'UNCLE TOM’S CABIN.’

Evening Star, Issue 8408, 8 January 1891, Page 2

'UNCLE TOM’S CABIN.’

There was a change of programme at the Princess’s Theatre last night, Mr Sheridan and his company presenting for the entertainment of their patrons a special dramatisation of ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin.’ From a managerial point of view the piece was an immediate success—it drew a full house, and those present certainly got their money’s worth of amusement, for none of the preceding performances by this company have caused more laughter. This being so, it is not for ua to complain if the venerable story was subjected to manifestly original treatment. Perhaps, indeed, this was an improvement. Much that we saw and heard during the three hours’ duration of the piece had but an obscure relationship to the tale as told by Mrs Stowe, but the result was on the whole so completely satisfactory that if a plebiscite were taken among last night's audience, and they were asked to choose between the “Uncle Tom” of tradition, with all its dismal surroundings, and the cheerful caricature with [which all were so heartily amused last night, the voting would, we feel sure, be overwhelmingly in favor of the latter. Among the most noticeable of the changes which last night’s representation introduced was the elevating of Mr Marks into a more prominent place than that which the novelist assigns to him. For once in a way we found the patrician St. Clair, the odious Degree, aud the sainted Uncle Tom agreeing as between themselves and with other erstwhile leading characters in the story to play up to the lawyer, who, as represented by the star comedian, Mr Sheridan himself, was quite as much the mainstay of this piece as the widow O’Brien is of ‘ Fun on the Bristol.’ It will give our readers some idea of the nature of the performance when we state that this boulevers&ment was received without offence. The truth is that Mr Sheridan’s undisguised “ gag ” was brilliantly clever, and his “ business ” for the most part screamingly funny, and, this being so, those who otherwise would have been disposed to criticise gave themselves up to unrestrained merriment. Certain other members of the company also openly abandoned * Uncle Tom ’ for burlesque, and i a doing so were more or less successful in winning the favor of the audience, while others made heroic attempts to struggle on in traditionally serious stylo, and were promptly martyred by their surroundings ; not, however, in vain, as their efforts provided some sort of groundwork on which to show up the eccentricities of their less conservative brethren. As to the leading parts, next to that of Mr Marks we may note that Mr Carr played very creditably as George Harris; Mr Porter, as Phineas Fletcher, was an aggressively valiant, if somewhat indiscreet, protector of oppressed negrodom; Mr James did not forget to heavily underline the ferocities of Simon Degree; Mr Royle played the part of Dan Haley in a most acceptable manner; Mr John Tudor made a special effort to sustain the unsustainable part of Uncle Tom; Miss Whiteford made up very nicely as Eva; Miss Tudor persevered conscientiously with her part of Eliza, and did not give up even when to her other difficulties was added that of the scenery falling about her just as she was in the midst of one of her principal speeches; and Miss Fanny Wiseman was “immense” as Topsy. The play was well mounted and properly dressed; the singing of negro ditties was quitg a feature of the entertainment; and the dancing introduced in the festival scene was first class in its way. As we have said above the performance is well worth seeing, and we anticipate a crowded house tc-night, this being the last performance of the season.