Cirrus@Austlit

An advertisement for the Royal Victoria Theatre production of Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins's No Thoroughfare and John Maddison Morton's The Two Buzzards on 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 July 1868.

The writer for the Empire notes the 'scarce public support' for the Royal Victoria Theatre production of Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins's No Thoroughfare. The writer says: 'The public cannot expect a theatre to be kept open if it does not in some degree provide the means, and give substantial encouragement to those who undertake the responsibility of amusing it.'

The writer for the Empire notes the continuing poor attendance at the Royal Victoria Theatre production of Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins's No Thoroughfare and also draws attention to the benefit evening for Walter Cooper (at which Cooper's Colonial Experience will be performed).

Buggins begins his weekly article with a reflection on the 'reckless drivers and mad headed riders' travelling along Sydney's George Street each day and endangering the public. He also addresses the subjects of snakes and of suicide.

Buggins then reports on a speech given by Sir Alfred Stephen in support of the Sydney Female Refuge. At the conclusion of Stephen's speech, the Bishop of Sydney addressed the gathering. The bishop attributed the careers of 'young thieves' to the reading of tales about Jack Shepherd and Dick Turpin and the careers of 'young prostitutes' to reading the 'bigamous and adulterous novels that disgrace our modern literature'.

Buggins's final topic is the recent crop of theatre offerings in Sydney. He comments briefly on the Royal Victoria Theatre's production of Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins's No Thoroughfare and on an amateur production of Dion Bouicault's Colleen Bawn; or, The Brides of Garryowen. Buggins notes that Walter Cooper, author of Colonial Experience, will 'take a benefit' at the Victoria in the coming week.

An advertisement for the Royal Victoria Theatre production of Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins's No Thoroughfare and John Maddison Morton's The Two Buzzards; or, Whitebait at Greenwich on 18 July 1868.

Also advertised is Walter H. Cooper's 20 July 1868 benefit evening, featuring Thomas Morton's Sink or Swim and Cooper's own play Colonial Experience, and the productions of Dion Boucicault's Janet Pride and Samuel Beazley's The Lottery Ticket on 21 and 22 July 1868.