THEATRE ROYAL.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 17982, 28 January 1924, Page 14

THEATRE ROYAL.

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"BLUEBEARD'S EIGHTH WIFE."

To-night, Christchureh theatre patrons will be afforded a last 'opportunity of seeing the production of "Bluebeard's Eighth "Wife." by Miss Gertrude Elliott and her company at the Theatre Royal. This very entertaining comedy was keenly enjoyed by a crowded house on Saturday night. The last opportunity of seeing it should not be missed.' Miss Elliott proves herself to he as good in comedy is she was in tragedy, end she wins the whole-hearted admiration of the audience in the very early stages of the play. Mr Mayr.e Linton "13 very happily cast in the role of the American millionaire, who enters upon his eighth matrimonial 'adventure with such dire results for irimseli and joy for his audience. Mr William Mollison is excellent in a light comedy role. He has one big scene to himself in which he convulses the audience with his perfect acting of the role of an inebriated person who never forgets he is a gentleman." * : "SMILIN' THROUGH." To-morrow evening Misa Gertrude Elliott and her popular company will stage "Smilin' Through." This beautiful play—which is like openin; an old family album of daguerreotypescreated something of a sensation when it was first produced by this company in Sydney and Melbourne. It is a romantic comedy, with a strong dash of pathos, a blending of ancient and modern, and also of tlu future, for it opens with the spirits of the mothers of the hero and heroine peeping through the gates of Heaven. Tnen it moves along to 1914, where the young lovers ari having trouhlo owing to an o.d family feud treasured by John Carteret, uncle and guairddian of Kathleen Dungannon, who is m .ove , with Kenneth Wayne. It is an old world picturesque setting of a garden where the story is enacted, John bears ' a violent hatred to Kenneth because of some injury that his father wrought 50 years ago, and irefuses to let Kathleen ever see him. On being driven, he tells the story of what happened in the garden 50 years ago, and tha scene fades away; the flowers and blossoms alter, the moonlight Hoods the garden, and all the characters float in dr&sa-xi in thi beautiful hooped period of IS6O, and the story with its tragic climax, the shooting of the beautiful Moonyeen Clare on the night of her wedding to John by Jeremiah Wayne, Kenneth's father, is unfolded to the audience. The scene then fades back t:> modern times with John having told Kathleen the story and the reason of his hatred of Kenneth Wayne. The last act is 1919, where happiness is achieved for all and the spirit of the great lover Carteret goss forth with his bride, the beautiful Moonyeen, who comes into the garden and fetches him away. Miss Elliott is the beautiful Moonyeen-of 53 years ago, and the Kathleen of to-day. The company's final production on Saturday next will be the Continental comedy, 'Enter Madame."