The Mostyn-Dalzeil Company.

Evening Post, Volume XLIX, Issue 109, 9 May 1895, Page 2

The Mostyn- Dalzeil Company.

— .••• ♦ " Ransom," which constituted the change of bill at the Opera House last evening, wai a most decided advance upon its predecessor. It possesses the elements of a good melo-drama-a connected story, plenty of incident, and a certain air of coherence and possibility whioh the other drama absolutely lacked. At present i.omo of its best situations are sacrificed to on often untimely obtrusion of tho oomedy element. This ia notably the case at the end of Act 111., where the curtain should come promptly down npon the arrest of the hero and the diEtreoS of bis wito, instead of leinaining up for a totally unnecessary and irrelevant anticlimax or oomedy, which completely spoils the dramatic fcffcot. The drama is the work of Miss Dora Alostjn, and she has turned out a good, actable sensation play, the sucoess of which on " the other side is as muoh attributable to its dramatic merits us to its strong Australian colour. It is the best purely Australian melodrama we have seen. It is neatly and effectively set in aharaotorietio Australian scenery, some of which is very effective. The life and soul of the whole piece is Tom Chivey, an Australian station boy, in which part Miss Mostyn more than, confirmed the good opinion formed of hqr on the first evening. Her Tom Chivey is one of the best boy impersonations seen on the Wellington stago. It is full of life, actuality, and spirit, an admirably-sustained little character study. Tom Ohivoy desoribes the Melbourne Cup "ith rousing effeot, but his best narrative effort is in the story of the two "seleotor chaps," with which he revea's the fact of the hero's release from prison. And here it is to be noted that Miss Moatyn apparently believes, with a good many other writers of melodrama, that a man is released from prison the moment another confesses the crime for whioh he has been convioied, and without the investigation and delays which, precede such an event in real life. Miss tiaynham enacted the heroine well, with two reservations. She is supposed to vault into the saddle and daeh off to her husband's rescue in one scene, while another is supposed to show her dashing in upon the bushrangers on her husband's favourite steed. But Miss Raynham couldn't manage the Bteed, and the steed didn't deserve the encomiums which Tom Chivey lavished on it, so there was no dash either way, and the horse spoiled both soenfia. It would be muoh better far the heroine, if she cannot manage her mount better, to rush off and mount off, and to rush on dismounted into the bushrangers' camp. Also, Miss Kaynbum spoils one of her strongest soenes— that with the would-be seducer Harlett - by shouting her lines. A woman under the influence of strong emotion, or in any Btrong situation, never Bhonts i neither does a man Power in passion and soorn is always repressed, and gains force from the repression. This remark applies to Mr. Dalzeil also, and to oth'erß of the company, and of many other companies. Especially last night d d it apply to the absurdly shouted conversation between the bushranger Eyder (Mr. Blake) and the hero Graham (Mr. Dalzeil), which the oard-playing bushranger* alongside are not supposed to hear, but whioh no one outside a deat institute could fail to hear within a radius of half-a-mile. Mr. J. Weir was an effective villain as Marlett ; Mr. Moymott gave a olever and consistent low oomedy performance as 'fl> muoh-sat-upon husband ; but Miss Clayton's periormanoeoß the iady whoeatnpon him was not equally good. Mr. Daly and Miss Dallas gave a good oomedy performance as a pair of yoncg lovers, bnt it was bad art for tnem to remain seated in the denouement of the last not, apparently taking no interest in the release of their friend. Mr. Carr was a very wooden Sergeant of Polioe, and several bushrangers met with the approval of the audience. Played closer, " Uansom" wonld be an even more effective melodrama than it is, but nevertheless it iB a melodrama well worth seeing, and no one should miss seeing Miss Mostyn'e " Tom Chivey." There are a number of songs interspersed through the production, whioh will be repeated to-night.