"ROMANCE"

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 40, 15 August 1918, Page 3

"ROMANCE"

AN AMERICAN LOVE-PLAY,

Along the lines laid down by the author, "Romance," as performed at tho Opera House last night, was extremely well done. Much of its undoubted success is to be attributed to the quaint dresses of what we should call the MidVictorian period, and to the rather ingenious idea of presenting a fine picture in a suitable frame, so to speak. The dresses and the talk of the period have within recent times been utilised with good effect in one scene of "Milestones," and before that in "Trela-wney of the Wells." Our mothers- or grandmothers— according to our respective years—dressed like the women in "Romance" are dressed; and it is no wonder, for all they were so retiring, diffident, even rather ill-educated, as compared 1 with what girls now know, that they were desperately fallen in love with, married, and became loving and helpful wives, good, tender, and capable mothers.

In "Romance" there are only three principal characters—the rest of the quite large cast have very little to do. Van Tyl, the banker, was admirably pla-yed by Mr. Roy Redgrave. He looked: well, dressed well, and spoke and behaved as a gentleman, whatever else he was and ought not to have been. Mr. Charles Waldron, as the parson, played along the lines possibly paralleled by the author's intentions. "Romance" has all the points and potentialities of a "best seller" among novels, in fact, it should find a large acceptance if presented in book form. Mr. Waldron evidently had that idea in mind, and acted accordingly. He was on safe and sure ground the whole time. To Miss Kathkne MacDonell great praise is due for her temerity in undertaking so strongly emotional a part as Cavafiini. She was- undeterred by its magnitude, and at times ehe worked herself up into proper Italian fits of frenzy. She looked very pretty and wore the flounced and ample dresses of tho period with becoming grace and charm. She spoke: her English for the most part with a strong accent that was not easy to identify. It wasn't a French accent nor an Italian. Sometimes, in tense moments, she dropped'it altogether, but that fact did not minimise the success she achieved when she showed herself to be really in love with the only man. she had ever loved or could ever leve.

So "Romance" may be truthfully written down as a popular success last night ,and with every prospect of being so all through the New Zealand tour. By the way, Miss Emma Temple, in a quite minor part, was recognised by many ardent playgoers last night, and "she was given a most cordial greeting. "Romance" will be repeated this and tomorrow evenings, and win still many more friends, especially among the younger playgoers,

A deputation of patrons who had booked for the first night of "Romance" waited on Mr. Russell, manager of the company, and stated that owing to the enormous booking ahead, they were deprived of the opportunity of witnessing the production, so they asked that the season be extended another night, to give them an opportunity of seeing "Romance." After mature consideration the management decided that -Mie desire of patrons should Vie met, with the result ithat "Romance" will be siage^ on Saturday night next, and the other three pieces ("The Rainbow," "(Jinderella Man," and "Daddy Long Legs") will be presented one night later than previously advertised. Seats already booked still hold good for the altered nights.