THEATRE ROYAL.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19462, 8 November 1928, Page 17

THEATRE ROYAL.

"THE LUCK OF THE NAVY"

A DRAMA OF THE WAR. The second production of the Percy Hutchison English Company, "The Luck of the Navy," was presented in the Theatre Royal last night before an appreciative holiday audience, who found in it much to compel their admiration, the comedy and dramatic situations which characterise it being splendidly interpreted by a capable company. "The Luck of tne Navy" had a long run in London during the war period, no fewer than 289 performances of the play being given in its first season, while on the occasion of its revival at a later stage it again found favour. The piece abounds in v patriotic sentiment, the playwright, Mrs Clifford Mills, having been to no pains to disguise her feelings in this respect, and it is easy to see why it had such a vogue in the days when Britain and Germany were at grips. The plot concerns Lieutenant Stanton, V.C., R.N., who is ordered to take his submarine, A.5, from a naval station the following morning. Unknown to him, one of his officers is a spy in the service of Germany, and it is not long before he is brought up against the fact that other spies are working against him and endeavouring to remove, him to the Fatherland, at the same time" securing the key to his coded orders. As is only to be expected, the machinations of the enemies are in the end brought to nothing. The play is not a particularly strong one, and naturally has not the same outstanding appeal that it must have had when first presented, but nevertheless it is gripping enough to satisfy most people, and there is no doubt that it is excellently acted. In the role of Lieutenant Stanton, the intrepid submarine commander, Mr Hutchison was impressive, particularly in the third act, when he rose to great heights of histrionic ability. He was at completo ease whether in moments of comedy or of seriousness, and had no difficulty in upholding the reputation he established as an accomplished actor in the company's first production. Another fine performance was that given by Miss Prances Dillon, who was cast as Mrs Peel, and carried out with convincing work the duties of the woman spy. As Sub-Lieutenant Louis Peel, Mr E. Stuart West was quite at home, and had quite a big say in the success of the production. Mr Victor WattsWeston aB the young midshipman, Wing Eden, had an onerous part to portray involving some bright comedy work, and he came through it with success. In the flapper role of Dora Green, who, like so ■ many other girls of her age, showed a keen regard, for uniformed heroes, Miss Mary Brackley acted admirably. The part of Admiral Maybridge lost nothing in effectiveness through being entrusted to Mr Townsend Whitling, who gave "a fine interpretation of the officer whose greatest worry was that his ■ retirement from active service prevented him from doing service for the country he loced. Miss Stella Francis made a 'success of the character of Cynthia Eden, investing her performance with charm, while sound woTk was also done by Mr E. Rayson Cousens as the spy, Scnaffer; Miss Joan Bogers as Anna, the German: maid; Miss Dorothy Stanward as a maidservant; Messrs Walter White as Briggs, the spies' servant; Frank Lawrence, a,s Engineer-Commander Perrin, R.N.; and William Ealston, a police inspector. v "The. Luck of the Navy" will be produced again to-night, and to-morrow and Saturday the three-act comedy, "Mr What's His Name," will be staged. '

«MR WHAT'S HIS NAME."

On Friday and Saturday, at the Theatre Royal, the J. 0. Williamson, Ltd., management will present the brilliant London actormanager, Mr Percy Hutchison, and his English company of comedy artists in the famous .French comedy success, "Mr What'* His Name," which ran lor ten weeks in Sydney and Melbourne, and which is still being played by no fewer than six different companies in England. "Mr What's His Name" was adapted from the French tut Mr Seymour Hicks, and it is said that thv part of Adolphe Noblet might have been: specially created and written for Mr Hut- - chison, so weil does he lit this extreine.y amusing character. Mr Hicks has treatod the play in his crisp style, with brevity in most of the sayings, and with much to amuse in the rapid and brilliantly clever excnanges between • the dharacteia. Xhe plot of "Mr What's His Name" is quaintly ori•ginal, dealing as it doBS with a man who is supposed to have been killed in a railway accident, but who in reality loses his memory. His wife, after mourning him for two years, .marries ■ again, and has -children, and her husband also marries, .and his wife presents * him with two sets of twins. When he again meets his first wife and *e-. Sains his memory, highly amusing complications arise, and it is said the tun in fast .and furious right up to the final'fan of the 'curtain. Mr Hutchison has scored one of his greatest successes in the role of Adolphe Noblet, and others who appeared successfully in the Sydney production, and who will _appear here, are: —Miss Stella Francis. Miss Frances Dillon, Miss Mary BracMey, Miss Joan Rogers, Miss Violet Ley, also Mr B. Steuart West, Mr E. Rayson Oousens, and Mr Townsend Whitling. The dresses and furnishings are featnreß of the production.