POVERTY BAY HOSPITAL ENTERTAINMENT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 860, 11 August 1879, Page 2

POVERTY BAY HOSPITAL ENTERTAINMENT.

The amateur dramafic performance and concert m aid of the; funds . of the Poverty Bay Hospital, held m I MaoFarlane'a Hall on Saturday night, was m every respect an unqualified success, and we^may ; a3serfc.inj|ijppprt of theigeneral bpiniotfe^pr^Bdi^n. .every hand, that it was without exception the best "amateur entertainment submittedto a>. Gisborne audience, y■j We were pleased to see' the large Attendance notwithstanding .„_ the .*, ,higk. or,, admission, but we cannot help thinking ,thiat a number jwJio twouW gladly §;onto -such & good otyedt? akm w.ithin,their means were precluded from assisting ~<fn Sthis occasion. This . certainly was a mistake which, however, can be rectified if the management could be prevailed upon to repeat the performance, at . _" million prices," so as to 'atfordari opportunity"' to 'all of rendering their. willing aid.., There is nq doubt, but what a repetition of Saturday night's agreeable entertainment would be liberally patronised, and help; considerably to swell the resources of such a r worthy institution. , "^., ■ ~ . Wifli.H reference to the performance we oannot speak too highly >in terms of praise of the ladies and gentlemen composing' the dramatis pcrsotice of the comedietta. V Perfidious Albion," as also of the farce of " Poor Pillicoddy- " It was evident. throughout," that they had been paintnkirig m theV Study of the respective characters which they so ably represented. ' < There, was every indication that they had determined to wiii the approbation of the audience, arid they succeeded too, judging from the vociferous plaudits, .which- they frequently received m both pieces, but especially m the excessively favce of " Poor PilKcoddy," "which 1 coifvulsed thai house with laughter. The applause was well'merited and bestowed, "we take it, m appreciation of the highly finished, and artistic manrter m which? they severally played their roleC "In fine* comedietta of ' ' Perfidious Albion," the caste waft admlrablyj^rrftnge^.Tiand the , whole, -play produc^d^, va.^ a manner which v cbuld : scarcely *"bY : excelled '^jf.professionals. Mrs. Ward, sen., as Madame de Boncour, was au fait m isiyletand-depgr.tinent as^a widow and ""h'er kindly voise And amiable disposition we. r©; strikingly manifested. . Marae? (Miss^Bourke) 'was exquikitfely charniiiigin manner, sustained her part with judgment and good taste, and enunciated every; wo?d, witjh/ distincittiess, ■• preci^om 1 She produced ! ealiebt features of the character with complete accuracy both as re&peots the winning persuasive methods and the scornful inveotive employed by the heroine, as occasion required. There can be no wonder at Marie captivating the heart and affectious the Englishm^ (Mr. Bt>urke)/wlio persisted m" claiming her hand, • notwitlistattding- net undte' guished contempt for the perfidious nation. The Englishmen played his part well'and successfully too, m spite of one or two ludicrous contretemps. Mr. Crawford, as Alamode, was a good representation. .He depicted the i grotesque can 4 me|o-dn4natic iSctioiu^t the French soldier of tni old soh6ol r to perfection. Although the comedietta was well received, the farce of "Poor Pillicoddy"; f «iet . ?witly ; . t^ie, j loM^st PjprovaL Mr/ John, Bbiirke, as Pope illicoddy, wasa hb'sfc' m ' tool kept the audience m ft continued state of merrimont. Indeed^e .pyov,ed .Iviniself ; to be a proficfent asii^obmßdiaHv^Mra, Pillicoddy (Miss Crawford) acted with gracefulness and a naivette whioh was very attractive and m keeping with the character assumed, the result evidently, of study 'and" ? Fja^tin as -Sarah Blunt, a domestic servant, was as servants are generally supposed to be, a plague to he r master (Poor Piilicoddy) and a terror to the missus. Her acting throughout was especially commendable. Mrs. Browne, as Mrs. O'Scuttle, performed her role m a very creditable manner. Captain O'Scuttle (Mtf. Crawford) was a faithful representation of a jolly, rollicking " old salt." A little too ,- dem6nstratfye" perKaps, but still -^very pro vocative of mirth. ,We haye,.but now.to. mention .noj the least' impbrfcant and agr-e^ablepart of the entertainment— the musical part. As all those vvhb cohtributed songs have done so on jeveraljoccasions m aid of various goods objects, we will only briefly allude x to them. /{Fait is my love," by Mrs. Johnson." ' " Forsaken," by Mrs. Webb ; "Sing, Birdie Sing," ! and m response to an, encore, ." When i the ship comes homei" by Mrs. C^ :-I). B"erry ; "The Standing' Toast/ by Captain Chrisp, and "Fair is my love," by Mr. Grahani. ;; .j T / < / Mr MacFarlane and family also rendered several overtures and musical selections j and every pr ( aise is due to them for their kind assistance^' ' We are requested also to thank the proprietor of the Hall for placing it at the, disposal of the Committee, on this evening and for rehearsals during the preceding three wee.ks.