"QUEEN ELIZABETH."

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 1, 2 January 1901, Page 4

"QUEEN ELIZABETH."

ANOTHER TBIUMPH BY NANCE

O'NEIL.

Another magnificent atidience crowded the Opera. House last evening to see Miss Nance O'Neil as Queen Elizabeth, and it may at once be said that no finer dramatic performance has ever been seen in Auckland. The play is the Queen aaid the Queen is the play. Apart from her it a pioor enough piece of work, a series of more or*less incorrect historical incidents loosely strung together; but one never thinks of its faults while the Queen is on the stage, as she is during nearly the entire progress of the piece. All who had already seen the American actress were confident of a splendid rendering of the part, but high as were our expectations Miss O'Neil surpassed them. The part is one which might have been Avritten for her. Her magnificent presence allows her to assume the airs ajid to wear the robes of a queen in a manner which for physical reasons alone would be impossible to another wiornan. The character is, moreover, one which suits the impulsive style of acting which is Miss O'NeiPs chief characteristic and attraction. Haughty, imperious and protid, she appeared a woman impossible to bend or break. It would be difficult, indeed, to say in which portion of the play Miss O'Neil excelled. The passionate scene of Essex's disgrace was a splendid piece of Aviork, both on the part of the actress and Mr Kingston, whose Esses was in every way admirable. Veryfine, too is the acting of Miss O'Neil when hesitating over the death warrant of her erstwhile fa.vourite, and the death scene* certainly thrilled the house. The staging is sumptuous in the extreme, and the dresses, which are historically correct, are magnificent. The company give good support in the main, thiough one or two of the minor parts are poorly filled. "Queen: Elizabeth" will be repeated to-night, and to-morrow will then make way fox "Camille."