The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1883-11-06 00:00:00

AMATEUR THEATRICALS AT THE CORN
EXCHANGE.

That talented qoartette, Captain and Mrs. Mathias
and Mr. and Mrs. Webb, who have provided some
agreeable evenings during the last year or two, or at
beset have been the principal promoters of them, gave
too set %leftmost. st the Cora Exchange ou Tuesday
and Wednesday evening.. It had been wombed that
should the performances prove • fiaancial moose. the
promoters would present the whole of the scenery,
proscenium, stage propeeties, ,to the Dorchester
Town Dramatic Company. The existence of snob a
body is certainly news to as, unless those performers,
who last year displayed their dramatic power. for the
benefit of the Dorchester Cricket Cub, have adopted
that euphonious title. It is to be hoped this will
tarn out to be so, and that the performanoes this week
have been favoured with the INcjoialts financial nooses
to allow Captain Mathias and his fellow artistes to
present the local performers with the edmirable s t of
stage evetsories which they have peered. This is
Dot the first tlrne we have had the occasion to aro the
formation of a town dram .tic society; that there is
tie necessary matsrial here is undoubte I—the pee.
formanee above referred to WM amide testimony to ,
that. Ifeutil, Poole, and several other towns in the
dist•lzt possess first-rate societies. and Rive most
creditable p-rforrnances, and why Dorchester should
he behind these town, has always been • myst .ry.
Perhaps, however, the "Dorchester Town Dramatic
Society " will now, by the presentation of these
properties, receive sufficient impetus to induce them
to prove their existence. The only fear is, however,
that the pert 'nuances just given have not been
aro mded sufficient support t, enable the properties
to be given.
The Corn Exchange on Tuesday was et nearly full,
although there was • fair attendance of the neighbour•
log gentry and officers, but that th-re should have
been ewe a falling off is unite° mutable. Former
perform•noes by these mime artiste had been given
before crowded audience•, and the only explanation
wives venture to give Is 'batch. pieces prod i led were
not sufficiently attractive. One ..f USW " Bab
&Merle." and • oomedietta entitled " Snowball "
constituted the bill of fare, and however amusing and
cleverly-written the former may be, it seemed to at to
fall remarkably fiat, even In the hands of Mr. Webb,
• eintedian of great ability, and one who can always
provoke the " risibles"of • Dorch et ,r audience. Beside,
If it warn absolutely necessary to have real • "Bib
Ballad," thus are many decidedly more funny than
the " Bishop of Ruaapty.fool." A redeeming foetal,
was the very cleverly-executed illustrations whir*
accompanied it, and which were the work of Cal.
Woodwatd (of the Gordon Highlanders ) Mr. Webb
undoubtedly extracted all the fun poesible, but even
with hie skill, and backed up a. he was by the
extravag•ht caricatures by Captain Woodward, the
audience al,pe wed somewhat disappointed.
The piece d: resistance was a very funny comedlett a
by Mr. Sidney Grandy, entitled "Snowball.' This
amusing trine in three acts proved a source of
genuine fun and 11114 vary warmly received. We
append the cast :
Felix Fetherstone, Esq.... Mr. Webb (late 75th Rest.)
John Thorneyoroft, Esq. (known at " Uncle John ")
Mr. J. J. ForbeePollexten (3d I) wet Brejit.)
Captain Marry Prendergast Captain Mathias
(Gordon Itighlaeders.)
&waders (a footman) Mr. 0.8. Heine
(2nd Dorset.)
Mrs. Fetberstone

Yirobb

Penelope (a lady's maid) bins. Mathias.
Felix, • gentleman la the city, hawing informed his
bottom kali he is going out to dine, cleverly, es he
thinks, contrives to 'Mal • sight at the theatre of that
spicy Moos "Pink Dominoes." Ilia wife, squally as
clever as he, hawing informed hallow, she intends to
visit the classical concert, sad also writhing toe., the
forbidden play' unknown to Felix, visits the theatre Is
company withCaptedn Presider's/4, who, by the way,
Is the sauteed husband of her sister. At the theatre
Felix, eneconoed and effectually concealed (as he
Make) behind one of the pillars, views the play, and
I, horror-struck at observing Ms& F. in one of the
private bores with the Captain. Highly indignant
las hurries louse fully determined t maintain his
isriesi authority. On arriving hoggish* meets his old
Cools Jolla. the villain of the Moos (a very mild one
cocititl7. bat as there le • villain to most plays, he
Met he sectorded that honour). Felix now oonatels •
plan to sham. hie wife: he ocemeals a nobs signed
" Pink Dominos." in his wllle's work-basket, appoint
-
log to meet her at midnight. Mrs. Felix, having duly
arrived from the theatre, pitches on the note, an I
appareotly digests the joke at once. Thereupon with
an Ingenuity worthy of a bettor came she replaces the
n irt the beeket, which she present, to Penelope,
the maid, who is unwittingly made tin, tool in the
alfair. Penelope reads the note, and recognising her
!neater's handwriting, is indignast at the idea of snob an
intrigue, sad flatly refuses to accept Felix's Invitation.
In the mesetime Felix Is horror-attack at the turn
ears have take°, and smarm Passions on his knees
that he is innocent of any such base design. TM
lye:erred old mole, however, soda( Belli lumealing to
the servant girl, forms his own opinion on the matt*,
and from this rtme the fun begins, or, se the writs,
says, the snowball is sit rolling. Every revolution Is
attended with horrors to the unhappy, but innomut,
Fetbeestooe. The old uncle utilises Ms knowledge of
Felix's perfidy ea a tool to frighten him to brisk his
word with the Captain, and give his wife's sister,
whose guardian be 1., to his eon Jonathan, who has
an eye only to bet (calcine. On the other hand, Mrs.
Featherstone, la league with Preodergaet and
Penelope, /twin it for the purposes of the llapttin's
suit. It will thus be seen between both parties V. lii
him a bad time. It it impossible to go through the
whole of the details, but we may nay before the snow.
ball has mourned each prodigious dimeemioas sa would
justify Its melting, Penelope has decidedly the
best of the effair. Flee-pound notes are given
pretty freely, and the astute maid stooge
geta het " young man" establiebed in the house
on the strength, n t of what she does know,
but of wit 4 she does not know. Suffice it to say the
wily old uncle gets the worst of the bargain. Preader-
ga4 get, hie .if., and Felix regain. his peacs of
mind, after undergoing such trials and horrible sus-
pidons which are enough almost t turn hit honest old
bralo. Mr. Webb was Fel x, and proved himself once
more to be a thorough comedian. He made the met
of the amtviog situations with which the piece
sboands, and caused much 1101011• Mil, t by his will.
simulated diatoms. Mr. Forbes-Pollegfen Is to be cep.
gratulated ou a highly enoosesful dew. As the old
uncle Mt make-up was admirable, and his imperious-
lion of that ancient and estimaWe party remarkably
clever. Contain Mathias fultlled the part se Captain
Prendergast to body's satisfaction, and Mr.
Halms nodert,ok the part of the butler. Mrs.
Methiat ac the servant girl acted excellently, entering
fully lett the fun of the piece. Mrs. Webb, too, made
• graostal and pleasing lan. F.,stheretone. On the
whole the ploy proved very enecessful, and was
received with the heartiest approval.
During the evening Mr. Joni.' Weymouth String
Band played a selection of music, which added in no
small degree to the pleasure of the performance.
On Wednesday evening the attendance was again
only moderate. The performance went with greet
spirit. Among three who were present at the pee-
formancoe were :—lttv. T. Russell-Wright, Captain
Frith, Mu j mod Mrs. Churchill, Major Brough,
Major-General Henning, C. 8., General Wilkinson,
Mimes Blackstone Williams, fid ,jor V. F. Smut-
Stanford, Captain B. W. Williams, Mies Wynyard,
Gent. Dunlop, Mr. Spooner, Mr. and Mrs. Alfrod
Pope, Mr. Ringdon, Mr. Edwin Pope, Major and
Mrs. Hodges, Miss Eva Smith, Mr. E. G. and Miss
Wilson, Mies Blench* Smith, Mrs. Shirley, Captain
Forte% Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Lock, Mr. Hostel:tie,
Ms. bisoartney, Mr. and Met it. Fudge, Mies
Beaton Miss Rummy, Mr. H. S. Frost. Mine Dunn,
Miss Oese, Mr. and Mrs. Ling, the Mimes Robinson,
Mr. and Mimi Byrnes, ito.

FORMATION OF A BTARR.BOWKETT
BUILDING SOCIETY.
Alington Hall was crowded by en attentive
anthems, manly oonwreed of working men end their
wives, oa M eriey erode' lest, the meeting baying
bete reaveoed to' the purpose of Merin asswers to