THERATRE ROYAL.

■ " JIM THE PENMAN." ■ The St. Maur company had to make ■ their firet apperaance in Napier under ■ considerable difficulties, as tlie steamer ■ from the South only arrived in time to ■ffperraifc of their going straight to the ■ theatre at 7 p.m. on Saturday. There H >?as not time to set tbeir own scenes, so H the local scenery had to made use of, H<pnd a very creditable room, all circumH Stances considered, was arranged. There Hj \ras a good audience, attracted no doubt H fey the fame of Mr Saint Maur's imper. ■ donation of "Jim the Penman " and that H'.-Jpf Miss Florence Seymour as Mrs Ralston, ■ iboth taking the characters rilled by them ■ the long Brough and Boueieault of this play in Melboarne, Sir Charles Young's drama held fort for over a month in spite of counter attractions, amongst which the Gaiety company, with Miss Farrcn at its head. 'In this reproMr Titheradge, whom Napierremember in the title rfile wlien for Williamson and Garner's company, took his proper part as Hartfeld, making the most cotnperformance ot the drama given Australia. There is ao doubt that Sir Young's drama, thongh like most j^HgOOd thlDga it, was rejected oft by nearly ■^■every manager in London, has proved one H Df , th .e^i2ss successful of modern times, a splendid piece of literary joinery. is not a superfluous character in cast, nar an inappropriate word in the which is always witty, pointed, nnd appropriate. The action of the l^u" j? so sm< >othly and consisten tly audience becomes absorbed, and finally follows the fortunes of the nnHi happy hut prosperous forger, and watches H, the gathenng troubles of that splendid H ; wimau, hu wife, au interest which M^.tworocs quite personal. Mr Saint Maur H;' baa esrne4 wide^)*e»d recognition and

appreciation for 'ins impersonation of Ralston, and notwithstanding the fine perfornißtfie of that sterling actor Mr Titheridge in the same part, U justly esteemed its best Australasian exponent. In the profession he is also considered to give a better ieadSng of the character than Ms English confrere wl i°, origmalM It. His acting is ; subtle, T.efift< and intense, and he illdiI ates wonderful skill the mental j tortWie which is afflictiug the remorsei Mucken criminal, eveu when he is showing lus boldest face to the world, tt is a masterly performance. Miss Plorencb oeymour thoroughly upheld her Aushan reputation as the I fist All.Vdund Mrs ttalston in the eqlouies. The same key - note trf Wfihement and intensity to taoticeable in Mr St. Maur's impersonation was apparent in that of Miss Seymour.. Mrs Ralston moves and.. 'has .her being before the audience. Very few actresses are able to act the part of a lady, Mtos Agnes Thomas is 'one, M& She and Madame Maje'roni wrd Miss Seymour are the three TSociety actresses whose excellence ?ri this respect is most reiuiilv called \o mind. Miss Seymour tttahes Mrs Ralston a clever, cultpretf, and refined womanjof society, \vitii a nature of unusual depth, mrS throughout she has her audience With her. In such little things as the examination of the chemises, when the consciousness of her husband's guilt slowly dawns upon her, her acting was strikingly intense and impressive, and her personality was charming. In the successive acts she wore a series of extremely Uaadsome costames, and with Mr St. Maur she was three times called before the curtain. Miss Eily Mayo acted very freshly and prettily as Agnes xtalston, and cleverly led up to the business of tlie principals. Her one defect is a somewhat monotonous intonation. Mr Charles Berkeley was an excellent George Ralston. He is «n actor well known to Napier audiences, and his gbod natured middy was a delightfhlly boyish and natural bit of acting. Mr Frah'k Gerald was a. painstaking, conscientious, and impressive Louis Percival. Mr Fred Clifford, a young and promiginp actor, had the part of the somnolpvt detective, Captain Redwood, taken here previously by Mr MaltKy. He gave a very capable reading of it, ar;d W as re-calldd by the njtdfence. Mr Stilling Duff, who appeaVe.l r.s Lord Drelvngcourt, had to he almost carried to tho theatre befoVo'the performance, owicjf to indisposition, and to-day is seriously ill. tln'uer these circumstances it wo'uH be unfair to criticise his part, and it -fias certainly surprising, and reflected Vrmch credit upon his pluck, that he performed so capably. Mr J. J. Kennedy made a rather objectionable adventurer of Baron Hartfeld, the scheming German utterer. It was well aeten", but the German-English patois though amusing was not always consistent. Mr Greville as the boisterous and somewhat "shoppy 1 ' politician, Netherly. M.£\, created much amusement, Mr Chas. Hill was a capable Dr. Pettywise, of rather youthful aspect in spite of his grey hairs, Mr Cha(3stone whs in the hands o"f Mr Sugdcn Moore, and the parts ot Mrs Chap9tone and Lady Dunscomlie, in those of Miss Hetty Kennedy and Miss Nelly Durant THE "AIJADIAN NIGHTS." The " Arabian Nishts," which will be signed this evening, ii a highly successful modern farce of tin- boisterously humorous order— all laugh and complication. It deals with the advencurcs of one Arthur Hummingtop who is seized with a desire to emulate the Caliph of Bagdad, and go forth to seek •• incident." lie finds "incident" — in bushels— and the subsequent complications and botherations cause all the fun. Mr St. Maur appears as the much perplexed " Hummingtop," and Miss Seymour as Mrs H, As the company's season is short the audiences are likely to be laree.