208
12.10.1858 (Tue)
Concert by Mr. Martin Simonsen
N: No review was published.
Mr. Simonsen had also visited Hong Kong; there he had given his last recital on September 20, 1858 (CM 23.9.1858).
16.2.1859 (Wedn)
T: Comedy (2 acts)
J.M. MORTON: "Whitebait at Greenwich" (1853)
T: Farce (1 act)
C: Amateurs
F: Music by the band of H.M.S. Highflyer
Th: Theatre Royal (E)
R: For the first night of the amateur season "a very numerous audience was collected and the presence of nearly all the beauty and fashion (we allude to the eccentricities [what may these have been? - JH] of masculine as well as to the elegancies of feminine costumes) of Shanghai imparted to the front benches a very brilliant appearance, which was further enlivened by the smiling faces of two or three laughing cherubs whom we detected nestling under the maternal wing". For the occasion the drop pictured "a very faithful (our travels in Italy enable us to state) representation of a most romantic spot on the banks of the Lago Maggiore". Sink or Swim was found to be a "dull plagiarism upon our old favourite 'Used Up'" but it passed off with the utmost special due to the talents and exertions of the actors", among whom "Mr. PETREL's Mr. Scampley struck us as well conceived, a swindling roué's impertinence dashed by a sense of uneasiness", Mr. FARREN (again a stage name after a London actor: William Farren, 1786-1861) sustained Lord Yawnley "admirably" and Mr. PICKWICK displayed as Adam Stirling all "the quaint humour of his immortal ancestor". Miss WALTERS, however, was thought to have been less fit for the part of Mrs. Stirling. She did not upon all occasions evince that grave decorum which usually characterises the British matron". Morton's Whitebait at Greenwich was, as on January 23, 1856, a hit. This time Mr. PICKWICK took the part of Benjamin Buzzard in a "quiet and most natural style of acting". Mr. Phunago BRUSHWOOD - "an actor of the Keeley-Robinson school, possessing a racy humour of his own" played John Small and it was "a gem of low comedy". Of course there was Mrs. NESBIT, as well as Miss WALTERS whose portrayal of the servant maid came off much better than her Mrs. Stirling: "we do not wonder at Mr. Buzzard's having been caught by her saucy face and bright complexion" (NCH 19.2.1859). (Robert Keeley, 1793-1869, and Frederick Robson, 1821-1864, were both well known low comedians in Britain).
22.2.1859 (Tue)
Concert by Prof. Shonbrun, piano, and some local amateurs.
Th: Theatre Royal (E)
+
R: The concert was given in the (New) Theatre Royal of the amateur dramatic corps, but acoustically it was not very satisfactory. No wonder that many of Mr. SHONBRUN's best efforts and most brilliant passages did not fully reach the audience", an audience which was not very numerous in the first place, which too has its influence on the sound. For the following concert it was foreseen that "a small scene will be erected and the wings closed in".
For the time being the critic refrained from any strictures on the soloist, except that he hoped that "on the next occasion Mr. Shonbrun will lead us to a higher class of pianoforte music than that put forward on Tuesday last". It will come as no surprise that there was a eulogy on the amateurs who participated: "the tenor solos were given with taste and genuine voice and the recall with which he was unanimously favoured was well merited". (NCH 26.2.1859).
T
208
12.10.1858 (Tue)
Concert by Mr. Martin Simonsen
N: No review was published.
Mr. Simonsen had also visited Hong Kong; there he had given his last recital on September 20 1858 (CM 23.9.1858).
16.2.1859 (Wedn)
T: Comedy (2 acts)
J.M. MORTON: "Whitebait at Greenwich** (1853)
T: Farce (1 act)
C: Amateurs
F: Music by the band of H.M.S. Highflyer
Th: Theatre Royal (E)
R: For the first night of the amateur season "a very numerous audience was collected and the presence of nearly all the beauty and fashion (we allude to the eccentricities [what may these have been? - JH] of masculine as well as to the elegancies of feminine costumes) of Shanghai imparted to the front benches a very brilliant appearance, which was further enlivened by the smiling faces of two or three laughing cherubs whom we detected nestling under the maternal wing". For the occasion the drop pictured *'a very faithful (our travels in Italy enable us to state) representation of a most romantic spot on the banks of the Lago Maggiore". Sink or Swim was found to be a "dull plagiarism upon our old favourite 'Used Up' ''but it passed off with the utmost ecial due to the talents and exertions of the actors”, among whom "Mr. PETREL's Mr. Scampley struck us as well conceived, a swindling roué's impertinance dashed by a sense of uneasiness”, Mr. FARREN (again a stage name after a London actor: William Farren, 1786-1861) sustained Lord Yawnley "admirably" and Mr. PICKWICK displayed as Adam Stirling all "the quaint humour of his immortal ancestor". Miss WALTERS, however, was thought to have been less fit for the part of Mrs. Stirling. She did not upon all occasions evince that grave decorum which usually characteristizes the British matron". Morton's Whitebait at Greenwich was, as on January 23 1856, a hit. This time Mr. PICKWICK took the part of Benjamin Buzzard in a "quiet and most natural style of acting". Mr. Phunago BRUSHWOOD -"an actor of the Keeley- Robinson school, possessing a racy humour of his own" played John Small and it was "a gem of low comedy". Of course there was Mrs. NESBIT, as well as Miss WALTERS whose portrayal of the servant maid came off much better than her Mrs. Stirling: "we do not wonder at Mr. Buzzard's having been caught by her saucy face. and bright complexion" (NCH 19.2.1859). (Robert Keeley, 1793-1869, and Frederick . Robson, 1821-1864, were both well known low comedians in Britain),
22.2.1859 (Tue)
Concert by Prof. Shonbrun, piano, and some local amateurs.
Th: Theatre Royal (E)
+
R: The concert was given in the (New) Theatre Royal of the amateur dramatic corps, but accoustically it was not very satisfactory. No wonder that many of Mr. SHONBRUN's best efforts and most brilliant passages did not fully reach the audience", an audience which was not very numerous in the first place, which too has its influence on the sound. For the following concert is was forseen that "a small scene will be erected and the wings closed in".
For the time being the critic refrained from any strictures on the soloist, except that he hoped that "on the next occasion Mr. Shonbrun will lead us to a higher class of pianoforce music than that put forward on Tuesday last". It will come as no surprise that there was a eulogy on the amateurs who participated: "the tenor solos were given with taste and genuine voice and the recall with which he was unanimously favoured was well merited". (NCH 26.2.1859).
T
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