Theatre Royal.

Auckland Star, Volume XI, Issue 3161, 6 September 1880, Page 3

Theatre Royal.

A LAUGHTER-MOVING "BABY,"

The comedy of " Betsy " fbt " Baby " as it has been called) was produced on Saturday evening before a largo and critical audience, and proved beyond question the greatest success as yet achioved by tho Lingards. The piece is translated from a very amusing, but rather naughty, French vaudeville called " Bcbo" .which was brought out at the Tbciltre dv Palais Royal in Paris somo years ago, nnd now forms ouo of tho stock pieces of that laughter-loving house. Several adaptations (much modified of course) were made at tho timo by both English and American authors, but none ot them proved very successful, tho coiAplaiut of the critics usually being that in the emasculating process the fun oi tho comedy had boen dono a-Jvay with. An length Mr F. C. Burnand, tho present editor of "Puuch," took tho subject in hand, and without introducing nh objectionable situation or questionable joke wrote tho brilliant concise nnd neatlyconstructed play, which has taken the theatrical world of London by storm, and proved, with the exception of "Madame Favart," Les Cloches do Cornevillo," nnd "H.M.S. Pinafore," the greatest metropolitan success slnco " Our Boys." "Betsy " was first played at the Criterion In August 1879, and will this evening reach its 379 th night. Accordiug to tho latest advices the houses are still first-class; in fact there seems to ho no reason to doubt that, the comedy will have nt least as long a rttu as "Pink Dominoes." Tho story of Betsy is very slight, moreover, it would spoil the fun of intending theatre-goers to tell it. Wo shall therefore contont ourselvos with a few comments on the acting, which iv this instance is unusually good all round. The honours of the evening were divided betweeu Mrs Lingard and Mr Craig, as tho redoubtable Betsy, the former is seen to perfection. Though a tall regal woman, naturally she is got Up hero to look almost petile, and makes the most charming "abigails." Mr Craig as the "Baby," Willie St. Paul, achioved a pronounced success. Having seen Mr Lytton Sothern iv tho part, we can unhesitatingly aver that he is not so good as Mr Craig. Mr Sothern makes the best looking "baby" of tho two, but his representation lacks both the subtlety and the finish of Mr Craig's. There is a happy-go-lucky boyishness about tho latter eminently natural. One can see that though the lad is a thorough " young rip " he is not a rake. The assumption*of innocence, too, when Willie gets called to account by his mother is most diverting, and so is the face of mock anguish when the unfortunate youth finds himself handed over to the tender mercies of Bet«y. Wc must not forget to say a word of commendation re Mr Craig's get-up. Like his acting it is very superior. One very seldom sees a jeilne premier on tho coloninl stage who knows how to dress his parts with such good taste and propriety. The majority of stage coats and trousers appear to have been bought ready-made, and without much regard to fit. Mr Lingard can't help being fanny, but the part of tho tutor, Mr Dawkins' does not give him much scope. Mr Overton, Mrs Fitzwilliam, aud Miss Adelle, are all admirable, and Mr Campbell shows he possesses a capital voice which we shall doubtless hoar more of by and by. Mr Steele plays Captain McManus with considerable spirit; in fact, the acting is so good all round, that there is very little call for criticism of any kind. One word more and we have done. References nro in the course of the piece made to the Mncdermott, Z»zel, the Electric Spark and other metropolitan celebrities, whoso names, though familiar enough to Londoners, are so much Greek to colonists. Would it not be better cither to substitute the names of artists who have been here, or to introduce half-a dozen words to explain matters ? Owing to the evident fogginess of these points, several points wero lost on Saturday.