'There was again a very large audience at the Lyceum Theatre on Wednesday night to witness the production, for the first time in Shanghai, of Messrs. 'Thompson and Rubens' farcical musical comedy "The Dairymaids", which has had such a lengthy and successful run at the Apollo Theatre, London. " The Dairymaids" is a typical modern musical comedy, for it is almost entire ly innocent of plot, so that the audience can permit itself to enjoy the string of delightful vaudeville " turns" of which the piece consists, without that uncomfortable feeling that the claims of the story are being neglected. The two dairymaids, Peggie and Winnie, who grace Lady Brudenell's model farm with their presence, are curted by Lady Bradenell's two nephews, and on discovering the attachment, Lady Brudenell gets rid of her nephews and packs the girls off to boarding school, whither they are followed by their swains, who don girls' clothes and to gain admittance to the semi This, the sole semblance of plot, serves as a background to one of the pretty jest and liveliest musical comedies of the century.
The piece met with a splendid reception and so enthusiastic was the audience and so many encores were' accorded that it was past midnight' when the curtain fell on the last act. 'As Joe Mivens, Mr. Harry Cole had' 8 splendid opportunity of sharing with the public his apparently inexhaustible stock of humorous quips and bon met and from the moment when he made first entrance in a property motor-car until the curtain was rung down, he kept the audience in continual roars of laughter. As Sam Brudenell, Mr. Dan Clifford was at his best and had several good songs which were especially well received. Of these, "The Sea Serpent " and his duet with Miss Prim mer, "It must have been the Other," are most worthy of mention. Misses 'O'Connor and Primmer were charming es the dairymaids and the latter made the hit of the evening in her song " Hello, Andrée Kaye! had few opportunities, but Little Stranger." Miss Lait and Mr.
the former was excellent in her song, Wild Rose" and the latter was heard to advantage in " Dreamland," which is the best musical number of the piece. Miss Romaine had a good low-comedy part as the maid-of-all-work and played up very well to Mr. Harry Cole. 'The chorus was excellent throughout and. one of the best numbers of the evening' was the song "The Sandow Girl", capital in both words and music, which was sung by Miss Beatrice Park, supported by the ladies of the Com pany dressed in gymnasium costume.
So well was the play received that the hope is expressed that on the return visit to Shanghai of the Company the management will see fit to give at least one repetition performance.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.