PRINCESS'S TEATHRE.

Evening Star, Issue 8729, 22 January 1892, Page 2

PRINCESS'S TEATHRE.

•A Fool's Revenge,' produced l^st evening, is an enthralling tragedy written by Tom Taylor from the plot of 'Rigoleito.' The stories are not identical, but the drama follows in the main that of the opera, and would be recognisable as such without the suggestion of' La donna e mabile' and other excerpts from Verdi's composition, which served as the accompanying music, and, by the way, were excellently played by Signor Squarise'a capable little orchestra. The main incidents of the play may be stated in a few words. The Puke of Faenza, Galeotto Maufredi, in search of £on<iueat in the domain of gallantry, is prompted by his jester, Bertuccio, to forcibly abdwct &he "Roupe of Count Malatest*. Bertuccio is mo.vcd to this suggestion from motiyes of revenge, MajatejtahavingyearsptevioaslyrobbedTiimofhis wife. Manfredi's friends diseoyer that Bertuccio has * lady mewed up in private j they conclude she is his mistress; and persuade Manfredi to carry off this lady instead of Mal&teata/s wife. By this they hope to be revenged for the licked affronts put upon them ny the i ester. #firtft<t4o'g scheme is ostensibly accepted, and by h«3 is enlisted in the enterprise, bf&iny/hile Terafino del Aquila, a poet, hearing of the plot, resolved to save Foirdelwa, Bartuccio's daughter, and persuades her to aceept his escort to a temporary place of safety. He takes her to MafatMta's house. This place is surprised in the night, an# Eertuooio assists to steal thence the fainting ihcay of a lady whom he believes to be Mahtfesta-'s yfffl. Manfredi bears his f>rize away, and alvea » banquet to his riends. ManfredTa wjfe, with jealousy, polsttwi the wine, with the otyect of killing both ber faithless husband -and i his captive; but no sooner U the deed done than Bertuocio learns the horrid truth that he has helped to abduot and murder bffl own daughter. He baeatß into the banqueting room to find the Duke dead, bat his daughter alive. For his Intrusion he is mortally wounded, and he dies in an agony of yejporae at having impiously usurped the prerogative qf vengeance whioh belongs to, God alone. There are four capital parts in the play. That of lie jester was sustained by Mr Bentley with su6h a terrible assumption of reality as to make the play a perfect I nightmare. Powerful is every soene, he was especially effective in the later ones, wherein, though racked with anguish, he plays the buffoon in the hope of persuading the banqueters to give him aooess to the room wherein his daughter is confined. We have never seen more telling aoting than was here displayed, and do not wish to, for it was positively painful to witness. Miss Hansen,, as the heroine, also played her pa"rt with marked skill; and Mr Greenaway earned very great praise for his excellent aoting as Terafino, which was a complete and highly artistic study; while! Mr Alderson, east as Manfredi, left nothing undone that could be expected of so careful an aotor. The other parts were satisfactorily sustained by Miss Deorwyn (who was especially applauded), Miss Thome, Miss Holbrook, Mr M'Gowan, Mr Holloway, Mr Stevens, Mr Oranfujrd, and Mr Hill. Occasionally there was noticed it little want of rehearsal; but that is readily tycusabl? ponui-lering that the company are

putting up a change of bill each night. • David Garrlok' and * Cramond Brig' are to be repeated this evening. At the conclusion of the performance of 'Hamlet' to-morrow night a presentation, is to be made to Mr Walter Bentley by His Worship the Mayor on behalf of a large namber of Dunedin oltteens, and curtain wwrhe 0-half-past seven in order that the may opt unduly prolong the performance.