"THE SHAUGHRAUN."

Manawatu Times, Volume V, Issue 107, 12 January 1881, Page 2

"THE SHAUGHRAUN."

The intimation that the Dramatic Company at the Foresters' Hall would present Dionßoucicault's Irish play of " TheShaughraun," attracted a large home on Friday night, the second appearance of the Company. The play is a most prolific fund of the heartiest amusement, but we must confess that the recognition of merits m thab respect and the bursts of laughter which are extracted from the audience nolens volens, are at the expense of the Irish character. It is not an exposition of Irish character, and m parts is a mere travestie of some of thoie ralics of barbarism, whifh are still to be found m some parts of Ire> land It is— like a great deal of the noTels which aro presented to the reading public— not intended to instruct, but to amuse. Even 1 when the heart of an Irishman rebels against the caricature of his country, he must—a* when perusing the eccentricities of " Handy A.ndy"— laugh at. the Munders of the hero, and pay a compliment to the genius of the author. The piece is replete with thrilling incident* and marvellous situations, an/1 fairly bristles with the wit peculiar to the sod yet it cannot be denied that when the good-humored Shaughraun is before us we are treated to the Irishman of the stage -a circumstance, however, which must be laid i to the charge of the author, not the actor. \ Still, however, the piece holds up the good for the applause of the audience j and ns it usual so arranges that the bad are almost sure to excite hisses ; yet the idea is forcibly prominent that even what is good—whilst it for the moment excites admiration and applause— is only good to create a laugh and a joke. Harmless as this result my appearto be, the natural impression upon thoie who do not know and understand the Iriih. : character, must be of a derogatory naturt, ; ItwM»ot 4 i«>w«Ttr, 3>m>» Boueicaultffc ifl*

tention to put forward a pity to portray Irish character and to delineate the habit* arid customs — for these he burlesques — bat to string together a combination of sensational citvum-ttAnces that will command the attention and rlectify the audience, In the construction of the piece all t h* well-known 'ability and stage genius of the author ha» been brought into requisition, and he has succeed sd m constructing a Work that will bejiure to realise the object m view — vw. t *to*make money. We do not mean to sar that the play is not a most interesting one, for even those features that the sensitive .Irishman would .naturally take exception to, are of so' droll a character as to .iairlv, and m spite of one's self, convulse with laughter. A great deal of thersuccess of =-the play— •» is the/cose with, this class, of . performance* — depends upon' the manner m which it is put upon the stage, and to those who know the wretched accommodation of the Fore** tors' Hall m that respect, the way m which, it wasjpiresafnted wasa perfect marvel.-, Toourselves who had reen.the piece before, it was a matter of speculation from beginning to end to imagine how one difficulty of dressing. or accessory would,, be.. tided over, and when we »»y that not one single act, scene, or line, was cut out, we pay. the stage manager the .highest compliment which could be given to him.. And now, having said so much for the author, let us say a few words about the cast. W* did not ex* pact to find m an ordinary dramatic com* pany that every character m such a play a* the one under consideration, would be- well represented, but we must say that m that we were agreeably disappointed. We think we are correct m saying that the character of The Shaughraun has only been under* taken m the Colonies by Mr. Charle* Wheatleigh and Mr. Grattan Riggs—at least those are the only two actors of reputation that have essayed the part. When we saw it for the first time, Mr. Wheatleigh »ook The Shaughraun; tdr. Bates, CiaureijPfol. Hot ; Mr. Keogh, Sarwy Buff:; and Mr. Clinton, KinsheUa. On Friday night, as of course might have been expected, Mr. Bigg* took the title role, and to our mind was a vast improvement upon Mr. Wlreatleiglu In his personation of the good for-nothing' good-natured Con, there wae a pleasing ab- ; sence of noisy boislerousness, which marked! and marred Mr. Wheatleigh's personation t while many of the outrages upon the Irish race, with which the author, had clothed the character, were eased off, .or toned down by Mr. Biggs, the consequence being that the Hibernian portion of the audience had not their tender susceptibttitie* so often or so deeply jarred upon, 'From the very ; moment that the rollicking, scoundrel makes his appearance on the stage,, until the last scene, when he appeals for applause to the audience, the peals of laughter never cease, unless when it is to listen m breathless silence to his pathetic rqe'eting with hi* young master, Robert FfolMot. The pieceis essentially one for fun. and merriment, but m the few passages of pathos which fall to his lot, Mr. Biggs gave evidence of his versatility, and that low comedy is not the only walk of his profession m which he commands a foremost place. "•. We cannot speak m terms too high of Miss Muriel's Claire Ffolliot, which was a finished piece of acting throughout. Of course the lady has everything to recommend her — youth", beauty, and a face of such mobility as to he capable of the most rapid changes from the utmost scorn to enchanting winningness. She did not merely speak the words of the playwright ; m her mouth every point became sharpened, and 1 her sarcasm was as bitterly cutting aa her- wit and grace were sparkling. Mr. Musgrave's Father Doolaip was a most perfect piece- of acting, hie make-up being to the letter, and the character was sustained with a quiet simplicity,, yet dignified grace, wholly m keeping with the sacred calling. Those- who have- wit?, nessed the play know what a brace cf consummate scroundrels KTachetla atfd Harvey Du.ffv.ve, and when we say that Mr. Clint.ua nobly sustained his reputation of being the premier stage villain of the colony,' and that Mr. Burford ran him pretty close for t.behonor, the public may judge, of what a despicable pair of rascals were presented^ We cannot conclude without saying a wot;<i of praise for Moya and Mrs. G'Kellg. Theformer acquitted herself with a piquancy which was irresistible, though we must take exception to her dressing of the character which would have been far more m keeping, wit h Miama m " Green Bushes," than of an Irish peasant girl. Mrs. O l Kelly, on thecontrary, looked, acted, and spoke the part,, and her " wiristhree," when she heard ot the death of her boy, and her volubility upon the grand wake which would be ac« corded him, sent the house into convulsions. Taken as a whole, the performance w.as the most successful which has. ever bqen given m Palmerstan, and it is a matter for- regret that there had; not been a better audience to greet it.