HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

Evening Star, Issue 11892, 21 May 1903, Page 6

HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

The company now occupying His Majesty's Thpatre produced ' The Christian' last night. The piece has been freely talked about and written about, the company's reputation for doing things' well is thoroughly established, and these causes operated to draw a large audience.. To the majority of those -present the only dramatic version of ' The Christian' previously known -was that .which Mr Bentley presented in < July of 1900. The dramatisation now ased. is quite d ffereht in many respects. It is by Mr Wilson Barrett. He has stood further back from the novel to get hia stage view, and therefore sees over a larger area. For instance,'he starts as. far back in Hall Caine's work as the romping experiences of Glory Quayle in her island home, prior to the return of John Storm, and the pretty pastoral surroundings of the fort scene, with Glory tearing about at the head of a group of school children, are 'a welcome substitute for, say, the Board room scene, one of the. episodes that-had a prominent place in the version used by Mr Bentley but now left largely to the imagination. In widen'ng the prospect, however, Mr Wilson Barrett has by no means thrown necessary detail out of. focus. As a matter of fact his acting experience has led him to carefully preserve all the distinguishing features of the chief charcters, and amongst the 'familiar stage adaptations of popular novels- we cannot think of one that more •ffectiyely combines the qualifications of fidelity to the original . and dramatic strength than this particular ' piece of work. The objections that ran be reasouibly raised to this presentation of 'The Christian ' are objections - that •Mr Hall Caine himself has laid the foundation for. The principal difficulty is with the character of Pollv Love. Mr Barrett could hardly leave Polly out; and yet in bring-, ins her. on to the stage he must have refined that-she.is a perplexing subject to handle. There is an obvious and insuper, able impediment to realism in her case. Mr Barrett has wisely evaded the puzzle instead of attempting to solve it, and his treatment of the whole story is commend, able. At the same time he could not possibly make a nice play out of the material to hand, and the wonder is that he should have persevered with hj s No useful purpose, so far as we can discover, is served by staging such books as 'The Christian.' The teaching is not su : table. for mixed audiences, and one.can quite imagine that actresses of refinement would prefer not to have to appear in them. So far* as the company are concerned, credit must be given for not unduly broadening: the awkward episodes in this play. ' The Christian' was in all respects acted most f-onscientiously last ni;,>nt. ' Mr Cuyler Hastings was, of course, cast as John Storm. It is not by any means his best part. He seems unable to disguise the fact that he is acting it. At almost -every point, he appears to be calling up an effort. Once, and once only, did he thorou"hly shake off the air of embarrassment. That was in the icene "wherein .John Storm denounce! Lord Robert Ure as a blackguard, and here he momentarily resumed the role of Sherlock Holmes. We give Mr Hastings high credit for his evening's work. It was painstaking md proportionate and mechanically, able,' but marred all through by the patent indications that it was an effort. Miss Chevalier, on the other hand, fairly revelled in the part of Glory Quayle. This lady is a remarkably clever actress, and more successful,, probably, than, she will be when she fulfils her sure destiny and.becomes en accepted "star" in the theatrical world. " Stairs" are. somewhat dazzling, and given to eclipsing their fellow-actors. Miss Chevalier has just reached that point at which she can. easily lead and yet leave places t'or others, and we take that to be the point of maximum effectiveness. Glo'rv Quarle-is undoubtedly her best part sn far in Dunedin. In make-up it is a complete study; the acting, is the perfection' of natu.ralness, absolutely innocent of the least suggestion of force or staginess, A great deal of,credit is also due to Miss Mabel Pane for her excellent acting and her Rood Scotch in ibe part- of Jean Challender; and that sterling actor Mr Ham.lton Stewart may be heartily thanked for his skilful portrayal of Lord Robert. We wereTa* httle d .'appointed with Mr AEholwood's Canon Wealthy, mainly because he dropped Lis voice so that only half of what he said was heard in the circle, but Mr Lloyd imported new and correct ideas into the part of Fathqr Lamplugh, and of the minor, characters we may-mention the Mrs Roberts of Miss Merton, the Splatt of Mr Gwenn and the Polly, of Miss Meyers as notably praiseworthy in a .particularly strong cast The play is superbly mounted, and the stagework demands our highest praise. The ningine of the.' monks jn the chapel was decidedly creditable though they should shorten the "Amen" .(which is chan+ed after the fashion of a Dissenting chase] choir) andjjossibly a more suitable canticle than the Nunc dimittis might be chosen I The Christian' is to be repeated this evening. . ■ ... • ■ .