"A WHITE LIE"

Otago Witness, Issue 2069, 19 October 1893, Page 37

"A WHITE LIE"

Another dramatic r.ovelty in this part of the world was presei-ted at the Princess Theatre on Monday n'ghfc by Miss Myra Kembie and her thoroughly capable company, the four -act comedy "A White Lie" bfing then produced for the first time in New Zealand. The play was originally performed sonic five or six years ago at the London Prince ss by Mr and Mrs Kendal, for whom it was written by Mr Sydney Grundy, aud it may be of interest to quote the opinion regarding the comedy expressed by Mrs Kendal herself a short time ago, after the return of herself and her husband from their tour of the United States. "Mr Grundy has, in my opinion," said Mrs Kendal, "never written anything cleverer than ' A White Lie.' Indeed, some of the dialogue is so funny that I cannot help myself laughing as I say it. . . . The tone of ifc is so very pleasant, not a bit cynical." The auditnoe by whom the production on Monday Dight was witnessed will thoroughly ondo-se Mrs Keudal's opinion of the cleverness of the play, and the healthiness of its tone. Their endorsation was, indeed, expressed by the ripples of laughter emanating from them, which punctuated the delivery of the dialogue, by the genuine bursts of applause ■with, which they frequently encouraged the performers, and by the warmth of the calls which they made at the close of each act. The situations are well devised —particularly so in the third act, though originality cannot here be claimed for them — aud the dialogue is witty and pointed, aud glitters with epigram. The story of the play may be briefly told. It opens in the house of George Desmond, who has been happily married for a period of 10 years and is on the eve of a journey for business purposes to New York. His sister is the wife of Sir John Molyneux, and the couple have just returned from a two months' tour on the Continent, where they have made the acquaintance of a certain Captain Tempest, whose attentions to Lady Molyneux have been accepted by her at some sort of consolation for the rather frigid affection of her somnolent husband. Tempest pays her a visit ai* the house of the Desmonds, where she and her husband are staying, and this greatly annoys Mrs Desmond, to whom the captain had previously been engaged, and who, discerning his true character as a man to whom em is a pastime, perceives the danger to which her thoughtless sister-in-law is exposed ; while Georga Desmond, who is of a jealous disposition — though be would resent the imputation that he was so — is greatly disconcerted on learning for the first time of the engagement which had subsisted between Captain Tempest; and his wife. Six weeks elapse between the first act and the second, which passes in the country house of Sir John Molyneux, with whom the captain is staying. So is Mrs Desmond also, who, annoyed at the apparent indifference of Sir John to his wife's honour and safety, has come djwn, an uninvited guest, to watch over her. Late one evening, while his host, to whom Mrs Ddsmond had confided her saspicio; s, is apparently indulging in a nap on the sofa, Captain Tempest ventures to make love to Lady Molyneux, but, in the midst of an impassioned protestation of nffection, Sir John awakens and without making any scene orders the captain out of his house. But Tempest goes no further than the village inn, whence he forwards by his valet a nots to Lady Molyneux, in which he urges her to elope with him. The letter falls into the hands of Sir John, but without the envelope, and Mrs Desmond, iv order to screen her sister-in-law from the consequences of her own imprudence and folly, t> 11s a "white lie" by asserting that the letter was written 1o her, and seeks to txplain ifc by mentioning her former engagement to Captain Temp^t. Sir John disbelieves her story, but pubs her to the test by directing her to answer the letter, and she writes a short note to the captain, advising him to leave the neiglibom hood afc once and thus prevent any further scandal. Sir John announces his intention of delivering the missive himself, while at the same time he politely requests the two ladies to retire for the night, which neither of them has the slightest intention of doing; for, in the third act, which takes place at the inn, each of them arrives separately to enforce the admonition contained in the note. Lady Molyneux is fhrust into a side room when Mrs Desmond reaches the inn, and that lady conceals herself in an opposite chamber whori Sir John comes in, followed presently by George Desmond, who has returned from America, aud ■who is puzzled and concerned to know what has become of his wife — more especially as Tempest's compromising letter has got into his possession. The situation when Desmond discovers Lady Molyneux in one room and Sir John finds Mrs Desmr nd in the other— Captain

Tempest having levanted in the meantime — is exceedingly diverting, but each husband, in ! order to spare the feelings of the othor, solemnly ' declares that the room he look* into is enij.tv Thf scene changes back in the fourth act W> Sir John Molyneux's, where the two men are the first to arrive, presently" followed by Mrs Desmond, whose inexplicable absence from the house arouses her husband's jealousy, which etc endeavours to alliy and divert by all sorts of frivolous expedients. Lady Molyneux, who has succeeded in gaining her j own room, soon afterwards appears upon the | scene, explanations follow, and the comedy closes ■with an all-round protestation of future adherence to \ eracity and of abstinence from even white lies. The play was, iv the main, j exceedingly well acted, all of the performers in ' an unusually compact cast acquitting themselves creditably. The part of Kate Desmond, which was excellently portrayed by Miss Kemble, is that of a lovable woman, the charitableness of whose disposition is shown in her choice of her servants — an elderly nurse who is such a martyr to rheumatism as mo require nursing herself, a cook who is everything that is morally desirable, but cannot even cook a chop, and a coachman, who is a pattern father to his 13 children, but cannot drive. Miss Kemble was bright or sympathf-tie as the occasion required, and her impersonation of the charactf-r, in which she wore some beautiful costumes, was full of touches of womanly nature. Miss Emma Gwynne's representation of the Wi ac and foolish Lady Molyneux also left little to be desired, and Miss Austead made a 5 much as possible out of the s-mall part of the rheumatic nurse. Mr Bass — who appeared in the original production in London m the part of Captain Tempest— giwe an admirably refined impersonation of Sir John Molyneux, an indolent gentlemnn, who has nottrng to do but erjoy himself, and ytl enjoys nothing, who hates everything but his sleep and his cobs, who is too much bored to trouble himself about anything until the occasion arises for him to protect the honour of his house, when he acts with promptness and dignity, and gives the lie to all the previously conceived notions concerning his feelings towards his wife. Mr Sass plays the part with great charm of expression and manner and makes all his points effectively, if quietly. Mr Plimmer's assumption of the part of George Desmond, the jealous hasband, who plumes himself upon his coolness and level-headedness, was sound and satisfactory ; and the smooth-toagued, insinuating tone adopted by Mr Inglis was capitally suited to the character of Captain Tempest. Mr Ivimey as Tempest's valet, Mr Majeroni as Sir John's servant, and little Lillie Cole as Daisy Desmond completed an efficient cast. '•A White Lie" was repeated on Tuesday night, and Miss-- Kemble's season in Dunedin waa to be concluded on Wednesday night with the production of " The New Magdalen," in which she was to play the part of Mercy Merrick — a part with which her name is closely identified.