painted a special scene representing the proposed statue of General Gordon as erected near the Parliament Houses, and Mr, J. Lake delivered an appropriate address. A special programme, was 'i " f ' \, the gift of 'IW lei and Co., which contaiuril an excellent litho-photograph of the late General. The performance, commenced at half past two, and you can easily imagine it was dark before it was over. " lolanthe,"- tovjottrs Tolanthe, at the Theatre Royal, The opera has beoom,e extremely popular, and now when it is definitely announced that the last nights are those of the present week everyone crowds to have one more look at it. The various characters all have their particular admirers, and applause is plentiful. The Fairy Queen, who sees no objection to stout ness "in moderation " ; Strephon, who is " only

half a fairy " ; the Lord Chancellor, " a highly riusceptible Chancellor " ; lolanthe, who does a twenty-five years' sentence "on her lual"; Phyllis, who will wed "the riehmfc aud rankiVit of them all " ; tlu- Peers, •• who tire not destitute of virtue '" ; and the Guardsman, who is " generally admired " — all sing and act as well as could be, dehh-ed ; and as for the fairies, who know it is weak to love a- mortal, but " that weakness is so .strong.'' they could not b. 1 better if they tried. A change has been ma le in the paH of Strephon, Mr B. St. ('lair replacing Sigiior Brocolini. Tt appeam that the latter geutleinau had to go back to America to fulfil an engagement, and he made his last appearance last Tuesday. It is to be regretted that he- could not stay, for we lose in him a finished singer and a very capable actor. "La Fille de Tambour Mapr " will positively be performed next Saturday night, and will be continued till the Bousicaultian season commence, as it is rumoured that Miss Genevieve Ward will have to give way to the new star. Last night the, late Tom Robertson's wellknown comedy "Caste" was produced at the Opera House for the first time in many years. It was first played in Melbourne, I learn, at the Duke of Edinburgh Theatre on April 8, 1803. The theatre was burnt down many years as?o, and the site is now occupied by the Arcade. Everybody has seen " Caste '' at some period or other of their existence, and a description of the plot would only waste space and patience. Mr Rignold of course was cast for the Hou. George D'Alroy, and was fairly successf ul with the part, but he rather surprised us in the second act, when he sent his man on a message and told him to drive like h 1 ; and again when we learnt that "two and two are four, and two are six, and eight are fifteen.". Mr Rignold has a manly bearing that suits well a military charaoter, always looks handsome, and is energetic enough in the love passages. He certainly can make love in a style that few of our actors would attempt. Miss Kate Bishop looked charming as Esther Rccles, and reosived two hearty recalls at the end of the first and second acts. Miss Bishop may, or may not, have taken special pains with this part, but I consider it a most creditable performance. Miss Lucia Harwood, a name new to me, made a most piquant and surprising Polly, and is deserving of very high praise. I confess I never heard of tho lady before, but she evidences a knowledge of acting and stage craft beyond the average. Her scene with D'Alroy in the last act, when he returns from a supposititious grave, was the finest of the whole comedy. I have seen many "old Eccles" in my days, or rather nights, as matinees do not count, and a few have been very good, some good, and a great many bad. I should place Mr Sterling Whyte in the second class. In ths second act he was at his best, and as his acting provoked a gallery lad to remark "Go home. You're boozed," I suppose it was realistic. MiBrian Darley made a good deal out of Captain Haw^rey, but his huskiness is rather agauist him. Next Saturday night Mr Geo. Darrell opens, a season at this theatre with his new Australian drama " The Squatter," Mr Darrell appearing as George Trevelyan,' the squatter in question. The opera season 'at the Bijou Theatre is not, at present, drawing any extensive patronage to itself, aud the changes are heing rung on the old favourites. "La Fille de Madame Angot " was tried last Friday and Saturday ; and " Maritana" was put on last night, Monday. "La Belle Helene " is in rehearsal, and shortly to be produced. George's Hall Is crowded nightly by Billy Emerson's friends and admirers. The great William is " the Napoleon of minstrelsy," and as he says so himself we must believe it. It would not be worth his while to deceive us over a trifle like that. The company is very strong in the dancing line, and Messrs Walsh and King are, without exception, the best I have yet seen. MiDave Tracy is also a first-class dancer, aud Billy (" the Napoleon, &c") can shake a very nimble foot himself. Mr Emerson is the bright star of the party, aud he far outshines the other comedians. The only fault one can find is that a great deal of his " business " has been anticipated out here. The Cogill brothers are a veritable couple, and Charles would make a deaf aud dumb man laugh. Mr Emerson appears to be making money very fast, and so I expect his stay may be long. The other Minstrels at the Nugget Theatre are also well supported, and are doing a steady business. There is no reason why a minstrel company should not be able to play in Melbourne all the year round ; and Mr Weston may be going to imitate Messrs Moore and Burgess, " who never play outside St. James' Hall." Mr John Kruse, the Colonial-born violinist, who is announced as " the second best violinist in the world," arrived yesterday from Germany by the mail steamer. Our Gorman Tuin-Verein gave- him a serenade at the Oriental Hotel at 11 o'clook the same evening, and there were many nice things said, and a good many empty bottles after it was all over. His first concert will be given on Thursday next, and will be under the patronage of tho Governor and family, ' Dr j. E. Taylor is continuing his series of lectures at the Athenaeum Hall. Last night he dilated upon " Microscopic Marvels ;" and on Friday next the last lecture, " Earthquakes and Volcanos," will be given. Dr Taylor has also been paying flying visits to the country towns, where his leotnves have met with unusual success. Miss Genevieve Ward has finished her Brisbane season, and is due at Newcastle to-morrow night, where Mr Sala is leoturing to-nfght. Miss Ward opens at the Sydney Opera House on July 4. Sydney.— "The Silver King" is still a draw at the Theatre Royal, and " Fedora " at the Opera House. " Fun on the Bristol " is popular at the Gaiety Theatre, where Mr E. Davis, the ventriloquist, has joined them. Our Theatre Royal Opera Company follow the dramatic season at the Sydney Royal, and they will play until Christmas, when our pantomime, " Cinderella," will astonish the good people of the city by the sea. Adelaide. — H. J. Byron's farcical comedy f Fourteen Days" is the attraction at the Theatre Royal ; and Harry Rickards still sings at the Academy of Mus ; c. Port Adelaide Town Hall is to be turned into a theatre for the nonce, and Miss Bessie Royal is going to play the old old burlesque, " Fra Diavolo." " Uncle Tom's Cabin" has had the. enormous run of three nights at the same place. Tho Dunning Opera Company returned to Melbourne yesterday, after a tour in tho interior New South Wales. The company will probably disband. Mr Alfred Dampter has been playing in Geelong during the past week ; and Mr Grattan Riggs is at Rookhampton; while Chiarini's Circus is the latest novelty in Brisbane. According to our leading weekly paper, Mr Edward Farley is suffering from an impaired memory. Truly, in many years' experience, I do not think I have known a company to be so unfortunate all round as Miss Emelie Melville's' has been.