RETURN OF POPULAR ACTRESS

Evening Star, Issue 18336, 25 July 1923, Page 9

RETURN OF POPULAR ACTRESS

MISS EMELIE POLINI. The lox plans for the ten nights’ season of the J. C. Williamson Fhnclio Pnliin Company, during which will bo presented ‘My Lady’s Diess,' 'The Lie,’ ‘French Leave,’ ami ‘Tim Flaw.’ are now open at The Bristol Piano Company’s. When '.Miss Polini made her first appearance before Dunedin audiences over two years ago she achieved an immediate success, and :> lot urn visit has been eagerly awaited. To-monow night, at 8 o'clock, this famous actress, in association with Air Frank Harvey, comes hack to make further conquests ‘.My Lady's Dress,’ the piece chosen as the introductory plav, is slated to give plenty of scope for the dramatic, aclicr, in which Alias Polini ex cels. Tho piece, from the clever pen of Edwaid Knoblock, is described as a “dramatic novelty,” for, although it :s confined to throe acts, it runs a varied and fascinating course through r.mo episodes that afford realistic glimpses of life in various lands. \Tlie separate incidents are linked together by a chain of sequences which lends to tho creation of a wonderful and beautiful frock—the typo of hundreds purchased thoughtlessly by “my lady ” of the world of society without considering the cost in human loves and hates and licartbrca.ks bound up in its creation. It is said that Miss Polini displays wonderful cleverness and art in her representations of tho various characters of tho play. Whether as “my ladv ” in the prologue or tho pretty Italian girl, torn and perplexed between her accented lover and tho wicked and revengeful pedler whoso favors she had accepted (but whose , suit she had rejected), she -is equally convincing. She is a haggard and careworn French weaver, an arch and winsome Dutch maiden, and a centre of deep sympathy as tho crippled workgirl in Whitechapel, condemned to return to the institution she had left to maintain and cherish a thankless sister: as (he passionate peasant who heartlessly he)rnvs the “intellectual" she has married because the fascination of a rough trapper of her own class she is particularly successful; and she also fills with appealing pathos the part of the virtuous dressmaker pursued by a. satyr and bullied by her employer. Mr Frank ITarvev also excels in the many different and uifiicult characters he has to portray during the performance Tho two principals will he supported by an exceptionally •trong d. C.’ Williamson Company. ‘My Lady's Dress’ will bo played, for the first four nights.