THE DRAMA.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVI, Issue II, 12 January 1901, Page 57

THE DRAMA.

Nance O’Neil continues to boom in Auckand. Iler success as Peg Woffington was followed by a triumph with Queen Elizabeth, and she again pleased her audience in Camille. In Queen Elizabeth Miss O’Neil looks the great Queen to the life, and plays with (lie perfervid enthusiasm ami fire which are her chief characteristics. The Queen of the dramatist is far from a lovable personage, or one with whom it is possible to have much sympathy, but when played by Nance O'Neil she certainly dominates her audience in much the same fashion as she is supposed to have dominated her subjects. Iler dresses are of course superb, and no one can deny that she wears the regal purple as to the manner born. In every attitude, in every accent, she is the great Queen, and it is perhatis only in the closet scene, where she awaits Essex’s plea for pardon, that She allows the woman to conquer the monarch. In this scene Miss O’Neil is certainly at her best. But the character is one that suits her from every point of view, and theatre goers in the South should mark it with a double tick.

"La Tosca" succeeded “Camille.” and if it did not quite equal some of her other successes it yet proved a wonderfully fine performance, and gave Miss O’Neil an opportunity of proving her right to the title she has assumed of “the English speaking Bernhardt.” “La Tosca” is the great French artist's favourite play, and in it she surpassed all previous, triumphs. Nor has she since done anything better. One cannot call to mind any play of our day which makes so great a demand on an actress. Miss Nance O’Neill gave us a remarkably fine interpretation of the character of the impetuous, adoring. and wildly jealous Floria, and her acting was at times superb. Iu every way she was infinitely superior to Mrs Brown Potter who essayed the role during her New Zealand tour. But in calling herself the English speaking Bernhardt while playing in that great actress’s favourite parts Miss O’Neil does not do wisely. She herself is quite a sufficiently great actress to render any Itorrowed radiance superfluous. Miss O'Neil’s Floria is worthy of careful attention, and it deserves all the praise that we can give it. The abandon with which the actress throws herself into the part, and the strain she imposes on herself, is almost uncomfortably severe, and must tax terribly even so manifestly a splendid physique as Miss O’Neil’s. She never spares herself for one single instant, and at the end of the play must be terribly exhausted. “Fedora”

is following “Tosca" to-night, and a capita! interpretation may be looked forward to with confidence.

"Puss in Boots." the Rickards’ pantomime in Sydney, was a great success. Amongst the cast I noticed Miss Noni Rickards, who came round with “Papa” when his company visited New Zealand, and Dave Caston, who also made himself a great favourite on this side. Albert Whelan, of lehabod Bronson fame in the “Belle of New York.” also had an important role. “A message from Mars" was the attraction at the Palace Theatre. Sydney. When the mail left Mr Hawtree’s Company was drawing great audiences. The Biograph finished a very successful seastfn in Christchurch last week. The new pictures are said to lx* remarkably 4 good. The Biograph is working ’ steadily north, and w ill pay a return visit to Auckland before concluding its New Zealand season. Chieftain Ratigiuia’s concerts in Dunedin were very successful. The Maori rangilira is warmly praised as a pianist by - the Southern dailies.

The Wirth Circus season, which has just closed in Dunedin, was a very successful one. The circus is coming through both islands, visiting all the principal cities. _ John F. Sheridan is doing prodigiously well with his farce. “The New Barmaid.” It is one of the new things he will give us on his New Zealand tour in the antumn. At present he is coining money amongst the sightseers in Sydney. “Lohengrin” and ’’Carmen" were the alternate attractions in Sydney during the last week of the old year, with the “Bohemian Girl” for the first nights of the new. Miss Lottie Collins, now singing at the Bijou. Melbourne, turns out to be far more than a name (says a critic). Her galvanic success with "Tara-tara-boom-dee-ay” ceases to surprise when she has been seen and heard in other songs—for she has broken with the time-worn ditty that brought her fame. Her forte lies in bringing an unexpected reserve force of energy—shall we say flightiness—suddenly to bear so as to vanquish an assumed demureness and fairly startle the spectators by the change. This is exemplified in her song “The Widow,” given in the garb of woe and pitched for a time iu a subdued key. But sympathy is appallingly diverted by the sudden flash of crimson-covered undergarments in a wild dance, conveying that the widow is not so inconsolable as she appears. Her song in riding attire has a spice of the same characteristic, but is given with really. cx-

crtlent grace and elan. In fact, whatever stiggestiveness may be read iu > her songs. Miss Collins is not *>:».-.* to the charge of purposely etnphas ing it. Therein she differs i*ssenti.o.y from another cle»er vocalist of ,h. variety stage lately heard here. The ditty of the coalman's wife seem.* introduced to show the singer’s versatility. ami the song in which she has the assistance of members of the orchestra tin other than their recognised roles! is an amusing example of how successful all illegi I imate device mav be made.

Tlte “Australasian Stage Annual,” edited by Mr William Crawley, and published by the J. J. Miller Printing Company, is a Christmas publication. This is the second year of publicati n. It contains portraits on a large sc tie of actors, actresses, and managers known to the Australian stage, and numerous sketches, stories, etc., by equally well-known persons, tine of the sketches relates to Fitzgerald’s Circus. “If ever we are ruined.” Mr Tom Fitzgerald is made to say. “it will lx* through the habit my brother has of pensioning off horses that have grown old in our service. His old aje jiension scheme causes us to pay for horses left behind in ail parts of Australia and Maoriland. where their «’’d age is sootbed in nice grass paddocks. When the bills come in annually Dan swears, but he pays.

At a certain hotel in Rotorua quite recently, a eertainprestidigitateur was giving an evenig entertainment in the drawing-room. at which a large number of visitors were present. Prior to the performance an elderly lady, apparently “sulphuring" on account of a tendency to embonpoint, comfortably ensconsed herself in the corner of a sofa placed in the front row. and. perhaps, overcome by the magician's skill, gradually sank into the arms of .Morpheus, emitting a’ regular intervals snores distinctly audible throughout tile room. This threatened to queer the show, and not unnaturally irritated the performer, who at length lost all patience, and approaching the sleeper, blandly remarked, “I trust, madam, tiiat 1 am not keeping you up.” A TRI E STORY. An earnest playgoer writes tv Clement Scott, the well known critic “As you so justly remark. 'The teat; of sympathy that are shed in th’ theatre, the vows for amendment o’, life that are uttered in the playhouse. the lessons of love, ami toleration. and charity that are learned behind the glare of the footlights, art, us valuable for the public good as any sermon preached in any pulpit bypastors of every known and recognised denomination!' “The force of these words was brought home to me in au incident which came under my personal notice a few days ago. Bearing, as it does, on the subject of your remarks, it will. 1 am sure, interest you: otherwise. I would not venture to take up your valuable time by relating it. “I was standing in the pit of a theatre. Next me was a young girl, of about It*, a child of the people. She asked me some question about the play, which I answered, and told her the plot of the piece, which she did not understand. Between the acts she talked to me about herself, saying she often went to the theatre, and how much good she got from it. ‘I went to see “Eaust,” ' she said, ‘and liked it so much. Boor Marguerite! it was very sad. It's enough to make a girl good after seeing what happened to her.’ Then she continued—‘l went to see “The Sign of the Cross.” Oh! it was just lovely. D'ye know, I used to go to chapel regularly; but I left off going, and got careless and wild. But eter since I saw that play 1 go to chapel regularly, and—and I’m trying to be good.’ I added—‘Go on trying, child; it’s the only way.’ “This little story from real life would, no doubt, interest Mr Wilson Barrett. It would he a satisfaction to him to know that the sermon 1i« so nobly preaches has found an vvllC in at least one sad heart,” - -