" Crutch and Toothpick."

Evening Post, Volume XXVI, Issue 08, 10 July 1883, Page 2

" Crutch and Toothpick."

The boards at the Theatre Royal last evening wero ocoupied by tho Willmott Combination Company, who produced the oomedy of " Crutch and Toothpick " for tho first time in this city. The picco is from the pen of Mr. G. K. Sims, and has had a most successful run in England, having been performod at several places of amusement in that country for more than 200 consecutive nights. It is a play somewhat after tho style of " Tho Grasshopper," performed hero to such large houses some little time ago by Miss Jennie Lee, but does not contain any of those double entendres which aro sprinkled throughout that piece, and can be witnessed with every bit as as much pleasure as the comedy m which Miss Loe appeared to so much advantage. "Crutch and Toothpick" contains three acts, and depicts life in the middle class of London. The plot is very slight, and commences with Alderman Joaes (Mr. Hesford), Guy Devereux (Mr. R. W. Rede), and Dolly Devereux (bliss Crawford), the latter of ¦whom has just boen married to the lady mentioned, who is the daughter of Alderman Jones, a gentleman who h&3 earned a fortune by the sweat of his brow. The old man complains that his son-in-law is eating tho bread of idleness, and urges him to go into business. The young fellow objects to work se long as ho can draw the allowance of JJBOO a year given to his wife by her father, and the result is that a coolness springs up between the two men. About this time a contemptible little fellow named Jellicoe (Mr. Wilkinson), who has made a mint of money as a tailor, makes love to a charming widow at Margate, and tolls her that his name is Guy Devereux, as he is afraid she will reject him if she learns that he is only a tailor. Billets doux from this lady fall into the hands of Alderman Jones, who shows them to Mrs. Devereux. Her husband declines to say whether it is true or false that he has been paying attention to another lady, and at last his father-in-law takes away from him the privilege of drawing his wife's money. Gny then decides to take the advice of his father-in-law, and go into business, but disgusts the latter by setting up as a general dealer. In due course the discovery is made of Jellicoe's perfidy, an explanation follows, and the injured husband is restored to his rights. Taking the performance on the whole, it was very successful, and the comedy is almost bound to have 'a good run in Wellington. Mr. Rede made a capital son-in-law, and Mr. Hesford, as Alderman Jones, was almost as good. Miss Crawford dressed and acted well the part of Dolly Devereux. Miss Lawrence's impersonation of the character of Amy Jones, the Alderman's unmarried daughter, was very fair, but the same can hardly be said of Miss Nelson's acting. Mr. Wilkinson made a most unnatural Jellicoe. The character of Cecil Leighton, Amy's lover, was pourtrayed creditably by Mr. Frank Simmonds, and Mr. Mack Alexander could hardly have been selected for a better part than that of Fibbins, the sleepy valet. The piece will be repeated this evening.