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. ================================================================================ 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 ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1987 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/rx919b522 107 FIELD, A D 26.10.1882 FIELD. Frederick 8.8.1932 Arthur FINNICKE, Harry J 17.7.1906 FINNICKE, Robert J 17.11.1905 FISHER, Robert 25.4.1893 FITZPATRICK, 18.7.1951 Christine FITZPARTICK, Suzanne 18.7.1951 FORREST, John Haslem 23.3.1947 FLUGS, Berthold 3.6.1914 FOTHERMIGHANI, 1.5.1918 FRASER, Harry Frame 5.12.1932 David FREI, Robert 31.10.1901 Sommerville FREIDRICH, Rudolf 25,12,1881 FROST, Theresa L 13.7.1894 FYFE, Jane Charlotte 19.10.1883 GALBREATH, Jean 26.10.1918 Abergromby GIBSON, Richard Mends 16.11.1865 McBride McQueene GIBSON, John Hayton 26.1.1932 GILBERT, George 17.4.1912 GOEBEL, Karl H 30.1.1945 GILCHRIST, Maggie Wtson Brand GOETTE, Karl Joseph 7.7.1902 21.12.1906 GOLDENBERG, Issac Not known GOTH, Charles 1.11.1878 GRAHAM, Charles 1880 GRATTIS, L (child of) 7.8.1881 George GROTH, Adolph Alex Not known GRUENBERG, Moses 17.1.1883 Erdmann Joseph GRUENBERT, Joseph 2.6.1882 GRUMBACH, Henry 7.12.1904 GRUPE, Henriette 31.8.1882 GRUPE, Bodo 27.7.1873 GRUPE, Herta 20.5.1873 GUTHEREZ, Edel 24.10.1883 HAFTENDER, John 21.6.1869 HAIR, John 9.11.1941 Wroughton HALFON, Jose 1919 HALL, James L 1.3.1936 HANDE, C 9/10.1882 HANSARDUM, 7.7.1903 Johannes L HANSON, Mary 10.2.1963 HARE, Frederick 24.3.1872 HARRISON, John James 28.2.1947 HAUSMANN, J Not known HAWKES, Esther 22.4.1910 HAWKINS, Ronald 5.4.1948 HAYWARD, Sydney 12.8.1918 HEARD, William D 3.12.1909 Malcolm Crosswell HEDDERWICK, Donald 15.8.1909 HEELOZ, Heinrich 6.1.1878 Ness HEDGES, J Blake 5.2.1941 HENS, J Ph 5.6.1889 HENTRICH, Theodor 13.10.1912 HERALD, Hugh 11.12.1898 Dietrich HERBE, Sydney HESLOP, Mrs Fred 16.12.1902 Not known HERRIDGE, James HICKEY, John Vincent + 11.11.1945 Russell 17.4.1946 HIGHAM, F James 25.1.1945 HINDE, John B 11.2.1926 HIRAMOTO, O 26.9.1908 HIRAMOTO, Baby Not known Katsu HOFFMEISTER, Carl 25.6.1913 HOLDEN, LE 16.5.1924 Heinrich Hubert HOLLOMBY, Bettina 29.3.1926 HOLLYER, William 9.12.1944 George HOMANN, August Emil 8.8.1926 HOMBURG, G 7.3.1890 HONISS, Albert 3.8.1874 HOOPER, Ralph 28.5.1899 Wemyss ================================================================================