PRINCESS THEATRE. ROYAL COMIC. OPERA COMPANY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2207, 18 June 1896, Page 39

PRINCESS THEATRE. ROYAL COMIC. OPERA COMPANY.

J * In Town," the Gaiety musical comedy with which Messrs Williamson aud Musgrove's Royal , Qpniic-OperaGompany,happily transformed for the time^being into a". Gaiety Company, on Friday - night successfully inauguratedanother tour of New ' Zealand^ was, one of the first of the succession, of ,; productions of, the kind that have within recent ' years proved' immensely popular in London,' and have also created a great furort in the Australian capitals. It was in 1892 that " In Town " was first produced in the great metropolis in which the scene of it is laid. The play wan written for representation at the Prince of Wales'* Theatre by Mr Arthur Roberts aud the company supporting him. and when that is premised itwill be recognised by those who are familiar with the history of produotions of that famous comedian that what was done was that a part was written in which large scope would be allowed for the display of Mr Roberta's great abilities and that the other parts ■were written round that one. The main character, . .then is that of Captain Arthur CoddingtojJ, who is a mau, " about town. The type is littleknown in the colonies, though a few examples have occasionally croppedup wherein some of the characterittics of this particular individual were to be found. Though distinctly amusing on the stage, the Captain Coddington stamp of masher is not specially worthy of imitation. He is recognised as a great authority on life behind the scenes, and he poisesses the entrte to the greenroom of the variety theatres, where he is addressed by his Christian name by the assembled divinities. He is somewhat of a card sharper, he flutters on the turf, he sponges on his friends; "but he is invariably well groomed and, by reason of his intimacy with members df the theatrical profession, his acquaintance is cultivated by giddy old fools and green young "Johnnies," whom he is able to show "round town." Captain Codding- ' - ton belongs to this adventure-masher class. He ' invites a bavy,of smartly-dresied girls- from the Ambiguity Theatre to lunch at the Hotel Caravanserai, aiid succeeds, in getting an. innocent lordling to p^v tho piper. The latter has come up to townwith a fixed- desire to have " a night of it," and the rev. gentleman, who is his tutor, is dragged along with him, under Captain Cod1 dingtoirs- wingy to the greenroom of the Ambiguity. ■ The elderly Duke of Muffshire, too, who has come up to town to deliver in the House of ', Lords an impromptu speech, carefully prepared ? by the Duchess, in advocacy of the emancipation' ' of woman, but is himself yearning for tern- ' porarj emancipation from r the bondage imposed upon him. by Her Grace, desires to penetrate the mysteries' that are to be found on the fat aide of ta© line of footlights— the more so

because the prima donna at the Ambiguity was previously a governess who had to bo dismissed from Her Ladyship's service because of the inteie3u he took in har-and Oaptain Coddingtpn is just the man to secure that he will puss the Cerberus who guards the stage door. Thus it happens that the Duke of Muffshire, bis promising son, and the latfcev's chaplain severally appear behind the soenes at ihe Ambiguity, where the second act of "In Town" is laid, and there, also turn up tbe Duke's daughter, innocently ODOugh to see her friend, the discharged governess, and the Ditches herself in search of her husband who, after a feeble speech, had stolen away from St. Stephen's. Tbe fun waxes fast and furious in this act i nd, although it will be seen that there is a very flimsy foundation upon whichito build it, the play all through iB exceedingly entertaining. It is very smartly written ana. though it is quite unlike anything in which the Comic Opera Company have previously appeared in New Zealand, it was performed with great success, the piece going with a merry rattle from beginning to end. The crowded house, by which the production was witnessed, was fairly captivated by it, taking up the points of the piece with promptness, ana demanding a repetition of nearly every musical item ana dance in the pertormance. The applause was hearty and sustained, and the laughter was frequent and loud. It 'was matter of common remark that the audience, for a Dunedin first nfrht one. was unusually enthusiastic. - With the single exception of Mm Juliet Wray, all the principals, included in the cast of "In Town " aro established favourites in this colony, &nd eaoh of them received a boisterous welcome. The warmest welcome was reserved for Mr Laud, who was greeted with prolonged applause, while an amusing incident was the fact that almost immediately before Mr Lauri entered, another performer received a cordial welcome while it was believed, for a moment or two, that he war Mr Lauri. The latter, in the part of Captain Coddiagton, had the brunt of the work, particularly in the first act, to bear on hi* shoulders, and it is alnioat superfluous to state that he performed it with conspicuous ability. The " patter " of the man about town was delivered with convincing glib-ness-and an admirable portrayal of the character was presented, the effect being heightened by the frequent introduction of those little touches which proclaim the artist. The principal honours of the production were shared with Mr Lauri, by .Miss Marietta Nash, who, as Shrimp, the call boy at the Ambiguity, made a very distinct " hit" in the second act. The precocity of the boy, who laments the dacline of the legitimate drama and fondly imagines himself to be the deus ex machind of the Temple of Art to which he is attached, was expressed with great point, aud the presentation of Shrimp's " soot " to tbe leading lady was exoeedingly laughable. Miss Juliet Wray, who was cordially welootned on her first appearance in the colony, rroated a very favourable impression in a partthat of the prima donna at the Ambiguity — which did not make heavy demands on her. Hor voice is a li^ht aud flexible soprano, of pleasing quality, and she acts gracof ully and vivaciously. Mrs Henry Bracy, who has returned in excellent voice, hit off the domineering duchess to a nicety. Miss May Pollard had Very little to do, but Miss Florence Young made a capital Lord Clantido, singing and acting exceedingly well. Misi Henrietta Muret, who, as a young lady who lived for somey«ars in Dunedin and was a pupil at the Girls' High School here, was cordially recognised on her first appearance, was well fitted with the pait of Marie Belleville, the foreign accent appropriate to the character being admirably given. Mr Vernon ably represented the amiable weaknesses of the head of the Muffshire family, and Mir Leumarie, who was not here' on the occasion of the last two visits of the company, acted the chaplain's part well, but his singing voice did not carry to the back, of the theatre. ■ Mr Bathurat was amusing as an hotel porter ; Mr Lioarit did good service" as the manager of the Caravanserai ; and Mr Berkeley, who has in recent years visited Duuedin more than once as a member of ' a dramatic company, made a few meteoric flights across the stage m the capacity of a " writter." The songs and dances in the production elicited the warmest approbation. "The golden mean," an effective duet, sung by Mrs Bracy and Miss Pollard, evoked the first encore of the evening. A trio, " The harmless taradiddle," sung by Miss Young, Messrs Lauri and Leumane, was spiritedly redemanded, and the quaint dance with which it was concluded was repeated. Miss Wray's first solo, a ballad beginning with the words " When stars of summer," gained an emphatic encore; but, curiously, enough, the charming song " Dreamless rest," given by her with great expreision, was allowed to pass by without a fair recognition of its merits. The balcony duet by Mis* Wray and Mr Lauri, in which the latter introduced some very clever by-play, was one of the most conspicuous successes of the evening, and Mr- Lauri's rendering of. " This way and that way," which was in reality almost a dramatic sketch, at once "caught on." Miss Nash's aong "The Call-boy" evoked a tumult of applause, and the grotesque dance, with which she supplemented the repeat verse, was also redtm&nded. Miss Young's admirable rendering of the song ' Dinah," to which a very effective chorus was given, well deserved the compliment of the encore which it received, and ~ a verse had 'to be repeated also of the duet; "Though' your rank be high and haughty," liung by Miss Young and' M.r Vernon. Miss Lucy Cobb, who attractively filled the part of tho principal dancer at the ambiguity, etnphatisid her claim to such a rdle by her very successful dancing of a pas seul, which was so "much appreciated that a repetition' had to be conceded. Misses May Hillai, Lena Cassellis, and Alice Mitchell danced a pas it troys exceedingly effectively and were recalled for it, and the diablerie of a cafi chantant measure was ably conveyed by Miss Cobb and Mr Lauri, this item being also re-demanded. The full strength of the Comic Opera orchestra played the incidental music delightfully, under the skilful conductorship of M. Leon Caron, who was' not allowed to tain hia iMt before acknowledging an effusive

greeting ; and the whole production, which was I on a scale of absolute completeness, was directed ; by a reliable stage manager in Mr Henry Braoy. In connection with the performance a word of I protest must be entered' against the lowering of an advertising act'drop between the acts. There are, fortunately, few advertisements on it, and on that account there is reason to hope that this ! atrocity — now perpetrated for the firit time at a 1 production of Messrs Williamson and Mu«grove's — ta not going to be tolerated by business people.