HOLLOWAY DRAMATIC COMPANY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 222, 19 September 1893, Page 5

HOLLOWAY DRAMATIC COMPANY.

"JUDGE NOT."

Last evening the il olio way Dramatic Company, which is well and favourably known as one of the best stock companies touring the Australasian colonies, opened another Reason of modern drama in Abbott's Opera House with " Judge Not." This play, a spectacular piece in five acts, is by Frank Harvey, author of " Tho World Against Her," and other dramas, hnd is in every respp.cb an excellent type of dramatic production. The Holloway Company tnado a very successful opening. There was a very fair audience, and those present were highly pleased with the play, which was produced for the first time in Auckland.

The drama may be described as an emotional, spectacular, humorous and sensational play, with a judicious commingling of the well-known features of "East Lynne," "Lost in London," "The World Against Her," "The Ring of Iron," and "The Ticket-of-Leave Wan. As a production of tho melodramatic school, in which vice ridea triumphant through four acts to be unmasked in the fifth by the pale suffering heroine in simple black, it stands unrivalled. Tho lover of thrilling situations will find much to please him in " Judge Not," and the highly moral platitudes given voice to at judicious intervals by the whito-headed old gentleman in tho frock coat will never fail to elicit a ronnd of applause.

The " stars " of the piece lasb night were i undoubtedly Miss Aiico Deorwyn, Miss Linda Raymond und Mr Oily Deering. The humour of the piece was supplied by Bliss I'aorvryn and Mr Deering, ar.d while those two clever artistes held the boards tho house waR in a roar of laughter, to be quickly changed, howover, by the pourtrayal of the woes of the wronged heroine. Mi 33 Raymond was most successful in the highly emotional part of Helen Clyde, the innocenb wife who iB imprisoned on an unfounded churjro of robbery, and whose troubles form the chief tbomo of the piece. The role of Helen Clyde was an extremely difficult one, and tho emotional parts wero moro than usually trying, but Miss Raymond succeeded in giving tho audience an excellent realisation of tho principal character. A totally opposite role was that of 'Tilda, a lodging house "slavey" (Miss Deorwyn). Tho stago-sbruek muid-of-all-work, who id dying with impatience

to "go on tho s-tyge," and who in her few loisure moments frantically rehearses her pot " drammer," "The M.iidon'fl Prayor, or tbo Bleeding "Art," waa | most laughably pourtrayed by Mica Doorwyn. Her partner in mirth-making was Mr Dccrinc, who was no less Bucoes>aful in his most amusing personation of Mr Gustavo* Garriek Jones, the retired tragedian, who has fallen to tho base position of a lodgingI house keeper. The old actor's tragic athitudoa, and his " dark, mysterious" language never failed to sob the house in laughter. Mr C. Jiolloway, as Philip Clyde, acted well, and ple.ieed tho audience greatly. Of course there was a heavy villain in tbo piece. Mr George Melvillo looked eulliciently villainous as George Dallas, the "bail man" of tho play, to ensure his hanging on Isis looks alone. Miss Eva Jackson, as Bella, the supposed wife of I>al!ae, had a difficult emotional part to play, and played ib very successfully and pleasingly. Mr Andrew Money did well as Dr. Mallori, the prison doctor, and displayed much histrionic talent. Miss Norah Clayton, as the prison matron, and Mr Henry Willard, as tho foppish Algornon C'arew, wore also satisfactory. Little Miss Florence Mastora made hor first appearance on tho stage as Ruby Clydo, tho heroine's child, and for a nine-year-old girl sho did exceedingly well, speaking horfow lines clearly and naturally. The othor characters aro fairly well represented. Tho sconery ia good, especially that in the last act. The pioce will be repeated to-night