" DANDY DICK."

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 1 September 1909, Page 70

" DANDY DICK."

The performance by the Dunedin Dramatic Club, given on August 26 in His Majesty's Theatre with the object of raising funds for an Otago and Southland Volunteer rifle team to visit Australia, drew a very good attendance. The Mayor of the city was one of the audience, and several Volunteer officers were also present. The piece selected for the performance was Pinero's three-act farce " Dandy Dick," which has been, previously seen on a Dunedin stage, and is admittedly a clever piece of stage work. Mr P. J. It. Fordham did exceedingly well as the Dean, even though it has to be admitted that his impersonation bore unmistakeable evidences of the amateur. The character n-ext in importance is that of Georgiamna Tidman. which was filled by Miss D. Clare. This young lady carried off the part well. She played with freedom and dash, if her acting was at times rather forced. Sir Tristram Mardon, a gentleman who follows the turf very closely and with inteir.se zest, was presented by Mt V. S. Raymonde with a very fair measure of success, but he and one or two others suffered from a treacherous memory on more than one occasion, which rather upset the swing of the smart dialogue. The Dean's daughters, Salome and Sheba, were it presented by Miss D. M. Gardner and Miss L. Williams, both of whom appeared to some advantage during the comparatively short periods in which their services were required on the stage. Mr Arthur Binnie and Mr Gerald Morgan were tolerably successful as Major Tarver and Mr Darby, military gentlemen cast in rather an effeminate mould, who are suitors for ihe hands of the Dean's daughters. Mr J. J. Fras^r's Noah Topping, the village* constable, was clacidedlv one of the best sustained characters, a»d though he did not figure largely on the stage he never failed to be genuinely amusing when opportunity afforded. Miss L. Stevenson as Topping's wife, Mr William Thomson, the butler at the deanery, and Mr George Millar, as a groom, all gave adequate assistance ip a commendable performance. The Garrison Band, under the direcrion of Lieutenant George, supplied the place of an orchestra, and played several selections creditably.