Chas. Holloway's Dramatic Co.

Hastings Standard, Volume X, Issue 5415, 30 January 1907, Page 3

Chas. Holloway's Dramatic Co.

At the Princess Theatre, Hastings, I on Thursday, January 31st, will be product " The Coal King," one of the strongest plays in the repertoire of Mr Charles Holloway's Dramatic Company. It was imported from England, where it enjoyed the distinction of being blessed by no less sound a theatrical prophet than Mr Clement Scott, fsr many years dramatic critic to the London Daily Telegraph. " Such a moment of genuine emotion " —says this writer, dealing with the fourth act—" on 3 rarely experi- '. ences now-a-days." The scene in ' question gives a realistic representation of the surroundings of a coal mine, and never fails to elicit warm expressions of admiration. Love, stronger than death ; jealousy, more bitter than the grave; and revenge, more bloody than a deluge, are the main springs of the play, and to the credit of the authors, Martin and Llewellyn, be it said, the plot, though sensaticnal, 13 entirely coherent. No melodrama worthy of the name is deficient in comedy, and " The Coal King " has an especially rich vein of humor. The son of "The Coal King" Sir Reginald Harford (Mr John Herford) is in love with Grace Shirley (Miss Beatrice Kolloway), who, however, is in love with Tom Roberts,(Mr Robert Inman) manager of the mine. Walter Harford, Sir Reginald's son (Mr Godfrey Cass) is responsible for many villainies that he expiates in the last act in the traditional manner. A r synopsis of the scenery indicates sufficiently well the lines traversed by the plot. These ar* " The Grange," the Colliery, the Mystery of the Iron Safe, Lover's Lane, the " Black Pond," the Living Tomb, and the Wrong Righted. " The Coal King " will be followed by " The Shadows of a Great City," an intensely exciting four-act drama produce! by special arrangement with Mr J. C. Williamson. Reserved seats, dress circle and orchestral stall may be booked at Hall's, bookseller,