THEATRE ROYAL.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10822, 24 November 1900, Page 9

THEATRE ROYAL.

"A ROYAL DIVORCE."

Tlie play dealing in so romantic a manner -rjth the history of Napoleon, which was D«idu~ed Iki? by the Knight-Ferrar Company, w played last night by tlte VVilL*an*M>n Dramatic Company. There was a largo and most enthusiastic audience. 'Ihe .haiiges in the oast of the play were all in tlie principal character:.. MUs Edith (.'nine's Jtjtwphino differed some-Avhat frum the conception of Mi*. Fe.rrar. in that Miss Crane ..ve us a n*' ,ro l>owerful and vigorous internreUtion of tin? cliar-icter. .She was e_-_uß_lini-.lv good in tlie scenes with tho Emwhen' he ahiio-unces his determination ia'divorce her. In these Miss Crane brought . , nW *.- forcibly the d_ep devotion wliich Josephine has for the Emperor, d***-spite the vfhuh he heaps uj-on her by marrying jv_ Ai-kJu<*!rj<... a devotion Avhich k-ads wto cling U> him through all his inisforyjge*. In tho very ertacting scene with the oppress Marie Louise Mi-s Crane played »-ith til**--''' artistic _*ower. and her conception of tlie put as a whole is entitled to very Kreat praise*. Miss Lilian Wbc-Her __**>rvedlv shared with Miss Crane th* honours of the evening. Tho part of tlie Kro-m-yvst .Marie I/mis.- L> one Avhich requires ,ljf_iudenible artistic ability to iKiurtrar. J__d Mi*-""*- Wheel'r made all the points A.ith csu-e and suoccs**. In tlw soe-ne Avith the ■Jborrtd Empr«-*xs Miss Wheeler gave us an artistic pie-tun- of the haught v Austrian, who done« »« the downfall <.f her j-rede.essur. Miss Row Musgrovc made- a good Stephanie, i_i.rtk-u.ariv in the seem, wltere s-lie assum.-* i,-J_. attim 'Hie other lady characters were well filled, and special mention is due to tlisdim*-'.- by tin- Misw.'s Cobb and Asi-oli *~ tl!» third i'w-t-. which wn*i re-demanded. .loth lad it* d-irtxd excellent-!-.*. Mr Ward's N-poleon was a well-conceived and excellently woiked-.ut impersonation throughout. '_*]_«,'scenex with Josephine were given with ft i-ood deal of power. .Kiitknilarly tlw one in wiirh the news of the divorce was broken to' his wife. Mr Ward was also excellent in tbe part of the play where the culogium on th* courage of the Briti.-h is spoken. ]n dl the parts in which Mr Ward has avr.eired lie has always given us a most t.'.iiiiii 'Ii iin*_**rsonaiion, and his Napoleon l.v.t night was no exception. Mr Arthur hi-v.-.Tit mad-, a good dial of the part of Tali'-vi.iud. Mr Tvroim Power h..rdly br.'iu-'ht (.ut the points of the character of th. imi.-tuoiiH lover De Beaumont, in that )j.. failed to im-inrt to the seem-*-* in which he wo< ■•*■ the Kmjut*H suflicienf passion. The r.ii-.-r parts in tlie lengthy cast were Avell filled. Miss Connie Kent made a good King of Kotuc and Mr Ro-ievt-ar obtained a well-deserved encore for his singing of 'The Little Corporal." This afternoon there will be a matinee of "Trilby." and to-night "A Royal DiA-orce" will be repeated.