RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1982
https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/mk61z420p
229

But things changed with the appearance of Mrs. Ayres* on the amateur stage in 1879 in the production of Sheridan's "The School for Scandal". Two other ladies were courageous enough to join her. Mrs. Ayres used the stage name of Mrs. Bernard. The other ladies were listed as Mrs. Hockey (Mrs. Atwell Coxon) and Madame Chervau (probably Mrs. Vaucher).

At every performance Mrs. Ayres received enthusiastic notices: On her appearance in 1880 in "New Men and Old Acres", the reviewer said,

It is an unqualified pleasure to see this gifted lady on the stage. Her ease, grace and perfect action are something wonderful and her power to depict character amounts to something like genius. She was the gay, true-hearted girl of eighteen to the life; and as she portrayed the joys and sorrows of the English girl, she swayed the audience to tears and laughter as she willed.

In a production given a year later, it was noted,

This power to move the feelings of an intellectual and intelligently-critical audience is not given to many amateurs, especially to ladies who kindly consent to promote wholesome public recreation in this way; but Mrs. Bernard has certainly given the most conclusive proofs that such may be achieved in this direction and it is hoped that the example thus shown by her and the other ladies who have taken part in these innocent enjoyable entertainments will be followed by others.

Her last performance in Hong Kong was in September 1883 when she appeared in "She Stoops to Conquer". As usual, the reviewer was enthusiastic.

One great advantage enjoyed by Mrs. Bernard is her apparently perfect confidence in her own powers. The result of this confidence is an ease, naturalness and accuracy in her acting, which must be envied by other amateurs who have not graced the boards as often as Mrs. Bernard. Mrs. Bernard also gets an excellent conception of the roles in which she plays, bringing out all the points and idiosyncrasies of the characters she is representing.

* Probably wife of Dr. P.B.C. Ayres, Colonial Surgeon 1873-1897.
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RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1982
https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/mk61z420p
230

!

CARL T. SMITH

INNOVATIONS

In 1886 a musical sketch was introduced entitled “Cups and Saucers". It was written by George Goldsmith, Junior, as a satire against the craze of the day for collecting blue and white china at exorbitant prices. There were only two characters, one male, one female, the latter played by Mrs. Fraser-Smith, wife of the editor of the Hong Kong Telegraph. It contained the song "Foo-chow chan aring, ching a ring China”.

The Club announced another serious production for 1888, "The Rivals". There was the inevitable comparison with the earlier performance of "The School for Scandal".

When it was announced that the A.D.C. had resolved to play Sheridan's comedy of "The Rivals", many residents entertained the feeling that they had undertaken too much, although against this idea it could well be argued that the performances here of "The School for Scandal” were most enjoyable, it was argued that Sheridan's masterpiece was placed before the Hong Kong public when the A.D.C. was in the heyday of its existence. Furthermore, the successions of costume and scenery possible in "The School" were not available in “The Rivals". Looking at both of these performances, however, and taking into account the gorgeousness of scenery and dressing in "The School" as well as the exceptional ability of several of the actors who have passed away from these shifting scenes, we do not find that the A.D.C. did an unwise thing in deciding upon "The Rivals". The Amateurs and the public have had their share of burlesque and of modern pieces of late; and it was, we think, a healthy change to come back to the legitimate comedy of the last century.

The reviewer noted that two of the actors in "The Rivals" were well on their way to filling up a gap left by the retirement of Mr. Hockey (Mr. Atwell Coxon) and Mr. Treab (Mr. Beart), an accomplished comedian. One of the newcomers was Mr. James Whittall, later to become a taipan at Jardine Matheson and Company,

A first of a series of Christmas pantomimes was staged in 1889. It had "splendid spectacular effects, light and appropriate
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