BLAND HOLT SEASON.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 331, 19 October 1908, Page 8

BLAND HOLT SEASON.

"THE BONDMAN." "Tho Bondman," a melodrama in four acts, by Hall Caine:— Greeba Miss Harrie Ireland Ill's. Fan-brother Miss Bessie Major ' Martha Miss Jennie Pollock Christian Ann Miss Violet Canty Callow Girl (Ist.) Miss Muriel Dalo Mona Miss Dorothy Brunton Callow Girl (2iul.) Miss Brenda Burt Jason Mr. Arthur Styan Michael Mr. Max Maxwell Adam Fairbrother Mr. Charics Brown Father Forrati Mr. Godfrey Cass Governor Testa Mr. Maurico F. Kemp Doctor Boni Mr. Leslie Woods John .Tames Mr. Alf. Harford John Robert Mr. A. Scarlett Danny Miss Daisy Ireland Grandfather Mr. Bland Holt

Hall Caino has not been so much in tho public eyo as a novelist of lato as 110 wa.s ton years ago or moro, when in fairly quick succession ho produced several strikingly powerful stories (each of which struck a note of deep, if somewhat melodramatic, tragedy) that soon established ' a hold on readers of fiction. A certtyn fascination was lent the series by the locale of tho incidents forming the basis of the stories. No matter whence tho characters subsequently drifted in pursuit of " Finis," they each and all had their origin in the Isle of Man, whoso quaint folk had possibly never been exploited in fiction before, nor had Iceland, another out of tho world land for which Hall Caino had a penchant in laying down his scene-plot. Of the novels this writer has produced, tho best known are "The Manxman," "The Deemster," "The Christian," and "Tho Bondman," all of which havo been dramatised at one time or other and havo been seen in Wellington. Playgoers will remember AVilson Barrett and Maud Jeffries in "The Manxman," Alfred Woods and Maud Williamson in "The Deemster," and Walter Bentley, Cuyler Hastings, and Thomas Kingston in "Tho Christian." Tho gallery of Hall Caino's plays was added to on Saturday eveiling, when the Bland Holti Company appeared in the author's own stago version- of "Tho Bondman," perhaps the most powerfully-conceived story of tho series. Thore was 110 mistaking the impression sreated by the play, which is melodrama approximating tho best. The chain of situations, gaining in intensity as the story flows broadly and easily 011, is not strained or wildly impossible, the language of tho nove-list-playwright is natural yet trenchant and tho tragic atmosphere that permeates even the sunniest moments of tho. story has been ably transferred to the play. Mr. Came has availed himself of the playwright's license in substituting Sicily for Iceland, and ill introducing Stromboli where Hccla might have sufficed; and in creating such an eminent person as a President over a district in Sicily, a strain is put upon the elasticity of the imagination. The story is well known. It chiefly concerns the halfbrothers, Jason and Michael. The former is tho son of a wronged woman, whom the father deserted in Sicily, leaving for. tho Isle of Man, where 110 marries and becomes tho father of Michael. On his mother's deathbed Jason, has sworn to he avenged on his father and his kind, and so ships to the Islo of Man, and there runs away from his ship. Hunted by the coastguard, he seeks refuge at tho Fairbrothcr farmhouse,-where but a few minutes before Michael has bidden farewell to his adopted folic to go to Sicily and render any assistance ho' can to those wronged, a promise mado on his father's deathbed. Jason, hunted and hungry, staggers into tho warm room out. of the night, and demands food, which is supplied by Greeba, Michael's fiancee, to whom Jason tells his story. Her kindness acts liko an anasthetic to his-desire for vongeanco, and in the end he settles on the farm, makes it a better property than it ever has been, and falls in lovo with Greeba. Michael has promised to. return in two years, but' three pass without, a word, and Jason and Greeba aro thrust into ono another's arms. Under the impression that Michael is dead or married, she accepts Jason, but.the succeeding post brings letters from Michael, informing them that ho had been unablo to write owing to his having been detained as a political prisoner. But lie was then free, had been mado President of Ustica, and wished Greeba to go to .him. The girl, sorrowfully but firmly, breaks -with Jason, whoso old desire for roveiige, doubly accentuated, returns. .Greeba goes to Sicily and tho altar, and Jason, turning up with murder in his eyo, is denounced by her as a spy, and is sent to the sulphur mines. Fol-' lowing quickly upon this, Michael's Government. is overthrown, and ho finds himself chained to his half-brother in the sulphurous murk under Stromboli. Michael's weakness is his protection, and Jason becomes his shield and sword, not knowing his identity. A volcanic eruption renders Michael blind, and ho is deported to a lonely island, where ho is tended by a kindly priest and Greoba. In the meantime Jason has escaped'from the mines, and, hearing that an order has been issued for Michael's execution, hastens to the island, and induces him to leave in his (Jason's) stead with Greeba, concealing from Michaol tho news that his execution has been ordered, and that 110 (Jason) is remaining as his bondman. Michael gets away safely, and Jason is about to be shot in his place, when tho priest exposes tho deception, and the new president of the district discovers in Jason tho son of his deceived daughter.

Mr. Arthur Styan's Jason stands out head and shoulders above any other performance in the play. Ho makes Jason a strong, virile, breezy man of big passions and big sacrifices, with just that touch of harshness expected in a man who had been beating against head winds all his life. Mr. Max Maxwell has not appeared to better advantage during the season than he did on Saturday night, and if ho could only bo induced to cultivate a less olocutionary and more natural style of delivery his performance would be an excellent one. Mr. Bland Holt, as an ancient mariner, whose speech is a string of nautical similes, was a cheering circumstance. His philosophical conclusions on the weaker sex stood out in bold relief as somewhero near the truth. There was more of the character and loss of Bland Holt than is usual with the popular comedian. Miss Harrie Ireland's work is always good, and as Greeba she admirably represented the Manx girlwhoso love aifairs run tho reverse of smoothly. Sbo managed to suggest tho tragic in the composition of the character, even in tho joyous, har-vest-home scene, and rose to tho dramatic demands in the scene whero. Michael is deposed and ordered away to the mines. Miss Bessie Major is always in the picture. She was perfectly delightful as Mrs. Fairbrothor,. tho 1 dear, delightful match-maker and breaker. Mr. Charles Brown made a dignified Adam Fairbrother, but Mr. Cass as Father Ferrati was a little too theatrical. Miss Jennie Pollock as Martha, Miss Violet Canty as Christian Ann, Miss Daisy Ireland as Danny, and Miss Dorothy Brunton as Mona, wero all good in minor parts. Mr. Percy Kehoe's orchestra would do better work if solidified with brass. 'The absence of a cornet and trombone makes tho quality too uniformly thin to bo effective. As is usual with Mr. Holt, tho mounting and scenory roach' a high standard. . Mr. John Brunton has put some of his best work into tho scenory, notably good sets being tho Fairbrother farm at harvest timo (in which a protty harvest-homo festival is introduced), the President's homo at TJstica, the sulphur mines, and tho lino bit of sea coast (as soon from a hill-top) in the last act. Tho big mechanical scono_ that concerns an eruption at the Stroniboli mines takes rank with tho finest effects of stage realism associated with the name of Bland Holt.

" The Bondman " will run tliroughout the wcclc at the Opera Houso.