THEATRE ROYAL.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18670, 20 April 1926, Page 10

THEATRE ROYAL.

"THE SEVENTH HEAVEN." A melodrama, of tense dramatic situations, and in the hands of a very capable company, "The Seventh Heaven," now being produced at tho Theatre Boyal, is drawing large houses. The interpretation by Mr Frank Harvey, Miss Uemy Carpcn, and supporting company is retrained and dignified, and the play is presented in all its forco and appeal. There is wit enough in the play to keep it from becoming heavy, and,, skilfully handled as it is, it takes a high place among recent productions that have visited Christchurch. Making her rirst tour of Xew Zealand, Miss Carpen rises to great heights in the last scene, where her little world falls about her and she reviles the Deitv for His mismanagement. She scores a triumph that will not easily be forgotten and shows that sh* ranks with tho foremost of the emotional actresses that have visited Xcw Zealand. Mr Frank Harvey makes tho most of a strango character, that of a "sewer rat" with the soul of a poet. Boul, played by Mr George Blunt, ia another delightful character, while Mr Mayne Lynton is well cast as Colonel Brissac. Miss Gwen Burroughs, as Narrn, has the difficult part of the drink-sodden sister, and "in tho more tense moments she scores well. The other members of the company support the principals faithfully, tnd all show fine understanding of tho characters they impersonate.

"Seventh Heaven" will be played to-night and to-morrow night.

"THE SKIN GAME." "What's gentility worth if it can't stand fire?" is the problem of John Galsworthy's great play "The Skin Game," in which Miss Kemy Carpen and Mr Frank Harvey will appear at tho Theatre Royal on Thursday night for the aristocracy and the pushing manufacturer went into the fight with clean hands, and both found that, once in, everything was forgotten but the struggle. It seemed to Hornblower (played by Mr Frank Harvey) that because the Hillchrists had been there tinea Elizabeth they thought that tho world must stand still, in order that tho view from their window might not be impaired, and it seemed to tho Hillchrists that no one with decent feelings would want to ruin the country and turn tho villagers out of their cottages in order to enlarge a factory. Hate grows and they both fight with their gloves off. Hornblower tricks them, and they blackmail him. The women of both families are dragged into the fight. Galsworthy's play is tremendously dramatic. One excitement follows another, and interest is intense. With a fine company headed by Miss Remy Carpen and Mi Frank Harvey, the production should, draw crowded audiences for the three nights that it will be presented at the Theatre Eoyal. The box plana for "The Skin Game" are now on view at The Bristol.