"THE SPECKLED BAND."

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1318, 22 December 1911, Page 6

"THE SPECKLED BAND."

A NEW CONAN DOYLE PLAY. • "The .Speckled' Hand," a drama by iSiv Arthur Conor Doyle, in three acts. Cast: .Enid Stonor .". Dorothy' Bit ■Jtodgers .: Jcmes 11. Atholwood AH ....', Lcgiie victor l)r. Dylott ...i'.:..-.... Gaston McrvaJo Mr. Scott-Wilson Waller Howard Dr.. Watson ■;, .....„....;.......;. Moyd train Mr. lionitbraco ..'......... Winter Hall Mr. Armitage .■ Fred Oambouruo Mrs. Staunton ..; ...,.,.,... Susie Vaughan BiUy ....;..„ '...:.......;.. , -Hoy Kenton Sherlock Holmes William Desmond' Mr. llolt Looming ....:. Geo, I'. Bryant' .Mrs.- Soaincs Alimi lMillUiisi Jiunes I).. Montague ......... George Chalmers. Mr. Milvcrton" Tliob. W. Lloyd "The Speckled. Baiid," the new Cohan' Doyle play staged, by ..the;.. Williamson Coin jinny at.the Opera House last evening, does not display the creator oC Sherlock Holmes ax .a betterplavwright than story-writer. Not that tho play tails to' interest.. Indeed,'one oan readily conceive those whom the'-. unusual theme 'would fascinate, who. would regard it as deliriously "creepy" ami exciting, but a cold\ analysis of the play reveals certain, defects in Construction, and an.absence ot" some of the elements which go to make up a good play. The chief ot these, per-.' haps, is (hat never once is the audience.taken by surprise by the action of tho. play. The whole business :practically is iaid bare in the first act,- and only the' manner of its working out remains to hold the attention. There is, too, no more than a suggestion of a love interest. Our old friend Sherlock Holmes—aft Americanised edition—with his pipe, his cocaine, his magnifying glass, his friendDr. Watson, and the'ubiquitous "Hilly" ave all there, hardly the same eotivinciiitt •' factors as when they were pitted against the wily Professor Moriarly in the original "Holmes" play, aud the 'little, sketches introduced to illustrate the great _ detective's nmafemjr deductive powers' iiavo". nothing whatever to do with the play,', though affording an opportunity for 'somo - clover characterisation. Tho play,, liowever, is capitally, presented by' a,' capable company. Dr. Kylott, a. halfcrazed Anglo-Indian doctor resident in England is the solo guardian and, rein-:' tive of two well-dowered young ladies,;' , one of whom has died under mysterious. I circumstances.' .The coroner's inquiry ' into ihe death of Miss Stonor is abnu! to open when the curtain rises. Ejiott'.. ' is .much perturbed (apparently) by* the. death of his.s'.'cp-daughtcr, but is driven almost mad-with nervous irritation by . the' cross-questioning of Armitage,. tho : village storekeeper, who is "a Methodist and (ho ton of ,a Methodist," and. who harbours dark suspicions of ,'t.h.o doctor 1 ! ■ innocence. This quaint little, outspoken man is confirmed in his doubts on meeting Miss Enid Slonor, tho beautiful girl' who stands between Rjiott urn) a ■ bis ■■■ fortune. This unfortunate ercature, who hardly dares to exnrcss her shudderingloathing for her crazy step-father is almost distracted by the helplessness of her 'position in. the house in which she' is all hut a prisoner. To ineieaso her - terror sho'is haunted bv'the same weird music which her sister, heard immediate- 1 - ly before her death, and shivers with upprche-nsion as-she realises that it will - i , ~'',i t - lru " ext Dr - ]i - vlott troubles but little to conceal his devilish intcnions : He at first implores her to cede to him her financial interests, and her repeated refusals to do so drive him into(its of ungovernable rage, divided by calmer mtervrjs in which he endeavours to wheedle the girl out of her money. J'inally maddened by hor resistance, the doctor summons to his aid the Indian cobra, whose poisonous bite had brought about the death of the elder Miss Stonor. ]'; 111( I lite myst«rious«misio bv which JJr. Kylolt s Indian servant induces the snake to leave its basket, and with tcr- : roivin hersoul, makes bold to leave home lor London,, (here to seek out Dr. Watson, who recommends her (o put her case into the hands of his friend, Sherock Holmes. That astute person pieces this and (hat together, learns of (he mu-: sic and the fact that Enid has been sni(ted into tho room in which her sistor died, and makes his plans accordlrigly. -Aight comes, and with it another stormy sceno between Enid and her crazy relative. He leaves the room with diretit throat and wbeu the girl is alwul to break down through sheer terror llo.nies enters by the window followed by , s ?"'., V T - n-vlolt comes to the door and asks Enid if she is in bed. She answers in the affirmative (at Holmes's dictation), and the doctor retires to his room. Silence!-uitd then the'low strange music; an aperture in the wall opens immediate- • ly above the bed and adjacent to a bellpul. .through this hole appears (lie glistening head of tho cobra-it sways from side to side until it. feels the roiia, and is about to descend when Holmes Into it hard with his cane, (he snake disappears, there-is a yell of agonv from later Kylott staggers into the room in n dying condition with flic "Speckled Band" coiled lightly round his neck. An outstanding excellent performance must 1« accredited to Mr. (kslon Mon to as Dr. liyjolt, an exceedingly dimcuit and hard-working role to sustain with ouect throughout. Mr .Mem," no 2' „f Py ' ■ Sns ? oß,? ¥'.« <*nseious? ness of the madness which overcomes to man m moments of excitement, and the fight (o remain cool and collected is' cry adroitly done. The weakness of the part, not the actor, is the frequency jvill. winch this high-pitoh of freim- 1 as o bo reached. In its constant reiteration it loses effect, and becomes'a shade comical on occasions. This does not reflect on the general excellence of Mr llervalcs work., which reaches a hi»h standard, and is not infrequentlv thrillui.g in its power and dramatic iiitrnsitr. Iho new leading lady, Hiss Dorotllv Dix, who plays Enid Stonor, has vouth ami beauty to aid her in depicting a chnnicter wine, strikes one ,'ole only -that.of abject (error. This Miss Dix ~ M°? s 4"i? oir «-tivoly if not Mi. «\llliam Desmond,comes back to us Jdolmts of our imagination, the character portrayed, is almost as convincing m (ho lines permit. Some of the less important e-'iai-aetors are admirably drawn. Mr. J. 11. Atholwood is notably good a., tho. weak- terror-stricken old butler. The fear he has of his mad master is-as r<>al as nnylh.ng ,n the piny. Miss Susie , \aiiglian, as the dominating, scheniing housekeeper (Mrs. Staunton), is we n (he picture; Mr. Leslie Victor is, as* usual, finished and sincere in (be work ho puts into the character of Ali. Uvlott's Indian servant. Mr. Winter Hall'made qinte an impressive coroner; Mr. Geo C ha merej presented a very clever sketch as .las. U. Montague, and Mr. V, Cambpurnp made the most of Armitage the village grocer. Other parts that wore well played -wore: Dr. Watson (Mr. Doyd Irwin) Mr. Milverton (Mr. T. W. Llovd), and Billy R ? y Seaton). The play is well mounted and capitally stone: managed. An orchestra, under Mr. Fret' Quiiilrcll, lent valuablo assistance.