ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 14, 11 October 1907, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS.

MEYNELL ANDGUNN DRAMATIC '. COMPANY. "A WARNING TO WOMEN." ; , " A Warning to : Women,' 1 which introduced' Miss Maud -Hildyard and tho Meynell and Gunn Dramatic Company to W e "' n 6' on ovoning, was not tho best choices that could have- been made for the-opening play. The heroine, Moira Kennion (Miss Hildyard), is the daughter of Squire . Kciinion, a povorty'-strickon, inortgage-laden Irish gentleman, whoso wife died a raving aipsbmaniao and drug fiend.' Those objectionable habits havo developed in tho beautiful Moira. who, though about to marry a ohcorful young man in tho E' orson of Fergus M'Naughton (Mr. oydi Irwin) still uses a morphia syringo, and' displays a degrading love for drink. At this point a Machiavellian doctor, appropriately named Marcus Dread (Mr. James Lindsay), happens upon tho sbeno, and at onco_ resolves to make everyone acutely miserable. He lures Moira with garish pictures of a gay city. life that will ouro her' of hor disoaso, and she, in an insane attempt to destroy her tempter with vitriol, blinds her faithful lover. She then doparts for tho city as the wife of Dread. Thoro, with no very definite purposo, Droad allows her ■pvory liconso, seomingly to glut his veugoanco on tho well-born of tho city, his resentment arising from tho. fact that ho himself is tho son of a woman of no importance. Finally •ho crowns his fearful life by instituting a plaguo in .London, allowing Moira to inoculate herself with tho deadly virus, which aho imagines is morphia, informing hor at tho samo time that hor marriago had been a bogus one. This anti-climax gives Miss Hildyard an opportunity_ to display her dramatic skill in depicting a drug-sodden, hysterical croaturo in a brilliant frock; and unquestionably her acting was disagreeably convincing. Rotribution follows Dread. Ho has escaped from,tho plaguo-stricken city in his yacht, but Moira's devoted shadow, Shaun (Mr. Conway Wingfield), has shipped in tho vessel as a seaman, and contrives to wreck tho vessol near tho old Irish home, _ following that up by stabbing Dread in a TTilapidated cabin. Then there is tho inevitable return of Moira to tho village church, boforo which sho dies realistically in tho arms of the true-hearted Shaun. Ouo can imagino how. choorful such"a play can be in actuality. Miss Hildyard and tho company of players supporting hor aro quito another consideration. Tho new star has a willowy graco and voice that aro distinctly convincing, and ono can easily imagine her a charming and polished actress in moro attractive samples of melodrama. Mr. James Lindsay was quito loathsome enough in tho omphasis ho laid on Dread, and Mr. Conway Wingfield was excellent as Shaun, though ho drifted from stago Irish to a Bond Streot accont on occasions. Mr. Harry Halloy was quito at home in a dudo part; and Mr. Will Bovis was- an oasis of humour in a desert of misery as Miko M'Quade. Hilda, the woman of no importance referred to, and incidentally Dread's unmarried mother, was griiesomely enacted by Miss Hilda Meade. Miss Violet Dono made a healthy-looking oripplod boy, and Mr. Tracy Harrow was conventionally volntilo as a porpotually excited Frenchman. Miss Guildford Quinn, as Shicla (Moira's' sister), looked very sweet and acted satisfactorily. It will bo refreshing to witness the performanco i of this capable company in something not quite so depressing.

THEATRE ROYAL. There was another good house to enjoy tho lino , programmo that Fullers' Entertainers are supplying this week. There will be a further chango of programmo to-morrow cvoning..