MARIE TEMPEST SEASON.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 57, 23 February 1918, Page 6

MARIE TEMPEST SEASON.

i , 1 "THE MARRIAGE OF KITTY." \ i It required no more than the role of i "Kitty" in the laugh-rippling comedy, I ' "The Marriage of Kitty," to' impress i , upon an audience which filled every part ; of His Majesty's Theatre last evening <> why Miss Marie Tempest has so sue-;' ceoofully stormed the heights of popu-1 i larity. It was another addition to her i I long list of stage triumphs. In this play one could see her likeness to Miss Nellie Stewart. Miss Ten/peat makes a delightI fully frolicsome Kitty Silverton, and i with the excellent co-operation of Mr. , I Graham Browne and others the vehicle i lof comedy—a marital enterprise— swings along at great rate, bringing in its wake nothing but unrestrained pleasure to the auditory. Serious moments ! of tho play are few, and the first act is j unusually happy; indeed, so captivating that the spectator could leave the bouse appreciating having seen a short comedy j study .worth the while. The second and ' third acts, a trifle overdrawn, are not so I hilariously brisk, but abound rather in the quieter humour, elucidated by clever ;, acting and remarkably well-managed i scenes. So heartily approving were last j evening's patrons that the artists were repeatedly demanded before the foot- j lights to" bow acknowledgments. "The story is simple. It revolves purely around the girl Kitty, who, upon acquaintance, is discovered not to be exactly the unsophisticated lass as she first appears to be. Withal she is a bright and winsome soul, bursting with | whims and caprice, and, now that she j has fallen upon less prosperous times, j is imbued with the idea to do something, I to work or choose some special occupa- j tion before she loses the vast sum of ninety odd pounds she possesses —a remnant left oj the income off her dear father, whom she is afraid was young for his age, and had a " roomy " heart. Blithely she seeks the solace and assistance of her godfather, John Travers, barrister, whose regard for her is very evident. She is unconsciously fastidious in her tastes, and bewilders her good godfather by frankly choosing her avocation — matrimony—and the generous lawyer sets out to find a suitable match Coincidentally Sir Reginald Belsizc, a wealthy client, enters. He is sentimental and gushing to the finger-tips, and, for the time being, desperately in love with a Peruvian widow, Madame de Sntniano, a beautiful woman of social position, who is significantly modest about mercenary motives associated with her affection. She has already rejected a suitor, Captain Churchill, in favour of Sir Reginald, who is notable for his eccentricity—and a pending fortune. Sir Reginald's late uncle, however, did not approve of Madame, and has callously arranged his will to deprive the gallant nephew of benefit should he marry a widow or a Peruvian within twelve months of the testator's death. It Is this that has occasioned Sir Reginald's visit to Travers. who seizes upon the 1 situation as one likely to provide a ' "job" for Kitty. It is arranged that Sir Reginald shall marry Kitty Silverton in form only, and divorce her after twelve months, during which time Kitty, "the Missing Link," as she calls herself, shall live abroad alone in luxury as the wife of and at the expense of Sir Reginald, who, with his bride to bo, is to tour the Continent until the twelve months lapses. Tbe plan to evade the law, as proposed and promoted by Travel's and Sir Reginald, worked promisingly and smoothly up to a certain stage, when Sir Reginald, already bored to death with his impatient and bad-tem-pered fiancee and her auntie as chaperon, visits as a means of relief the wife he married to be unmarried. Kitty has ' been dissatisfied with her life of plenty— minus a real husband—and Bhe has cherished a more intimate relation with her at present temporary and absent "husband." Seeing her suddenly now he is struck with ber beauty, and becomes flatly infatuated. This untoward change, of course, causes a metamorphosis in the double affairs, and developments arc rapid. Divorce Court costs are averted, and Madame, in hysterical rage, following upon several tense situations, decides to revert to ber old love, and Reginald and Kitty escape to perpetuate the joy of a long-deferred genuine union. In the first act, where Miss Tempest transforms herself into a gawky and unprepossessing hoyden, so as not to arouse the jealousy of Madame, ber make-up and wiles create roars of laughter. Her subtle and coquettish sayings, trilled jests, and general vivaciousness lend colour to the play, while her sane gaiety and dainty bearing arc an effective foil to the hot temper and fierce jealousy of her rival, the tactless widow. Miss Tempest presented the part with infinite charm. Mr. Browne, as the inconstant and volatile baronet, played bis part with unquestionable brilliancy. Mr. Sidney Stirling's pourtrayal as the strong-minded lawyer was a rare treat. As the Peruvian widow, Miss Gwen Burroughs scored an unqualified success. The other members of the company also capably assisted. The comedy, which cannot be too highly commended, will be reproduced this evening.