ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 504, 11 May 1909, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS.

"A MINER'S TRUST." • "A Minor's Trust," a melodrama in three nets, by Jo. Smith. Cast:— Alan Trengrove' Herbert J. Bentley Jack Howard p. Coapo Gaspard Lo Rogue J. 8.. Atholwood Arthur Trengrove A. Neville Mr. Probit ; Leo de Chateau,, Captain Medway J. R. Howard Algernon Pairburn Lance Vane Bill Bobstay Harry Halley " Medway ______ Lillian Meyers Florno Medway Mabel Russell ~• P r y? atia Alice Dcorwyn Alice Medway Beatrice Holloway. There are points about "A Minor's Trust," produced by the Moynell and Gunri Company at the Opera Houso last evening, that indicate a well-defined talent for tho manufacture of melodrama. Tho story is a sane one, and' almost entirely free from those glaring extravagances that serve to bring some of this class of work into contempt, and whilst the author has in the main adhered to ' the conventional in the weaving of the fabric of the play, he has rounded oS tho jagged edges with nicelychosen language, and his "curtains" show an artistic_ restraint commendable in a melodramatist. The ' characters provido littlo scope for strong character-drawing, in which respect he has missed a. chance in curtailing the part of tho French recidivists Gaspard Le Rougo, a rolo that offers a distinct opportuI nity for the creation of what might easily have been mado a remarkable character. On the • whole, however, Mr. Smith submits a presentable play of a type that has retrograded sadly during the last diecade. A prologue gives tho key to the plot. Alan Trengrove and Jack Howard have made their money on the Victorian diggings, and the latter, escorted by his friend, is on his way to Melbourne, en route to England, when he is murdered by Gaspard Le Rouge, a French recidiviste. The dying man, who was proceeding Home to marry the girl who has waited for him during his gold-getting years, relates how tho news of his death will kill her, when Trengrove sees a way out by volunteering to impersonate his friend. So Alan proceeds to England as Jack Howard, is received heartily,- and becomes the affianced of Alice Medway. who during tho waiting years' has lost her eyesight. This makes the magnanimous imposition fairly easy at first, but'Alair finds out that his lore turns another way,, to tho blind girl's sister, Ida, and. at the same time. Alice has an instinctive feeling that ho is not like hor lover of ten yoars. boforo. To add to this interesting situation, it turns out: that Alan, supposedly was heir to a considerable fortune, which devolved 1- upon , a distant ccfusin,. Arthur Treugrove, who is in _love with Ida. For purely melodramatio reasons, . this person is made the villain, and incenses everyone round him by his suspicions that Howard is not the' genuine article. So strong is his belief that he extracts a promise, from. Ida that if. within six months he proves Howard to be an imposter, she will : marry him. That is the position when all concerned are ■ enjoying Captain Medway's hospitality, and the news arrives .that a steamer has been wrecked oi, the coast near by.. Promptly everyone adjourns to the storm-lashed rocks,- and the pseudo-vHoward leaps into -the waves and rescues a struggling man, who turns out to be none other than Le Rouge, the murderer. Prom him Arthur Trengrove learns that the rescuer is not Howard, and makes bold to denounce him, whereupon Alan makos full confession,-is hailed as-a hero,- and appropriates the right lady. and tho; blind one's blessing, after Lo Rouge has been led away to tho guillotine by a French' detective,, who had been awaiting' ; tho' arrival 'of the wrecked steamer "on information received." Why Le, Rouge should have been made_ tho solo survivor' of the wreck is one of the idosyncracies of melodrama. It • would - have ■ made no difference to the play, if half-a-dozen had been saved, the .Frenchman among them. ' Alan; Trengrove was made a • manly young man by Mr. Herbert Bentley, who cuts out a good deal of; the : mock, heroio ;by his quiet j but .effective' style; Mr. Neville's Arthur Trengrove would be' a more natural character were he mado a trifle loss sorious aad savago. • It is quito a relief to find a villain who is "only one by implication (not fact), and whose, only folly in'his passion for the'girl who happens to love the fiance of. another, and Mr. Neville might indicate this a littlo more .cloarly by lightening his touch. Miss Lillian Meyers makes a charming Ida,- and Miss Beatrice Holloway as Alice is a very likeable littlo lady, who, despite her sightlessness,' arrays herself in a number of brilliant costumes. Mr. J. B. Atholwood paints Le Rouge in bold colours, and would mako' tho part a striking one had the dramatist; permitted. Miss'Alioo Deorwyn as Aunt Hypatia (a: prototype of Corney in "East Lynne") extracted a good deal of trito comedy out of tho rolo, and Miss Mabel Russell was bright in hor sweethoartening ■ with Algy Fairburn (Mr. Lance Vano). Humour was supplied by Mr. H. Halley as Bill Bobstay, and Mr. F. Coape died well as Jack Howard in tho prologuo. Tho - sensation of tho play_ was 'the shipwreck, made fairly convincing by the art of the mechanist and scenic artist. "A Miner's Trust" will bo played to-night and on Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday and Saturday tho company will sitago ."The Little Breadwinner." THEATRE ROYAL. A .programme of interesting kinematograph pictures' is being presented by the Messrs. Fuller at the Theatre Royal. The, list includes an instructive'-series of views of Naples and its industries,. scones descriptive of life in .Central Africa,, aid some fine serious and humorous story pwictures. The pictures are interspersed with cinephone records, including tho inimitable Harry Lauder, singing "I» a Hurry." THE ROYAL PICTURES. J Tbe Royal Pictures at His Majesty's continue to attract large audiences. This week's programme, includes another "Nick Carter " film, a coloured mystery entitled "Miss Faust," one of "Claudius and Virginius," the Marathon Race, and a "very beautiful series of winter scenes in Stockholm.