In the large tent lighted by a brilliant ting of jets, which Mr. Woodyear has rested on the common at Hongkew which has become sacred to itinerant horse opera, large. audience assembled on Monday night, of all ages and both sexes, of many nationalities, smokers and non-smokers. And considering that smoking is not interdicted while the performances are in progress, and that summer seems to be returning, 2 little more ventilation would improve the atmosphere of the tent, large and lofty as it is. Mr. Woodyear, of course, does not come to Shanghai with the prestige of our Jast visitor, Mie. Chiarini, and he has neither so large a stud of horses, nor does he offer the supplementary attractions of tigers, elephants, and a sacred bull. He has, however, been most favourably received in Hongkong and Macao, and the audience went expecting to be pleased, and they were, very easily. No circus nowadays is complete without a Japanese troupe, and this one is provided as usual, Messrs. Chosabura and Tomi Kitiche doing very clever business with barrels and tubs. The equestrianism was good throughout, the horses are handsome and well trained, and in Mr. Laverti Lee, Mr. F. S. Chadell, and Mr. Jack Cousens, the manager has a gro of excellent riders. Miss "Alice Moore dis avery pretty act on the slack wire with a couple of trained pigeonsand the comely Miss Gladys Fratez went through a spirited performance on the high trapeze with a grace and sang fraid that brought prolonged applause from the spectators. There were three clowns, of whom one, Mr. Robert Love, has an excellent voice, which he displayed in a number of songs in the amusing Negro Eccentricities." The educated pony Richmond went through his tricks without a fault under the guidance of Mr. Woodyear; but the best thing in the first part seemed to be the performance of the comic equestrian monkey. Most monkeys in circuses have to be tied on their steeds, auf very melancholy they look while they are going round the ring: but this monkey rides his big horse with all the confidence of the finished equestrian; and the way la which he stopped on the plank which he ought to have jumped and waited to rejoin his steed until its next revolution, was very comical. He is a genius among nionkeys. In the second part Miss Alice Moore did some pretty garland riding Master Joe Fratez successfully surrounded himself with hoops while keeping a glass of water unskilled on his forehead; the hurricane hurdle act was much enjoyed and a great deal of amusement was caused
horse in the finale. Altogether there wore by the bucljumping pony and the good old three hours of amusement—which the clowns will no doubt by and by make still more amusing—provided, and we expect that Mr. Woodyear will have a successful season, and he deserves the gratitude of those who have been waiting anxiously for some fresh mode of passing the summer evenings.
The second performance at Woodyear's Royal Australian Circus, which was given on Tuesday night, was not so successful as the first in point of attendance. The entertainment itself passed off with greater smoothness than did the opening one, though the management may perhaps be still somewhat lacking in their efforts to keep the audience autused during the whole of the three hours after a few more nights, no doubt, this will through which the programme runs. But be rectified, and the waits between the various items curtailed, by which a great deal more life would be infused into the entertainment as a whole. Individually there is some very good "business" done by some members of the Company, but there is one feature in the programme which cannot be passed over with merely a tribute to the daring and skill of the fair artiste, and which, though it holds the audience and evokes their genuine applause, causes a shiver and aversion of the eyes from nine out of ten of the ladies, if it does not really keep them away from. the. entertainment altogether. We allele to the high trapeze act by Miss Gladys Fratez, and the neglect of any provision in the way of a net, to save her from instant destruction if by any unfortunate chance she missed her hold on the bar. At biome there has been of late an outery against the cruel folly wins persons who hold their lives in small reget to expose themselves to similar risk. And in the present case Miss Fratez's perform. ance is one which nightly tries the nerves of a great proportion of her audience, and puts her own life in jeopardy, while the fact of a proper net being spread underneath would not in the least detract from the merit of her work. The floor is nearly forty feet beneath her and a fall upon the hard earth of which it is formed would certainly result in terrible if not fatal injuries. We hope the management will take this hint which is meant in kindness to all parties, to themselves, the public and the lady named, and if they do not that the Municipal Council, who have the right of withholding the nightly license, will refuse to renew it, till some provision is made against the danger alluded to.
The performance of the Japanese troupe isa very strong feature in the entertainment, while Miss Alice Moore's slack wire act viththetrained pigeonsisaery pretty sight. On Tuesday evening in her second item, described in the programme as Garland Riding," she narrowly escaped receiving injury by a fall from her horse, but we are happy to say she was none the worse beyond having a pretty dress crumpled. The comic equestrian monkey is indeed sure to become a favourite not only with the juvenile portion of the audience, but with the older also, and the educated pony Richmond is even in these days of highly trained animals, a marvel of intelligence and grace. The riding of Messrs. Chadwell and Cou-sens is also well worth seeing. Before coveluding we have to dray attention to another disagreeable feature in the arrau; monte, that la the mistake made in having the drinking bars inside the tent. Unless they are removed outside and females who patronise them have the opportunity of quenching their thirst out of the view of the rest of the audience, the latter will hardly be inclined to repeat their visits, and people will be kept away from the entertainment.
The prices of admission have been reduced to figures which bring the entertainment within reach of every! The matinee performance on Saturday will give young shanghai an opportunity that too seldom comes. A graceful and generous act on the part of the management is the free admission of the children in the charitable institutions, and the recognition, this will be'a full attendance of the paying portion of the community.
Woodyear's Circus troupe improve on acquaintance and their presence at this time of the year is a boon in the way of something to wear away these tiresome summer nights. On Wednesday night they had a very house, some of the boxes being occupied by high officials from the province of Honan. The proprietor wishes to meet the wants of the penis in every way. He has now lowered the prices to meet the popular demand. The bar, too, of which we complained is, we hear, to be placed outside the tent; a change which % Newt will be for the better.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.