MUSIC AND DRAMA.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume V, Issue 215, 6 September 1894, Page 10

MUSIC AND DRAMA.

Last night the Brough and Boucicault Company at the Princess Theatre replaced The Second Mrs Tanqueray with Aunt Jack, a farcical production with little or no plot, in which everything and everybody is, as Little Buttercup puts it, at sixes or at sevens. The big item is a breach of promise of marriage. Fun there is from start to finish, but it reaches a climax in the court scene, where, in the witness box, the lady is ordered by His Honor to sing a song. This she does, and, at the finish of the verse, she cries out chorus, when lo ! and behold,

bar, jury, press and spectators, one and all, join in the chorus. Why on earth the presiding judge doesnot commit the whole court for contempt is a mystery. Mr Brough’s re-appearance as the judge was the signal for deafening applause. Mrs Brough’s Aunt Jack, a complete transformation trom The Second Mrs Tanqueray, was also a very fine performance. As Juggins, the little lawyer, Mr Boucicault treated the audience to another excellent bit of character acting. Indeed all the members of the company heartily deserved the plaudits showered upon them by the immense audience assembled on the opening night. At the Royal George Darrell continues to perform with the Tank Act, in which Miss Gladys Leigh, wounded on an elevated rail-road, on seeing the train approach, topples over into the real water and river below. The train dashes on, and then George, covered in glory and limelight, comes to the rescue with a dive of the most daring character. Both performers, wet to the skin, meander on at the call and drippingly bow their acknowledgements. - Dan Barry has replaced that damp junk of theatrical work, East Lynne, for another watery piece of sensation, Missing at Lloyds. The drama is an old one, and the cast not too large. Miss Wilde has left the company. The music halls are doing well, and Talmage’s lectures in the Melbourne Town Hall have been drawing in wonderful style ; in fact, at his last lecture, Talmage himself had as much as he could do to get into the hall, and had it not been for the kindly aid of a couple of stalwart policemen I question very much if he’d have got anyway near the door. It was amusing to see Talmage struggling through the surging mass of humanity, a policeman on each side, Talmage the while exclaiming, “It’s all right, it’s all right, if you can’t all get in the Town Hall, remember there's room enough for all in Heaven ! ”

August 24. Things are dull, beautifully dull, and there appears little signs of improvement. At the Theatre Royal the Second Mrs. Tank-Array, The Crimson Thread, is still in the bill. This is the piece in which Miss Leigh takes a real water dive, George Darrell following suit. (Darrell does not take the limelight apparatus with him). George has all the fat in this piece, though Miss Leigh shares with him the dripping. To-morrow (Saturday) night we are promised still another Darrellian in “ Hearts of Oak.” Of this more anon. At the corner of Exhibition and Lons-dale-streets Fillis’ Circus opens to-mor-row night with their show. I feel just a leetle bit afraid that there’s nothing in Melbourne just now for any circus, good, bad or indifferent. That pious individual, Sally, figures largely in this concern.

As this show fairly crowds down on the Alexandra Theatre I’ll not be in the least surprised to find Dan Barry putting up his shutters. Salaries have been a bit off in some of our Melbourne theatres lately, and it evidently requires somebody with a pitchfork "to stir up the ghost of Hamlet’s royal old man. The Princess Theatre and Cogill’s Minstrel Company are doing about the biggest business —that is if there is really big business in Melbourne just now. To-day as I write, a benefit is being tendered the widow and family of the late celebrated Australian horseman Tommy Corrigan. (Poor Tommy I) The show is being held at Frank Clark’s Alhambra Theatre. It is a half-and-half affair, and is only fairly attended. Now had it taken place at the Royal or Princess, the chances are that a goodly cheque would have resulted. As it is only minstrel people are filling in the bill, while in the hands af old Coppin or young Musgrove, the whole of the musical and dramatic profession would have assisted.