THEATRE ROYAL.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18516, 19 October 1925, Page 10

THEATRE ROYAL.

- «• — "MOTHER MACHREE." IRISH FOLK PLAY. Mr Denis Kehoe. actor-sin gcr. ajid his company opened a season in <<! Ie Theatre. ltoyal on Saturday, when they presented the Irish folk play. ' Mother Machree, ' before a good audience. The period ot the play is ISOo and the setting is in County Clare, where the O'Connor family li »o in small larm rented lrom an absentee Engli>'' landlord. Shamus O'Connor, who i?ao lie-art a good sou. incurs the wrath of Fergus intone, the land steward ot 1/3 rd Parley's estate, by continually poaching and yet managing to prevent himself fiom being caught. His relatives warn him ot the seriousness ol his crime and lie promises to reform. Unfortunately for him. -he has just poached a couple of rabbits, and in doing so lias lost, his cap, which is found by one of Stone's men. Lager" to convict Shamus, v.-liom he hates, Stone is pler.sed at being ir. possession, of such a. splendid piece of evidence, and when he looks through the doorway of O'Connor's house and sees the poached rabbits in a basket he thinks; his case is complete. He strides into the room a few moments later and demands to see the inside of the basket, which he is allowed to d;:, only to find that the mbbits have disappeared. As a matter of fact he had been given a duplicate basket. Shaijiiis leaves for Dublin apd subsequently America, and is not heard of again for years, it being presumed that lie is dead. A brother and sister, who have been slightly injured in cn accident caused by a mishap to the carriage in which they were riding, are given shelter at the house, and it is not long before the former faJls in love with Mrs O'Connor's pretty daughter, while f>ho sister does likewise with the old lady's elder son, Pan. Fergus Stone, who has been granted the administration of the estate, decides to satisfy his hatred of the O'Connors by evicting them, and how ho is prevented from carrying out his intention makes one of the i> : g moments of the play. .Both the O'Connors marry and the thought of l>eing left alone in her old age causes the old lady to become sad and to grieve for her boy Shamus. While she is thus depressed a stranger enters with his face partly hidden by a cloak and tells her that he is from America. This naturally interests Mrs O'Connor, who asks him if he has ever heard of her son. The stranger removes his cloak and stands revealed as Shamus. There is ai touching reunion and the curtain falls on a scene of rejoicing. Such is the story of "Mother Machree," and it gives the opportunity of presenting a delightful study of Irish folk life in the 19th century. There is an abundance of humour and Wit in the play, and one or two dramatic moments, including a fight between Dan O'Connor and Fergus Stone. There is some love-making in the Irish way, and much sentiment of the kind that Avomen. like. As Daniel O'Connor, Mr Denis Kehoe is a figure truo to life, and liis work is such as to make him a favourite. He singg pleasingly such songs as "Mother Maeliree," "Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms,'' and others of'a similar nature, accompanying himself on a little Irish harp, an instrument rarely seen or heard in New Zealand. The harp, by the way, has a. history". It was made by Terence o'2seil. of Abbey street. Dublin, for Lady Duiferin, and was subsequently taken to Tasmania by the wife of a sergeant-major of his Majesty's 94th Regiment of Foot, being discovered soma years later in an antique shop in Hobart. Miss Frances Kay her was aptly given the part of Rose O'Dare,' suiter of Lord Parley, and she acted with oharm and grace, looking bewitching in'her long curls,, which hung down her back, and in the, picturesque dress of the'period. The performance of Mr Ronald Riley as the English lord' was excellent, ah<3 he managed to affect a stammer in his speech without overdoing it. Miss Helen Fergus as Mrs O'Connor had a difficult role to sustain, but she came through with flying colours, presenting a convincing characterisation. Miss Gwen Dorise was successful as Moira O'Connor, the girl whose fresh Irish beauty and winning ways gained for her as aliusband a member of the English nobility. Mr Tom Buckley gave every satisfaction as Father Pat. a parish priest, and it was a delight to listen to his brogue. As the gossipy Mrs O'Malley, Miss Aline Dunn was seen in a role which, suited her, while Mr Lester Carey was sufficiently villainous as Fergus Stone. Other characters were takfen satisfactorily by Messrs Maurice Lynch, Charles Keegan, and Ross Creagh. "Mother Machree" will be repeated to-night.

AUCKLAND SYNOD. IMPORTANT BUSINESS. j (spEciAi to "the raws.") ! AUCKLAND. October 18. The opeuing of the 1925 Diocesan Synod will take place next Thursday, and the session will bo marked by a consideration of several matters of importance to the Anglican Church. "The meeting of the 19'io Diocesan Synod will be a memorable one," writes Archbishop Averill, "inasmuch as it will mark the close of a definite era in connexion with the diocese of Auckland, and in all probability will be the last occasion on which the clergy and laity from the present archdeaconries of Waikato and Taranaki will take part in the Auckland Synod if the special session of General Synod u> be held in Wellington at the beginning of December ere ates a diocese for the Maoris in New Zealand, as it probably will do. There is every prospect that this Synod of W2o will be the last occasion when the Maori representatives will take part with us in our deliberations. I 'trust the Maori members of Synod will be present in strong force this year, so that we mav tangi with them on our approaching loss." One of the most important questions to be considered is a proposal to promote a Bill in Parliament, "to enable Synod from f.nio to time to alter, revoke, add to. or diminish the fundamental provisions of the constitution, so that the Church shall have practically the autonomy which as n branch of the Catholic Church she now possesses theoretically." Jt is probable that tho question of immigration will also come up for consideration. The matter has been taken up by church authorities in England and tho vigorous co-operation of the New Zealand Church has been requested. j j ! ! I