THEATRE ROYAL.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9249, 29 October 1895, Page 3

THEATRE ROYAL.

"THE SPAN OF LIFE."

The reign of royal melodrama was begun at the Theatre Royal last, night, under the able rule of Mr Eland Holt, and the most favourable auspices from a managerial point of view, viz., au overflowing audience and 1 a triumphant reception. That Mr and Mrs Bland Holt have not only secured the steady adhesion as patrons of that most conservative of sections, the pittites, but also their hearty goodwill, waa amply proved last night by tlie spontaneous musical welcome with three times three which greeted the popular actor-manager, and his equally popular wife. The action of the piece had to utay for several minutes whilst the welcome was giveu, and a handsome casket and bouquet of flowers handed up as a tribute to Mrs Holt's popularity. "The Span of Life" is case in the usual mould of melodrama. Indeed it is hard to conj ceive how writers of this class of play cau help reiteration in plot and situation. It is true that perhaps the plot of " The Span of Life" is vaguer and more shadowy than many others of the same kind, but what would you * There is seusatiou enough and to spare. There is the escape of the big steamer, the most wonderfully exciting effect of the living bridge, whilst murder and horrible scenes induced by the morphine habit are merely circumstances. With such whets to the appetite of the lover of melodrama—put on the with all the effects Mr Bland Holt knows so well how to produce— the literary merit of a play does not count for much so far as the general playgoer is concerned. Mrs Holt plays a charming waif in that delightfully natural w;iy which is so markedly characteristic of her acting, and one cau only wouder at tho supreme solfdetiial of Mr Holt as Nutty Brown in delaying their union so long. Indeed the play, strange to say, terminates without any expression on the part of tue attached couple when the troubles of the family are over to get married themselves. Miss Wateou, who played the part of Kate, is new to us here. She appeared to be scarcely powerful enough, speaking dramatically, for the character, which wauts to be drawn broadly and with more dash and energy than Miss Watson iufused into it. Her best effort was decidedly in the courting scenes with Richard, where she was charmingly natural and unaffected. Miss Flora Anstead showed the well trained actress by the careful aud excellent manner in which she played Mrs Jelf. The part itself is a somewhat thankless one fiom its selfishness and wickedness unredeemed by a single virtue. Miss Brightie Smith, a little lady of only some few summers, deserves special notice for her clever and intelligent aciiug in the part of Cecil Jelf, which was played with much naturalness and success. Mr Cosgtove was the real oat and out double-dyed villain of the olden time who sticks at nothing to attain his ends. That he would not have imposed on anybody with a grain of sense for a moment does not matter when the evolvement of the plot is concerned, and he certainly, as our American cousins put it, "filled the bill" as a villain. Mr Baker must find it somewhat difficult after a long and successful career of stage villainy to change to the pure and persecuted hero of the piece, but he takes very kindly to his new vocation, and is quite as strongly virtuous as he was before steeped to the tips in crime. He gave a manly and successful pourtrayal of the part of Richard Blunt. Mr Charles Brown seems to hare a monopoly of parts in which he has drunk not wisely but too well, aud last night he was quite as successful in the semblance of inebriety as before. The Leonard Family are clever gymnasts not alone in the sensational feat of the piece, but in some introduced gymnastic performances, which were excelleutly done. The piece, considering the shore time at the disposal of Mr Holt, was admirably put on the stage, and the scenes of the lighthouse with the steamer and the wonderful living bridge were deservedly applauded to the echo. The scenery as a whole is excellent, and the effect was brightened by the introduction of the electric light on the stage. Mr Percy Kehoe has a capital orchestra under his baton, and they gave some very good music last evening. To-night " The Span of Life " will be repeated.