WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2059, 10 August 1893, Page 37

WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS.

By P. Romptbe. August 5. "• The company with no name, of which I advised you last week, has dubbed itself " The Uncle Tom's Cabin Company," and after doing a very good week's biz. with the woes and joys of Uncle Tom, held a matinee on Saturday, which was perhaps as successful in every way as any other performance. On Monday evening "The Ticket-of-Leave Man" ousted the black martyr, but the weather has been during the whole week so atrocious that playgoers preferred reading "thrillers" by the fireside to wading through a driving rain to see them interpreted. The acting of several of the principals was good. Among others Mr Griffiths came out of his shell in his interpretation of Detective Hawkshaw, especially in the scene where ho discovers Bob Brierly to be the messenger in Mr Gibson's offices. Mr Oollefc Dobson played the hero very well, whilst Miss Amy Vaughan looked and acted the heroine capitally. The star of the company, Miss Fanny Wiseman, took the part of Sam Willoughby, making a grand little man, and a very good contrast was made by Mrs J. D. Foley's rendering of Sam's granny, the house being hugely tickled in the scenes between these two. Last night the company took a rest,' and this afternoon repeat " Uncle Tom's Cabin" for the edification of the rising generation, and at night we are given a double bill — a domestic drama by Richard Henry, performed for the first time in the colonies, entitled "The First Mate," to be followed by that good old farce, "Nan the Good for NothiDg," ia which Miss Fanny Wiseman will play her old character of Nan. Another great crowd assembled at the Skating Rink for Wednesday's pop. for the " Scotch Nicht." The concert was wholly dovoted to Scotch songs, musical selections, recitations, &c, the consequence being that amoDgst the audience were a large number hailing from the Land o' Cakes. Mr W. B. Cadzow's contributions, "Scotland yet" and the " Macgregor's gathering," were well received, and in response to an imperative encore for the former he gave " Bonnie Nellie Broun" in his best style. Mrs H. J. Miller sang "Annie Laurie" and " Within a mile of Edinboro' toun," and as encores, "Comin' thro' the rye" and "Ye banks and braes." Mr A. S. Paterson recited with splendid declamatory effect "Tarn O'Shanter," and gave as an afterpiece "Bairnies, cuddle doon." "The Battle of Sterling," with full orchestral accompaniment and trumpet calls, was given by Mr Walter

Haybittle in a highly satisfactory style, and he responded to an encore with "The skipper's flag," both items being warmly received. Miss" Alice Little and Mrs Cadzow provided the accompaniments. The comic recitation coctcßt attracted seven competitors, but the Btandard of merit reached was not a high one. The judge (Mr F. W. Haybittle) gave his decision, which apparently satisfied the audience, as follows, the maximum number of points being 65:— First prize, Mr H. J. Sheridan ("How Bill Adams won the Battle of Waterloo"), 49 points ; second prize (divided) Mr W, Stone ("The One-legged Goose"), and Mr J. De Laurencie (" The Barber of Gottingen"), with 44 points each; fourth prize, Mr O. Egden (" The Spirit of Contradiction"), 42 points. We are all looking forward to the visit of the Gourlay- Walton Comedy Company, which has been doing bo well in Auckland. They are booked for Napier on the 10th, after which they give us a turn. The company has an extensive programme of extravaganzas interpreted by good artists. To utilise the repertoire for descriptive purposes, a look at the same makes us anxious to see " Our Madcap " " Milky White" "Living Models" of "Belles of the Kitchen" burlesque " The Corsican Brothers," stick up for "The Rights of Women," and slaughter " Hamlet in Five Minutes " by " The Brook." Mr R. Keating is in advance of the company. Tho Wellington Opera House Company appears in the list of creditors of Alfred Dampier, theatrical manager, as a claimant of £68. The weather throughout the week has been bad enough to kill the best programme ever invented for the amusement of man or woman — but many programmes had been arrauged_ for the week, some of o which came off, some failed, and some were postponed. Amongst the firstnamed set was a benefit arranged by some amateurs who call themselves " The Prince of Wales Minstrel and Concert Party," who comprised the following :— Stage manager and interlocutor, Mr W. Lockwood ; bones, Messrs T. Leydon and E. Gormley; tambos, Messrs J. Smith and J. Sinclair; musical director, Mr F. L. Dean ; orchestra — violins,," Herr Norberg, Messrs M. Robinson and F. Mueller ; bass, Mr G. E. Butler ; flute and piccolo, Mr Talbot ; cornet, Mr H. Hamerton; trombone, Mr W. Silk; tympaDi, Mr J. W. Pike-; piano, Mr F. L. Dean. In spite of the wretchedly wot evening a very good audience, full of enthuse, sat out a most enjoyable programme, after which they had a "jolly good dance." The Wellington Amateur Operatic Society has commissioned the D.I C. to design and make all the costumes for the original operetta by Messrs Bridge (librettist) and Jones (composer), which has been in active preparation for gome time Last night the Wellington Reed Band made its first appearance, before his Excellency the Governor and party and a house considerably affected by a most inclement night. Had the weather been good the Opera House would have been crammed. The programme was a most interesting one, the band giving four pieces, the orchestra comprising 11 clarionets, flute, piccolo, bassoon, three cornets, four horns, a trombone, a baritone, a euphonium, an E-flat bombardon, two string basses, and drums, and was under the baton of Mr Alfred Hill. A feature of the programme was the rendering of a quartet from Messrs Hill and Adams's (librettist, Dunedin) new opera, yet to be "produced as a whole, "The Whipping Boy." "Alack and awell aday" was the title of the excerpt, and if it is a fair specimen of the opera I have no hesitation in predicting a great reception for it when produced. The quartet met with a most hearty reception. A violin solo by Mr A. F. Hill was encored. The other soloists of the evening were Miss Parsons, Mrs E. H. Queree, Messis E. J. Hill and Robarts.