THEATRE ROYAL.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10265, 7 February 1899, Page 5

THEATRE ROYAL.

_L\RBOUR LIGHTS."

From "Under tho Red Robe" and "Thft Priaoner of Zonda" to "Harbour Lights" is a far cry, and it was perhaps ha_dly to bo expected that hi all points a company which was so mai-kodlv successful in the one should be also in the other. As a matter of fact the members of the company, with one or two exceutiona, seemed of place in the mek)dra_ia, not e\ V-ntly having had a lengthened experience iv the blood and thunder style, so necessary for the success of a piece like "Harbour lights." The true melodraanatac actor is of a class apart from all other styles of the art, and it would not bo by any means fair to expect that a (*>_ipa_y, specially fitted as it is for the performance of such high class pieces as have preceded the one under notice, could succeed to admiration in a play so.- thoroughly and completely illustrative of the type of melodr-ma as "Harbour Lights." Miss Ferrar had not a. great deal to do as Lina Nelson. She was exce_e_t in the scene with Framk Mc-land, where she asks •him to marry her, which was powerfuHv played throughout, so also was the short scene Bn Mark He_fto_e's cottage. Miss Lynda Raymond was scarcely equal to the stronger and more pathetic portions of the character of Dora, though she played that in lighter vein well. Her best scene . was" with David Kingsley, where she tells of the fortune she owns. Vttss Florence Terriss made a winsome Peggy Chudleigh, and Miss Julia Merton was good as Mrs Chudleigh. Miss Harrie Ireland had but_ttletodo_sMrsH-fltone, butahowed that Jshe. is equally as much _at home melodrama of the most transpontine type as in high comedy, and Miss Marie D'Alton struggled successfully with an Irish brogue one never hears except on the stage. Of the male characters it may be said generally that Mr Knight was the only one who appeared to be at home in the piece. He played David Kingsley with all the requisite icrvour and d_sh, and gave us a manly, breezy representation of that much tried, sorely beset naval officer. Mr Keightley did not infuse sufficient power into his.poortrayal of Mark H-stone, and the same remark applies to iMr Glassford's Nicholas Morla_d.,Mr Cecil Ward made oil the points in low comedy part of Tom Donsettar very successfully, and placed the character , throughout with much humour, although" the fun is rather strung out in some of i_e ' scenes. Mr Rosevear, as Jack Lirriper, sang , "Scons of the Sea",well, and the chorus w*s excellent. Mr Bawtrey looked every inoh a naval officer, and Mr Oily Deering, albeit the character of the heavy father is one. in which we have hitherto not been accustomed to see him, gave a good pourtrayal of Captain Nelson. The ladies and gentlemen who did the dancing in. the third act, although too modest to have their names on the programme, deserve high commendation ■' for the deftness with which it was dime, evoking as it did an enthusiastic encore. Although one cannot speak in the highest terms of the acting of all tiie parts, it is impossible to praise too much the admirable manner in which the piece was staged. The scene of the deck of H.M.S.; Britannic was ' ■ one of the finest stage pictures we have ever had here, and the 6ompletehessof detail was , aided greatly by the clever exhibition of sword bayonet drill by a team from the City Guards, The lighthouse scene, in the last act and the cliff scene in the same act, with the tossing boat rescuing David Eongsley and Lena Nelson, also deserve very grea* y praise indeed., The piece will be repeated to-night. ■' ■■' -- -' V" " ' ■> '7,