“THE MESSENGER BOY.”

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 662, 16 October 1902, Page 11

“THE MESSENGER BOY.”

The Pollard Opera Company are visit ing our city lagain, and will open their season at the Opera House on Saturday evening next, introducing for the first time in Auckland " The Messenger Boy.” The piece is in two acts, and the libretto by James S, Tanner and Alfred Shaw, and the music by Ivan Caryll and Lionel Monchton, names which are a sufficient guarantee of brightness and tunefulness. The plot briefly is as follows : —“ Clive Randor, a Queen’s messenger, and Tudor Pyke, a financier, are both in love with Lady Punchestown’s stepdaughter Nora. Clive Randor is ‘ embarrassed ’ to the extent of some thousands, and Lady Punchestown is also unfortunate enough to havesigned two bills for large amounts. Tudor Pyke becomes the posn sessor of these documents, and offers in return for Lady Punchestown’s assistance to his suit with Nora, to cancel her bills. This is agreed to, and the plot commences. Clive Randor is sent on diplomatic business to Lord Punchestown, Governor of El Barra, in Egypt, and just before leaving finds someone who releases him from his ‘ embarrassment.’ He leaves London with the encouraging instruction ■from Nora to ‘ ask papa.’ Tudor Pyke’s plan to foil him is to endeavour to let Lord Punchestown receive before Randor’s arrival the documents, still in his possession, showing the extent of the latter’s ‘ embarrassment.’ For this purpose ,he engages Tommy. Bang, ‘ the messenger boy,’ who is emphatically warned to take no heed of any attempts to-stop him in his mission, as they are ‘ only a plot.’ Hooker Pasha, Commissioner of the Nile, Cosmos Bey (his agent), Captain (of the P. and 0. steamer Sirdar), and others are instructed to lend the messenger boy ■every assistance, and . to spare no expense, No sooner} has Tommy left than Pyke discovers he has given him the wrong document, and the result will be to reveal to Lord Punchestown the extent of his wife’s transactions. The only thing to do is to attempt to catch up Tommy and slave the situation. Telegrams are of no avail, as the messenger has carefully taken to heart his instructions to listen to nobody. Tudor and Lady Punchestown accordingly set out; Nora and Lady Punchestown’s maid Rosa (who was engaged to Tommy) also start; and there is a. general ‘ flight into Egypt.’ At Brindisi Tommy is i]J-advis-ea enough to change his uniform, in order to mix twith the saloon passengers. Nora and Rosa arrive on the scene ana contrive to secure his messenger’s uniform. Nora, having donned this, is admitted to Tommy’s berth on the Sirdar, and sails for Egypt. Tommy is befriended by Captain Phineas Pott, of the Shark, who offers to land him in Alexandria before th’e Sirdar or the special cruiser arrive, and Lady Punchestown and Pyke appear.

on the wharf in time to see them all off, Tommy turning a deaf ear to their endeavours to stop him. At last, after various adventures in Cairo, Nora meets Randor, and the good offices of Hooker Pasha and Cosmos Bey bring about a general meeting of the parties in such a manner that explanations are sufficient and the documentsi do not require to be perused.”