THE STAGE IN AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 1917, 17 August 1888, Page 28

THE STAGE IN AUSTRALIA.

Notes bt Scalfax. Melbourne, August 6. „ The great fcbow of 1888 ia now unfait acctmipli 1t and we are all crowding ther,e> with a constancy which speaks well for the probability of a fiaan-

rial success which shall pale all past exhibitions in this and many other colonies. Wednesday was cold and miserably showery, bat oar public tamed oat en masse, and the multitudes who flocked into the city from all parts surprised even people who expected much. Yon will, however,find full, accounts of all the festivities in another column, and to that I shall leave yon. .<:. <: Jack and I " is not doing particularly good business at the Theatre Royal. It is hardly up t:» our standard, for we. are getting particular now as to what we want in the amusement line. On Saturday next Miss Carrie Swaia means to produce an adaptation of " The Old Curiosity Shop," wherein she will play the daal part of Nell and the Marchioness, Dick Swiveller's grimy friend. It will be the same version that Lotta, the reported extremely wealthy American actress, opened her London season with, and which aroused a considerable amount of unfavourable feeling at the time. Miss Swain will have ample opportunity to display all her talent in the two parts, and I shall take a particular interest in it.- Mr John -Gonrlay is to be the Quilp, and lam inclined, to think thnt he will be a very good one. The be^t Quilp I over saw was poor Fred Marshall, and next to him, in my opinion, comes Mr H. R. Harwood, whom I saw many a long year ago. - " Misa Esmeraida " is as popular as the Exhibition, and that i» saying a good deal. There was no matinee, en Saturday owing to the counter attraction of the Grand National racemeeting. The stay of the company here is drawing to a close, the season ending next week. After playing an equal season in Sydney the ©aiecy people leave our shores for America, where, I am bold enough to assert, they will not meet with the 6ame warm-heir ted patronage they have here. '"Comrades" is drawing good houses at the Bijou Theatre, and appears to have got a pretty firm grip on public favour. It is modestly labelled as "an exquisite dramatic poem," and that may account for a lot of things. It may be that some of us are dense enough to be unable to see where the exquisite or the poem part comes in, but that is probably our fault. "Comrades," however, will evidently keep the stage for a few weeks yet. The Amy Sherwin company has been playing the old, old operas, with occasional breaks of " Faust," at the Opera House. Business is not very brisk even the^e holidays, and critics are beginning to say rude things about the company, which does not appear to be a very happy one. To-night the wives of all the colonial governors are to honour " Faust " with their presence. " The Golden Fanner " and " A Dead Shot " still hold the stage at the Alexandra Theatre. " Lost in London " is to be the next production at this unlucky house, for which Miss Marion Medway has been specially engaged. The Cogill-Rickards company at St. George's Hall are making much money just now, as, they deserve|to do: The M All Star " Company at the Victoria Hall 'has also its particular patrons. The amateur clog dancing contest commences to-night, when the contingent' from the elegant suburb of Collingwood will compete. The Lynch Family of bellringers appear every Saturday at the Athenreum Hall, and are doing well. They are aided by Miss Annette Ivanova and Mrs Palmer, both old favourites here. On Thursday and Friday next we are to have the Roscian amateurs, who will play " As you like it " and" Hamlet" at the Theatre Royal in aid of the Melbourne charities. : A Sydney friend informs me that Mr Henry Atkinson, a native of Christen urch, who left your civil service four years ago to study music in Italy, has been engaged as tenor by Mr Martin Simonsen. He is thus described : " Voice fine, style very good, 27 and handsome, and a perfect gentleman. We now learn that General 'Willoughby, the husband of Mrs Digby- Willoughby, who was a member of Mr Harry St. Maur's comedy company, has been expelled from Madagascar, where he got into little financial scrapes. He'was carefully escorted on board an outward bound steamer and requested not to return, as the climate'might have an injurious effect on his health. Miss Yon Finkelstein hai left for Sydney, and her Palestine lectures will probably be equally ' successful there. Mr R. S. Sraythe states that, as a financial success, she far exceeds the Rev. Charles Clarke. The French Comedy Company has fallen to pieces in Sydney. Signor Tessero has been released from his contract, and the proposed trip to New Caledonia has been abandoned. It now remains to be seen whether Signor Tessero will profiO by his two experiences, and fake the advice of people who understand our public and its requirements. ' Sydney news is devoid of novelty this week, and the only forthcoming -attraction is " The Vendetta," Mr Gilbert Parker's adaptation of " Mr Barnes of New York," at Her Majesty's. The Amy Sherwin Opera Company came to a sudden end tbis'evening, August 7. " Der Friesehutz " was to have been played, but after the audience had patiently waited some time they were informed that there would be no' performance, and their money would be returned. It appears that some weeks' salary is owing to the orohestra, and they refused to play unless the arrears were paid. The season opened with the brilliancy of a rocket, but it has come down like the stick. He was a boastful young actor and used to tell sweet fables about himself. " Do ydu know," he said the other morning, " I have been again asked for my autograph." " Dear me," replied a sympathetic friend, " have you had to give another I OU?"