TE AWAMUTU.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2528, 22 September 1888, Page 2

TE AWAMUTU.

Grand Concert and Tableaux.— The Theatre Royal Company are aga.in to be congratulated on the unqualified success of the entertainment given on Wednesday evening when the curtain rose to a crowded house. Besides the Company there were, however, ladies aud gentlemen from other districts who rendered very valuable assistance. Mi , and Mrs Garland of Cambridge, and Miss K. Wainwright of Te Aroha delighted the audience with their singing. Mr Garland's son" "Alice wheie art thou ?" may be justly considered as the gem of thfi evening. But what "took" with the audience bust was the perfect way in which a portion of the " School for Scandal" was rendered by little Miss Dineeu and Master Arthur Lewis who took the parts of Lady Tenz'e and Sir Peter Teazle respectively. It is har.lly credible that two very young children should not only learn their parts so perfectly, bit render it in a manner that would rellect the highest credit on grown up people who were accustomed to smeli pciiorniauci'S. The youngsters had learned to do what many older people have failed in, that is, to divest themselves of the feeling that hundreds of eyes were critically watching them, and to go through their part as if it were part of the real business of life. In response to an encore the little lady and gentleman came to the front of the stage and gracefully bowed their acknowledgments. Besides the two just mentioned there was another infant prodigy in the person of Miss Doris Andrew, a little lady of the mature age of three years who took the part of tho fairy in the tableau, "Cinderella." She "was appropriately dressed iu white tulle dotted over with silver stars, and attached to her shoulders were a pair of dainty little silver wings, Great amusement was created when the curtain went up by the fairy's exclamation of "Oil my," expressive of her astonishment at the, to her, unusual sight of so mauy faces looking at her. She exhibited wonderful self-possession though under the circumstances, remaining perfectly still and holding out her wand without any display of uervousuess. As Cinderella, Miss Minnie Smith looked very lovely indeed, exclamations of pleasure were heard ail over the house at the fairy like scene ami thu remarkably pretty young ladies who represented the various characters. Miss A. Innra was one of Cinderella's proud sisters, Miss V. Lowther being the other, Master Alfred Sorby taking the part of the L'rince, Masters W. Teasdale and J. R'lthorford representing the heralds with their trumpets. The change from Cinderella in her tattered working dress to the lovely Princess in her royal robes was very quickly and cleverly done. To add to the charm of the scene the dresses of the various characters were exceedingly handsome, Cinderella's bridal robes being especially admired. The tableaux Blue Beard and Britannia were splendidly staged. In the former the chamber of horrors scene were the heads of Bluebeard's hundred wives were hung up by the hair, aroused the merriment of the audience, notwithstanding the assistance of blue lights which gave the .scene rather a ghastly look. The very fact of the heads being still on the shoulders of the ladies to whom they belonged, and the illusion a very good one, together with the tragic attitude of Bluebeard, curiously enough made the people roar with laughter. The mirth was contagious, for the performers were shaking with suppressed laughter, which was not altogether a drawback, in Fatima's case at least, for her trembling might very well be thought to be the result of fear instead of mirth. Miss Crooks made a very good representation of " Fatima," as did MissM. Lewis of " Sister Ann," Mr Rigg, Bluebeard ; Mr Hawk, "Selim" Master A. Sorby, the "Black Boy ;" the characters of the defunct wives were taken by several young ladies. The tableau of Britannia was the most imposing, the characters being the same aa at Alexandra, save those of Ireland aud Scotland which were taken by Miss M. Lewis and Miss S. Hunt respectively. To Miss M. Lewis belongs the credit of the children doing so well in the " School for Scandal," she took a great deal of trouble coaching and instructing then), and very apt pupils they were, for when on the stage they were not prompted even by one word. The other ladies who sang are too well and favourably known to require any praise from us. We must not, however, omit to mention the pianoforte duets of the Misses Lewis and Miss Dinecn and Master F. Loug, the performers were at a disadvantage as they had to play on the hall piano which i 3 a miserableinstrunient, notwithstanding this drawback they played very well indeed.