George Webster guson, Baggs.sesce coo one Sergeant of Police Mrs. Horton.......... Miss Marie Brian, Mrs, Louisa Brown... Miss Ethel Arde Jenny Firman is Marguerite Gregor. Fillen Irs. J, He Nunn, Miss Fonntleroy Miss V. Dagmar. Miss Firman... Irs. J. F. Brian, Another distinct success was attained on Saturday evening when the London Lyrie Company performed the farcical comedy, in three net, Dr. Bil play is new one to a Shanghai audience, alth but a comparatively short since its first representation at home. 'a good many more of the light, piquant, pieces which have become daringly conspicuous on the London stage within the precut decade, it has a French more or less disguised ess of adaptation, The er one, and it is worked out with artistic skill, But when witnessing the comedies of this order, the spectator can hardly help being struck with the similarity in the means used to culminate in bewildering situations cast all sorts of unfounded suspi ry innocent characters. There is the stowing away of the. visitors, whose presence if known to others would be so exceedingly awkward; all the rooms the house appear to communicate directly with the one in which the action is going on, and of course the characters po ing the xpartments in which, strangely enough, just the very people they should not meet are hi den. When all, or nearly all, the principal personages are disposed of in this way the old playgoer knows that the climax has been reached, and that within x few moments all the' misconceptions will be brushed away, and matters adjust themselves as every one could have wished, In one respect such plays are an advance upon the melo-dramatic age which lad such long period of public favour—there is no villain, his place being either taken by a love-sick fool or a mother-in-law.
Making allowance for the shortcomings which could be alleged against all its class, Dr. Billi ug and entertaining Th has been played in i before renders it superfluous for lengthy account of the plot, Tt will suffice to say that De, William Brown, who lind previously enjoyed " considerable practice amongst actresses and ladies of the ballet, having become a mat-ried man, determines to retire, His father-in-law does nut recognise his reasons and insists that he shall not give up his profession, and besides having a brass plate ixed' to the door sends out a number of professional cards, Patienta soon begin to call, and two of them at once recnguise him as "Dr. Bill," their old friend and medical adviser who was. a0 obliging in giving them certificates when they wished to be absent from their duties xt the theatre, The attempts of the young Doctor to escape from his former Associates are provocative of a deal of fun, and the way in which he is led into performing the kangaroo dance" with a former patient, Miss Fountleroy, was capital, 'The honours of the representation were fairly divided. Mr, Graham Stewart Dr. William Brown' was in hie element, although x word of caution should be given him to avoid overdoing what may be called the exasperated and ejaculatory side of the characters he fills, It is hardly " legitimate way of raising " laugh to indulge in exple tives which in an orthodox drawing-room would soon gain condemnation, Mr, Stewart, however, invariably nets s0 spirit= edly that he carries the audience along with him, and they are inclined to overlook some faults which become the more marked when the actor is seen in so many different characters, As Me. and Mra, Firman, Mr, Henry Kitts and Mrs, J. F. Brian merit high praise." The bustling good-natured father-in-law was very amusingly good, whilst the part allotted to Mra, Brian, though not @ sympathetic one, had evidently been carefully thought out, nud was conscientiously performed, Miys Ethel Arden has been seen in a part which suited her better. The lighter vein appears tw give n better opportunity to her talente, but she is always satisfactory, and on Satur: day Gilled the part of Mrs, Louinn Br the wife of the young Doctor, with pleasing earnestness. Miss Marie Brian did ver well us Mrs, Horton, the ex-bullet girl, who is one of the originating causes of all the mischief. Mr. Edwin Fergusson, without exaggerating it, invested the rule of George Webster with sufficient stupid and the acone in which after persoiating the young Doctor he makes out an alarm ingly poisonous prescription was highly diverting. Miss V. Dagmar filled the small part of Miss Fountleroy very plexs-ugly; the "Kangaroo Dance" creating vast amount of laughter, The part allotted to Mr. J, Fulton Millar, that, of Police-Inspector, the husband. of the lively Mrs. Horton, is a rather improbable one in several of its circumstances. That, however, is the fault of the play; and does deprive the actor ut any credit for his representation, The smaller parts were well filled and added considerably to the vivacity "f the perforamnee.
"Variety Show" following was thoroughly appreciated; Miss Dagmar sang and-danced prettily; Mr, Cecil Burt rendered "I'll sing Thee songs of Araby" with sweetness and expression; Miss Marie Brian "Ta-ra-ra-Boom-de-Ayed," if we may coin
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.