THE TOOLE SEASON.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 279, 26 November 1890, Page 5

THE TOOLE SEASON.

" CHAWLES " AND " ICI ON PARLE

FRANCAIS."

An immense audience was attracted to the Opera House last nighb by a world-wide reputation. Maay of them came pessimistically inclined. They had determined to be disappointed with the great comedian whose praises have been so loudly chanted. They were disappointed, but in an entirely different way to the one they expected. They went doubtingly, and remained to laugh themselves into a state of exhaustion. " Chawlea," one of the brightest of poor Byron'a sparkling comedies, is the piece, or one of them, in which Mr Toole made his name famous. "Paul Pry," "Chawles," and "Caleb Plummer," are his pet creations, and he has so identified himself with the parts that for any other actor to attempt them on London boards would most certainly be taken as prima facie evidence of ineanifcy. He is the people themselves. He loses himself in each character so that the actor entirely vanishes. It ceases to be acting at all, and becomes reality. " Chawles" is a simple etory. The tifcle role is, of, course, taken by Mr Toole. He is a family servant, who haa wormed himself into the affections of his late master by "a beef-teaing embrocationing of him and a rubbing of his back." Ab first it seems thab the' old man (who was nearly imbecile) left h/rn nothing, "nob heven,' , as Chvwlea himsalf expresses it, "a little momentum," but on the heir arriving to go through the papers a will is discovered leaving all to the butler. Any play-goer, even our dear friend the " yeriesb tyro," can fill in the story, whick of course contains the requisite love element, which is, by the way, charmingly provided by Miss Irene Vanbrugh and the heir, Percival Ransotne. There ia also some comic courting by May Draper, the sweetheart of Chawles. To criticise Mr Toole's acting would nob be possible. Aa we have said, it was not actiag bub reality so far as the audience were concerned. He was Chawlefl. The behaviour of that individual brimmed with delicate touches of humour and bold dashes of fun. There were tones and semi-tonee. The character wa& never for a moment burlesqued. Ib was absolutely natural, yet people rocked themselves in their seats with merriment. Yet ib ib necessary fco specially praise some points in the greufc actor's impersonation. His ebupefaction and incoherence in the scene where he discovers he is roally the heir was masterful. When he sab down at the table to study the letter the expressions chasing themselves over his face were really remarkable in their intensity of feeling. It was a nc&gniticenls piece of work and showed the immense power of the man. Then,, too, the struggle between amorousness and avarice, the love of being a swell and the love of May Draper and his scorn of " H'Arthur, the wheelwright," were great even for Toole. Those who see him as Chawlea will remember it as an event, those who do not will miss one of the greatesb character impersonations of the age- As Spriggfns he was of course inimitable. Hβ has played the parfe over 4,000 times, and thab speaks for itself. He would nob have done so had there been no demand, and when the public are willing to see a thing 4,000 times ib must be superexcellenb. The two pieces will only be played again to-nighb; verb. sap. Bub if it is a rarity here to get a star whose glories are brighter than they are painted, ib is an even greater treat to find the " bright particular one " reaUy adequately supported. In " Chawles " everyone seemed to be suited with their parts. Mr Westland, as Brabazon Vandeleur, was the essence of a selfish old gentleman of the fussy, grandiloquent order. His reading of the part was perfect, and his acting SToked loud applause. Mr Lowne is a capital premier. He never overdid h|s part, wild , jet no point wae missed. He was perfectly natural and easy, and was the very incarnation of the careless young man of the Percival Ransome type. In his love scenes with Kate be showed great power of discriminabion in not overdoing the thing or vulgarising ib. As Victor in "Ici," he was not quite so well suited, and looked a good deal too tall for a Frenchman, bub he made the most of his chancee. Miss Vanbrough won the hearts immediately of the audience, and was enthusiastically recalled at 1 the end of each act in which she ap« peared. She has great artistic ability, and a more than attractive stage presence. She is in point of facb one of the prettiest actreeeea on the English etage. Her voice ia exceedingly pleasant, and she has a perfect knowledge of stage elocution. As Angelina ehe had nob much to do but that little was well done. She looked excessively pretty, and that ie Angelina's main duty. Misa Johnstone as May Draper fjilly euetained the big reputation she bears as an actress in England, and showed what wonderful versatility she possesses by giving a perfect comic impersonation of Anna Maria in " Ici." Mr Shelton made a capital lawyer. He ia a man of intense humowr, and will shine even more when he gets bigger chances to show hia powers. Mr Wilson made a good deal out of bhe minor part of Mulligan, in " Chawles." Hetoowill be seen in a greater part. The other minor characters were well sustained both in " Chawlee " and "French Before Breakfast," and ib was .an audience exhausted with laughing thab found its way into the streets after the curtain descended. The two comedies—or comedy and farce—will be repeated, and to-morrow one of the greatest successes of modern times " The Don "—will be etaged.