FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.

Observer, Volume 4, Issue 95, 8 July 1882, Page 268

FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.

— Mr Irving, the great Shakesperian actor, is looking- forward to knighthood ! — The Montagu-Turner opera troupe appear at Martian d and Newcastle in August. — When Patti recently appeared as Violetfca, she wore £10,000 worth of diamonds. Isn't this enough to make a woman's mouth water ? — Sydney Bulletin thinks there is more of the long-beered than the vieille moustache about Harkins' " Colonel." — A Sydney Magdalen was so affected by Dampier'sacting that she retired from business, sold oil her jewels and finery, and retired to the Reformatory. — " What is oratory ?" asked the ancient. "Action, action, action," answered the orator. "What is burlesque ?" asks the modern. " Legs, legs, legs !" — Wolfe, of the Mastodons, filed his agricultural implement lately. Liabilities £'280, assets a piece of burnt cork and a paper collar. Strike up, brudder ! — A man went into a stationer's in Dunedin and asked for a copy of " Roget's Thesaurus." The XJolite youth at the counter said he was sorry they had sold out of that play. — Charley Bright loves Parkes since the latter stopped his Sunday lectures. He says were Sir 'Enery really and truly a hater of shams, he would perish of self-contempt. My dear Christian friends, what a precious thing is brotherly love ! — At the London Lyceum, six hundred persons are on salary during the run of " Romeo and Juliet." There aro 60 stnge-carpenters, 80 " supers," 50 artists and property men, and 4.0 musicians. Seats were secured in advance for July and August next. — Look out ye sucking Kcans and Brookes ! " Maritana " is copyright. Mr Norman, of Laurence, who got up a concert in aid of the Roman Catholic Church funds, discovered this lately when he received a polite request from the argus-eyed Gillon to stump up the fee. Tken Norman sang, " List 'tis music stealing." — We understand that the popular comedian, Mr Lachlan McGowan, has just succeeded in the completion of a highly sensational four-act drama, which he intends to produce in Auckland at the first suitable opportunity. Mr McGowan has been most successful in the construction of a number of plays — no fewer than four of which have been presented in Auckland, namely, " Man and Wife," " The Frozen Deep," " The Bells or the Polish Jew," and " It's Never too Late to Mend," the latter piece being the most successful produced during the Garden-Leigh season at the Theatre Royal last year. We shall look forward with interest to the representation of Mr McGowan' s latest effort. — "Rip Van Winkle " occupied the boards on Monday and Tuesday evenings. Mr Hall, us a. matter of fact, sustained the title role, in which he was particularly successful, his awakening scene after his long' sleep, and his interrogatory one with the village publican, being especially worthy of commendation. Mr Sefton, as Knickerbocker, did justice to the comic element. Mr Hesford made a good Derrick, Mr Booth--man a manly and dashing Gustave, and Mr Welsh ("whose services the management have done well to secure), as Nick Vedder, was a good actor playing a bad part. Miss Jessie Grey invested the small character of Rowena with unusual interest, while Miss Ford was an arch and sprightly Alice, and Miss Crawford an acceptable Dame Winkle. The other members of. the cast, though fairly good, do not call for special mention. — The pleasurable anticipations -which the Hall Comedy Company aroused by their first performance were fully realised in the production of " Our Dad." Like most of Byron's comedies, "Our Dad" is in three acts, and, like all of them, it is remarkable for the brilliancy and sparkle of its dialogue. Mr Hall presents us with another of those skilfully drawn portraitures he seems to have the power to delineate at will. No matter how carefully reviewed, not a blemish can one detect in its artistic excellence. Exactly opposite to his previous character — that of the impecunious military officer Gingah — is the wealthy ex-restaurateur Tottles, and yet, after carefully witnessing both, we are uncertain to which to yield the palm. In the second act Mr Hall was particularly happy, and the drop descended midst a volley of applause. Mr Harry Sefton reappeared, after an absence of nine months, in the (person of Joey Bungs, whom he invested with a grim humour, which was excessively amusing. Mr Alfred Boothman played admirably as Captain Raffler ; Mr Hesford was completely at home as Cobhani Brown ; while Lilford and Sniggler found competent exponents in Messrs Teece and Siinmonds. The part of Horace Tottles served to introduce to us for the first time Miss Maggie Ford ; her make-up was capital, and she faithfully depicted the good-hearted, ingenuous youth. Miss Ford is, without doubt, a valuable acquisition to the Company. In the one-act role of Julia Lilford Miss Jessie Grey left nothing to be desired ; it was a spirited and forcible representation. Miss Ruth Grey played Mary Brown in a simple, natural, and unaffected manner ; and Bliss Crawford was sufficiently meek and subdued as the poor relation, Kate Treuchard. The performance was nightly received with the heartiest applause and laughter. — Thompson's mirror of the Zulu War was presented at the Opera House for the first time on Tuesday evening. The attendance was remarkably good, and the entertainment was received with considerable favour. It is unquestionably of a most instructive and interesting nature, and should possess a peculiar fascination for all who live under British rwle, depicting, as.it does, the principal incidents of one of the last wars in which our ti'oops were engaged. The views are beautifully painted, the mechanical and moonlight effects being most ingeniously contrived j and for the accuracy of the whole we have the testimony of the celebrated war correspondent, Archibald Forbes. A very interesting descriptive lecture, in which a great deal of useful information is imparted, is delivered by the proprietor (Mr Thompson), whose clear and distinct utterance enables him to be heard in all parts of the auditorium. Among the views which struck us as being especially good were : — The moonlight encampment the night before the Battle of Isandula — the Battle of Isandula, and the morning after — the defence of Rorke's Drift— the death of Lieutenants Coghill and Melville while trying to save the colours — a very amusing picture illustrating the effects of a torpedo explosion on a party of Zulus — the 17th Lancers crossing Waterloo Bridge by moonlight — the death of the Prince Imperial — the' Battle of Ulundi — and the capture of Cetcwayo, the Zulu King. There ore also two mechanical dioramas, showing -Lord Chelinsford's march to the relief of Colonel Pearson at Ekowe and the funeral of the Prince Imperial, in both of which are cleverly constructed

moving figures, representing the different regiments, etc., tho uniforms of which are most faithfully copied. Each view is ushered in by appropriate music, which is^ rendered by a thoroughly efficient orchestra. During 1 the evening Mr Thompson distributed a number of handsome presents 'among the audience. The two /principal prizes consisted of a gold and silver watch, the latter of which fell to the lot of a seaman belonging to the Nelson. A great deal of amusement was caused, by the presentation of a cradle to a young gentleman in the stalls. There will be a matinee next Saturday for the convenience of schools and families, when_every child attending will receive a present, and we strongly advise parents, guardians, ,etc, to take their little ones to this excellent historical exhibition.