THEATRE ROYAL.

Southland Times, Issue 3341, 6 March 1879, Page 2

THEATRE ROYAL.

: . tt+ The attendance at the Theatre Royal last night was nob by any means commensurate with the merits of the performance. , The house was but moderately filled, and yet the entertainment provided reelierclw to a degree — such an one, in fact, as' might; only be expected from artistes of the highest class. Sparkling comedy, exquisite music, arid piquant singing constituted the bill-of-fare — to say- nothing of the intervals of musia in . which that little prodigy, " Professor " (as he ' has been dubbed) Ckitsam displayed marvellous proficiency as a pianist. Dance's comedy of " My Wife's Lover " was the opening piece, the leading characters Citizen Sangfroid and Pauline) falling, of course, to Mr Hoskins and Miss Andrews. Both parts were admirably lendered, Ihs imperturbable citizen being pourtrayed to. the life by Mr Hoskins, whilst the coquettish but affectionate wife was'- spivile.c]ly enacted by Miss iuidreivs. In the iifcerpiccc, which comprised the - quarrel scene from the " School, for Scandal," the same performers appeared to immense advantage. The part of Sir Peter Teazle is one of Mr Hriskins's happiest efforts, and his -.delineation of it last nighfc left nothing 'to bs desired. He again, in its place, favored the audience' with a Shakespearian reading — '•' Hamlet's soliloquy on death "— aud we can" only regret, that the encore it commanded was not responded to. As usual, the singing of Miss Andrews was fervently applauded. She has the power of "fetching" hex audience. The cream of the entertainment was the pianoforte exhibition of Mdlle. Charbounet. Her first piece, a selection f rpjn a composition of Reiss, was a grand classical, effort, in which her astonfshing command of the instrument was markedly exemplified ; so sirtwegueiitly with the Harmo .

i- nious Blacksmith, one of Handel's " choicer | compositions, ; and an operatic selection. I from Giorza r s " Grand Duchesse." Mdlle. j Charbonnet isa perfect pianiste, but yet we have to draw a distinction of excellence. She is eminent in the piano and pianissimo passages, producing liquid melody, soft to a ; ; degree, and yet w,bndrously distinct, anything so .high class as her performance >ye .have not heard since Madame Goddard was in 'the colony. ■. To-night the Hoskins's Company will appear for the last time here, and Mve niay add,; in. New Zealand,, and the pcr T formance is ti be for the benefit of the veteran himself. ; It- should command an oTerflomng house. ; There did seem a probability yesterday of the stay of the company ;;baiug extended over to-moiTowj -the ■■commifctee-_.of/:th'e\\'Kaitangata\'rßelitf'''^iid. li having opened negotiations^ with -Mr Pilliet, who is running the.tronpe, for. a benefit performance iivaid of ihe.f vvad. vMr Pilliet met the advances in a most liberal; spirit, and it is just possible arrangements may be made. A , defioite ..settlement,- however, could not be; : : come to until thismorning. , ■ ; * :■:■