MUSIC, DRAMA, ETC.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume I, Issue 43, 23 May 1891, Page 2

MUSIC, DRAMA, ETC.

Spectatum admissi risum teneatis amici ?

“ JO.”

A CROWDED house in every part except the dress circle greeted Miss Jennie Lee’s reappearance in Auckland on Monday evening. The talented little lady has lost none of her wonderful pathos and powers of realistic delineation. Dicken’s Jo actually lives and “ moves on !” A conception of the character so true to nature and so admirably worked out in detail and bye-play, displays something beyond mere talent in the artist —it is certainly genius. The sudden impulse which prompts Jo to sweep the dusty steps, leading to the dark church-yard, where the street arab’s only friend sleeps his last sleep, reveals a depth of meaning—almost an allegory in itself—which is all the more affecting because of its artistic artlessness. Touches of similar depth and power build up the character through the light and shade of humour and pathos into the perfect picture of a London waif, neglected, unloved, nay, harassed and driven from pillar to post, which Dickens drew from personal observation, with so masterly a hand. It is needless to praise Miss Lee. She held her audience spell-bound from her first entrance to the faultlessly pathetic death scene, which caused many an eyelid to be moistened with sympathic tears. True art can achieve no greater triumph. As a whole the company is a much stronger one than I was led to expect. The caste is apportioned with excellent judgment, and the best use made of the materials available. Among the ladies (next to Miss Lee) I must award the palm to Miss Ada Lee’s singularly faithful rendering of Hortense, the French lady’s maid. Her accent and moderately broken English were exactly right, and consistently maintained throughout. The passion, intense scorn, and vicous hatred, infused into the powerful scene with Inspector Bucket, were in wonderful contrast to the mere soubrette work, of which there is just enough in the part to relieve its vindictive malice and stormy though impotent fury. Miss Ada Lee looked, dressed, and acted the role a meiveille. Mrs. Bolton made the most of a thankless and difficult part. Her Lady Dedlock was a good impersonation, and proves

her a really capable actress. In the scenes with Mr. Tulkinghorn and Sir Leicester, the facial changes and emotional bye-play were skillfully rendered, and the strange battle between motherly' instincts and aristocratic pride was revealed with striking truthfulness to nature. Miss May Hill looked very charming as Esther Summerson, and succeeded in arousing more interest in a character to which the dramatist has scarcely done justice, than the rather colourless being transported from Dickens pages would of herself afford. Her acting in the amusing scene where Mr. Guppy, proposes deserves special mention. “ Guster,” the exworkhouse maid, found an excellent exponent in Miss Carrie Fischer. Her bun-business and the milk libation into Mr. Chadband’s hat delighted the gods. In the scene with Jo on Snagsby’s door-step, she acted up to Miss Lee so effectually as to deserve a hearty pat on the back. Miss Georgie Leighford as Mrs. Snagsby —that singular mixture of jealousy, evangelic fervour, and tartaric acid —dressed the part with grotesque quaintness, and made every point cleverly and effectively. The small parts of Mrs. Rouncerwell, Jenny, and Rosa, were satisfactorily filled respectively by Miss Ellen Gordon, Miss M. Terry, and Miss A. Norris. Turning to the gentlemen, Mr. J. P. Burnett played the very characteristic part of Inspector Bucket with dash, go and vigour his impersonr ation being natural, and quite free from exaggoration. Indcod, h. 6 rather tones down the original, and in my opinion he is perfectly right in doing so. since Dickens is rather prone to roll up all the eccentricities of half-a-dozen persons into a type which sometimes seems over-stuffed with peculiarities. Inspector Bucket’s scene with Sir Leicester Dedlock, and his combination of the suaviter in modo with the fertiler in re when dealing with Hortense, the virago, were examples of a correct conception carefully and truthfully realised.. The ungrateful task of portraying Sir Leicester Dedlock, the weak and doting old husband of a lovely and passionate young wife, fell to the lot of Mr. Barry Marschell, who acquitted himself very well—the occasional flashes of anger and dignity being effectively given. Mr. G. P. Carey’s picture of the old family lawyer Mr. Tulkinghorn was a really fine piece of acting powerful, even, and consistent. Mr. D. 0. Smith’s Snagsby found great favour with the audience, and deservedly so. He was quaintly comic without being in the least vulgar. The little falsetto semi-chuckle “ Tchi-he-he ” was admirable. The oleaginous Mr. Chadband actually walked upon the stage in the person of Mr. Fred Cambourn, whose presence and voice suit the part exactly. Nothing could have been better than his unctuous demeanour, and the manner in which he seized upon poor Jo as a living peg upon which to hang his hypocritical platitudes. Mr. Edwin Lester as “the young man of the name of Guppy,” made a strong impression, winning frequent applause by a very clever delineation of one of the most important characters in the cast. His mixture of simplicity, cunning, and impudence, was ably conceived and well sustained. The minor parts of the coroner (Mr. Charles Hill), Mercury, the footman (Mr. Gordon Williams), and the Dogberry-like beadle (Mr. P. Millar) were competently performed, and the play ran smoothly without a hitch or stage-wait. With regard to the dress circle, I venture to offer a hint. It has often occurred to me that it is a mistake to charge the same price for both dress circle and orchestra stalls, the latter being always well filled, when the former is but thinly patronized. I think if a concession were made in the direction of issuing three or more at 3s each to the dress circle, that part of the house would be better filled.

The Napier Amateur Opera Company are contemplating staging “ Madame Favart ” as their next production. The Wanganui Musical and Dramatic Society will produce the military and spectacular drama “ Current Cash ” at Marton, on 25th inst., in aid of the Marton Caledonian Society. “ Muriel,” in the Graphic, mentions that Miss Bleazard is likely to undertake the principal role in “ Princess Ida.” lam authorised to give an emphatic contradiction to this rumor. Miss Bleazard has no intention of performing in opera. Orpheus.