THEATRE ROYAL.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10269, 11 February 1899, Page 9

THEATRE ROYAL.

■•>■ "PYGMALION AND GALATEA. That charming classical conceit of W. S. Gilbert "Pygmalion and Galatea," with , which through its performance and also that , of the clever satire " Niobe," Christchurch ; playgoers are prettj* familiar, was chosen as l the farewell of the artistic company sent by Messrs Williamson and Musgrove. Nothing could have been more apropos, as , the two principals were afforded an opportunity ot tali ing their leave in a piece which gave them ample opportunity of showing their undoubted artistic ability to the best advantage. The piece itself is, as has been said, well known, and it is therefore not ' necessary to say anything on this point. As t regards the manner in which the various characters were maintained, Mis 3 Ada '_ .Ferrar made a most charming Galatea. Not al,one did she look the part admirably, but she played it with a keen arid thoroughly artistic conception of the various phases of 1 the character. The joy of Galatea at finding herself delivered from the thraldom ' of stone, to ft el the wine of life coursing ' through her veins, was admirably brought out by Miss Ferrar. t-'o also was the ex- ; pression of her innocent love for Pygmalion, ' which was destined to work so much woe for both. Miss Ferrar made the point of • showing the difference between these two phases very artistically indeed. In the very delicate scene with Chrysos, wheie the '■ least sign of knowledge of what waa meant • by her words would destroy the whole effect, Mits Ferrar gave uj a very charming i picture of the fresh innocent gi-1 quite i bewildered by the strange world into 1 which she has so suddenly come. The pathos of the parting scene, when i she learns the bitter truth that i Pygmalion no longer loves her, and the utter friendlessness and loneliness of despair which overcomes Galatea, was pourtrayed with great effect by Miss Ferrar. i As a whole, her impersonation was one full of artistic beauty jmul worthy to take rank with the best we have had. Miss D'Alton was unequal as Cynisca. In parts, par- | ticularly in the earlier act, where she. takes leave of Pygmalion, Miss D'Alton was good. But in the later porj tions of the play where power was requisite, ' notably the great scene at the end of the second act where she calls down blindness on Pygmalion, there were 5-igns of weakness. Miss Terris played the small part of Myrine with ease and effect, and Miss Merton, though rather inclined to overact, at times made a fairly good Daphne. Mr Knight gave us a picturesque and scholarly performance of. Pygmalion. He depicted strongly the struggle between love for the beautiful creation of his art and fear of the consequences which animates Pygmalion in the earlier portions of the piece. There [ was noticeable a little want of pathos in the , last scene, in which Mr Knight was some- ; what hard ; but as a whole the character . was well played. The part of Chrysos, both from the situations and the lines, he has to speak is sufficiently humorous not to need very much addition on the part of the actor. Mr Oily Deering infused somewhat too much of the low comedy element into the character, forgetting that Chrysos, though purse proud and arrogant, was yet a patrician. Those who remember the delicately artistic manner in which the late Mr Wm. Hoskins played the part, will remember how this was brought out, particularly in the scene with Galatea. Mr Keightley looked the part of Leucippe, and played it well, though the property gown, 'as is usually the case, evoked considerable ' merriment. A comedietta, "A White 1 Stocking,*' which • does not possess any great amount of literary merit, concluded the programme. This afforded Miss Harrie Ireland an opportunity, of which she took advantage, to look very pretty in the old-fashioned short-waisted costume of the last century. Mr Knight as Captain Feversham did all that could be done with a somewhat sketchy part and IMr Hawtrey made an excellent vicar. All the principals were called before the curtain at the end of each act of the play and the audience were exceedingly enthusiastic.