"UNDER FIRE"

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 110, 10 May 1916, Page 2

"UNDER FIRE"

HIGH-EXPLOSIVE .MELODRAMA. Having tried "Under Fire" on Australia and found it a money-maker, tl: House of Williamson felt confident <v its success in ihis country. That cor fideiice has not been misplaced. Th. crowded house which witnessed "Undr Fire" at the Grand Opera House la.-' evening appeared to thoroughly enjoy every word and every situation in it. It « genuine melodrama following faith fully on legitimate linee, but high ex • plosive in character; in fact, the smeli of "villainous saltpetre" permeates it = two great scenes, and, incidentally, fills the house with its reek. But that's all part of the play, an element in the pro--nouncedly war atmosphere, with mock shells and bombs exploding in the ■ trenches, and a terrific din going on all the time from our own guns anda those, of the enemy. ' ' »• • There still are people who* sneer atmelodrama and turn-up their supercilious noses at the mere mention of it. Last night's reception of " Under Fire " at the Opera House, however, only fur' nished additional evidence, if more were wanting, corroborative of the undoubted success of "Under Fire" in the Commonwealth. There is still a highly profitable market for melodmma—as the" Williamson management has proved in I "Under Fire"; it is a valuable commodity for which there is a strong demand, and so long as that demand exists it will always bo met. Out of this war possibly some great play will come, if not in English then in French; for there has been, and will be, colour and material enough, in all conscience; but the war is still "too new" for this great play In the meantime astute people get early to work on war melodramas; they are produced, and —pay. " Under Fire" 13 a striking instance. - '

Melodrama of the ordinary ' kind scorns probability, and imparts elastic properties to tho long arm of coincidence ; but the things actually done by the Germans, really silly, stupid, blundering, improbable things, in their system of espionage prove that, wonderful as their intelligence 'department may be, it is sometimes ridiculously at fault. The unlikely is as likely to happen with the Germans as they actually are, as with the Germans as, they were represented on the stage in '.'Under Fire" last evening. As for their horrible treatment of non-combatants and their wanton sacrilege, they are too well authenticated to be overdrawn on the stage. In other times these "Under Fire" would be in the category of "blood and thunder" plays, but,in many respects it, is only a faithful representation of things that have actually occurred. The seene1 opens in the drawing-room of the town house of Sir George Wagstaffe, somebody pretty high up in the Admiralty This set is a' daring piece in black and white. It affords through the windows a glimpse of the Houses of Parliament—by the way, the music opens with Big Ben's chimes. From the drawing-room scene one passes into Bel-. gium, possibly the Ardennes, that lovely country so foully polluted by the Germans. Kultur is seen in operation, and after that come the trenches, with a terrifying bombardment, and finally, a ruined church, with its crucifix suspended over' the altar, and the nave filled with wounded and dying men.

There is a plot, but it is rather involved It concerns the pretty governess to Sir George Wagstaffe's tomboyish daughter. She has given her heart in time past to handsome, dashing Captain Larry Redmond, of the Irish Guards, who Somehow missed the 'bus by not earlier asking her straightout to he his. Instead, she marries, or believes she is married to, a, French 'officer—in reality a* German spy. So the'fermenting elements begin to work. But Larry Redmond outwits tho Germans by hiinselE serving as one of their officers, and the false Hunnish husband ,of iEthel Willoughby gets blown up by a German bomb. . '

The cast is superior to the play. It includes Mr. Julius Knight as the Irish hero, Redmond ; Miss Lizette Parkes. as Ethel Willonghby; } Mr. J B Athol-. wood, as a Belgian, line-keeper, who is shot before his daughter's k eyes; and Miss,. Emma Temple, who has a quite unimportant part. 'The mention, of these names is sufficient to. indicate the high quality of the cast. To Mr.' Boyd Irwin, who took the thankless part of the German spy, all praise is dufc. So, too, to the other supporting characters. The play abounds in thrills and denouements,. \vith many bright comedy interludes, chiefly supplied by Mr. Lewis Kiimball, as an. American' journalist, which were all highly .relished lasc night,, as they will, no doubt, be to-night and succeeding nights of the Wellington season