THEATRICAL NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 149, 23 June 1894, Page 6

THEATRICAL NOTES.

Thkoiioit the courtesy of Mr George Lee, writes our London correspondent, we had Ptnlls at Toole'a Theatre, and much enjoyed the lessee's amusing performance of Mr Price Putlow in 'The Host Man,' a new farce written by Mr Ralph Lumley, author of 'Aunt .Tank.' Unfortunately, the piece suffers sadly through the casting of the principal femalo part, which was written for Mrs .Tno. VjVnod. This lady has pracbically retired from the stage, and Mias Fanny Broiijrh, her only successor, is engaged at the Strand Theatre. Ho Mr Toole secured Alias Beatrice Lamb, who not long ago made a big hit in ' Niobo,' to play the dashing widow, Mrs Mountaubyn, and I assuro you she can'b do it a. bib. In Act 1.1 we find Sir Lovel Gaze, an ■elderly widower, 'with a grown -up daughter, and a violent temper, on the eve <of wedding the dashing relict of Major Movnlauhyn. The question of who is to Jie bosfc nikn agitates the family party, but i«t sehtlHfl by Sir Lovel attending a meeting of the Grettt Sonthoro Railway. Here he iwcueu tha Chairman, his old frioni Mr Price Pufcldw (Mr Toole) from the infuriated chnrpholdnrn, and brings him • black and hlno all ovei' to his hotel. When Mr Putlow has recovered he hears about the wedding, and in gratitude agrees to come down tie igff.eadon. Manor that evening ' for rest nml repose,' and to act an best man at the wedding two days later. He starts offaq once to buy a'handaome present. No sooner are Mr Putlow and Sir Lovell off the premises than MfsMonntaubyn. the bride-elect, arrives at the hotel in a state of great excitement to pee her future step-daughter. ,Sim has< a confession to make. Months back she pawned a necklace Sir Lovel gave Her in order to nolp a relative. This trinket inu.sfc he worn at the wedding, and the widow has slipped up to town to recover it. Unfortunately the money in her possession in not quite sufficient to pay the interest. Will doar Laura help her to mnko it up. Dear Laura can and does wheedle a cheque out of p!i|>a, and Mrs Mountaubyn doparr.B. Sir Love! and hie daughter and their friends then leave for Igglesdon. Hardly have they gone than Airs Mountaubyn returns diitrqcted. The diamonds have been told, jagb .sold to a Mr Price Putlow, and liere is teho who must on no account; be seen in town, with two uncaahablo cheques and not) a. farthing to pay her fare back to »ij?glesdon with. Curtain. Act 2. We Care at Igglesdon next morning. Everybody seem* strangely upset, particularly Mr Putlow, whom the mere mention of the Groat) Southern Kail way throws into a ibate bordering on hysterics. At length, tie confides in Sir Lovel and the men visitors. A heavily veiled lady travelled from town with him in the eamo compartment lusc night, They had. not gone far when ehe confessed she had lost her ticket and demanded the loan, of bis. Being a director, Mr Pablow had no ticket only bis paas, jmd he thought ib better to simply refuse the request). The lady grew viole.nb, and relying on the »iarm signal being out of order—as alarm sigrtuls always are onvtho Greab Southernhe pulled it to .lrijrhten the women. To his horror the train instantly slackened speed. Realieiflg'itj a second the ghaatlinesa of hia position, and th,ac the female would say ehe jerked the alarm, Putlow opened tho offside door, and fleeing along the line gob into an empty car in safety. Soon after •fciifi oxpras? (Jrf w up at Iggleadon, 'And

what became of the woman ?' asks Sir Lovel. Mr Putlow doesn't know or care. Very shortly, however, the audience learn. The men go oat shooting, and presently Mrs Mountaubyn arrives to confide her adventures to Laura. She, of course, was the veiled lady, and relates her version of the railway incident. It seems sha was quite as frightened of the consequences of the ringing ef the alarm as her companion, and when bhe guard came pretended 'bwaa accidental. In her distress she also gave a false name, her maid's, she thinks. Need I tell you the complications that now ensue. I don'b think I could. The chief tableau is, naturally, where Sir Lovel introduces, his bride to.his best man, and they both recognise one another and collapse utterly.