THEATRE ROYAL.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 10012, 10 June 1895, Page 3

THEATRE ROYAL.

"THE SUNNY SOUTH." c( j ' Although Saturday night is not favorite with playgoers Mr Darrell a his talented company hod every reason congratulate themselves in regard to I audience which assembled to witness t "Sunny South," and, speaking advised we say that one and oil felb themsel** well repaid for their attendance. T : f. play was staged with the aame excellec as Its predecessor, and the. acting i round was suoh as left nothing to desired, The opening scene of the drat is in England, and discovers a villa named Eli Grnp in bhe act of snggestli au alternative to a gentleman nam Chester, lb is the samo old well-wo d dramatic alternative: "You give b ;a your daughter and I will release n Q mortgage and save you from ruin." Tl difference in this oase, however, that -the daughter remains nnsacrlfice chiefly on account of the grit of her fathe who courageously revokes a previous a rangement to dispose of his daughter, i Grup, at the last moment, and partly c c account of a long-lost nephew (Mi y Morley) appearing ou the scene an 0 suggesting a nugget-hunting expeditic to Australia. The dramatis person 0 accordingly transform themselves to or of the colonies, not specified, and ni found lv a greater or less state ot e_ hilaration, mixing wlbh cornstalk: menials, and bushrangers (sub rosa) In joyful whirl at a diggings ball. Subse quenbly bhe audience is introduced to » largish nugget enwrapped in a Unio >* Jack, on the Qaeen's Birthday, wbio gives Mr Darrell the opportunity c tunefully voicing a iew sentiments of hi very own. about unfurling the flag with an appropriate swinging chorne Then a loud and lurid chief bushrange looms largely on the scene anu ..publicl; , announces his intention of making tiii_*g warm for quite a number of people ; alai of sticking up tho bank, and other worth; projects. His accompiica also permit' himself to ornament the perspective, anc make a few threatening remarks, appar enbly from the region of his boots. Per haps it would not be irrelevant to re marl here that if were told bushranger No. 5 waa a runaway tapster we would not dare to contradict our informant. At anyrate ii we were a bushranger we would not include him in our gang if there was any running to he done. But to hark back, the bank Is dnly attacked, and the English Johnny in charge overpowered for the time being, only to be reinforced by a large assort, menb of miscellaneous weapons in tbe hands of a medley of more or leas skilful marksmen — ■ ' and the bushrangers are thereupon despatched to the polioe station. Just about then it transpires that Mr Eli Grup has also emigrated to the antipodes in search of revenge on Mat Morley aforesaid—and Mlbs Chester, also aforesaid. After this the plot is mixed np with an abduction by the boys bushranger (who meantime has broken gaol) of Baba Berkeley, a particularly vivacious young colonial (in love with Morley), the tying up and shooting of Morley (who of course recovers), a fire, the alleged wreck of a speoial train (which was still in good repair as far as we could learn at the time of going to pres.), and other exciting incidents too numerous to mention, in which good all-round shooting was made by nearly everybody. Then after the bushranger and his tapster accomplice and his other accomplices have been safely leg-ironed again ib transplies that Ell Grup was reap.nsible for nearly all the damage sustained, aud shortly before the curtain falls the la .v comes in in blue clothes and removes him and his apologetic and humoious accomplice on about 755 charges. Then it is disc.veied that the hero, the heroine, and all their friends ate iv a state ot hilarious happiness, to be tempered only by a liberal application of orange blossoms and swamp seed, and the curtain follows after a few patriotic remarks frpm Mr D_rr.ll (we beg pardon, Mat Morley) I about the crlmeoa thread whloh binds Australia to the dear o'd Motherland. The principal characters were sustained admirably by Messrs Dirrell (Mat Morley), J. B. Atholwood (Ivo Carey), J. A. Pabterson (Eli Grup), F. O_mbonrne (Perfidy Pounce), C. Dobson (Dick Duggan), Barry Marschel (Black Tracker Tomu_y),*and Mlsb Harrio Ireland (Babs Berkeley), and Miss Gill (Clarice Chester). Mr Darrell'a Impersouatlon suited him bo a " T," and Miss Ireland fairly revelled in her part, and scored a big success, her numerous costumes being also greatly admired. Miss Marschel deserves special praise for his artistic conception of the Australian aboriginal, his acting being admirably true to natnre. " LlfrE FOR Lli'E." To-night the Now Zealand drama " Life for Llf_," written by Mr Darrell, and played with immense success In Sydney and Melbourne, will be put on for the firs . time in Nopier. Romantic and sensational the drama certainly is says the Auckland Herald, And Its originality consists io the ingenuity with which a nnmber of dramatic incidents and situations ■ are woven together, the wholo making a play of undoubted strength and unflagging interest. The virtuous characters are persecuted for a season, and wickedness triumphs ; but, of course, each meet with its appropriate reward at the end oi the piece. The first scene opens in the matron's room in the hospital at Dunedin— a room with a sliding panel half-way np the wall facing the audience. When this panel is withdrawn, and the rest of the stage ls darkened, the audience is allowed to see what is taking place in one of the wards. In this ward is an old miser who has got £2000 in a pocketbook under his pillow. Isabel Gower (Mles Harrle Ireland) is the matron of the Institution ; her father, Giles Gower (Mr Edwin Kelly), a disreputable old drunkard, is bhe dispenser ; Dr. Richard Cromby (Mr Collet Dobson) ie bhe senior physician of the hospital, and the evil genius of the drama, and Dr. Montrose (Mr James Atholwood), bis junior professionally and bis moral antithesis, Both the latter are in love with Isabel, who of course prefers the youcg man. Old Gower and Cromby both know of the old miser's treasure, and resolve to possess themselves ot lt. So they drug his medicine. Then there is a clinical scene, in which Montrose administers the composing draught unconscious of its having been tampered with, The miser entrusts his pocket- book to him, with a testamentary letter, and presently dies. As soon as his death is known Cromby and Gower tax Montrose with having murdered the old mon forthe sake of bis money ; the police are called ln, ths pocket-book is found on bis person, and he is taken to prison. He is twice tried, and on tbe eecond occasion is convl.ted. But an old friend turns up in the person of Samuel Soutar (Mr George Darrell), an irrepressible newspaper re porter, who obtains access to the prison, exchanges clothe, with the convict, and enables him to esc.pe. In the second sc. the scene shifts to the diggings at Hokltika, where Gowea is keeping a store and crod-shop, and where Sb. Patrick's Eve Is being celebrated. A mysterious personage turns up In the shape of a dumb old man, wbo ls wandering abont seeking his twin brother. This brother proves to be the miser, who was poisoned in the Dunedin hospital. Gower sees the dumb man, mistakes him for tbo ghost of bis vic'lm, and is co troubled in his con- I science that the secret of the murder is learned by bis daughter Isabel, wbo has become the wife of Dr. Cromby, whom she loathes, ln order to Bave her father from ruin. Moutro.e is discovered on the diggings, and is ro arrested. In the third act he la being conveyed to Christchnrch, when tbe gold escort is stuck np by a party of bushrangers, and by the aid of the übiquitous Soutar be is enabled once more to effect hi^ o<cupa. He gallops off behind Isabel Gower, who is mounted on horseback ainUs. what tbe playbills cal "a scene of unp .r.lU'l.ri excitement." In bhe fourth act old Gower dies of alcoholism, hut not before hn hns made and atte.tfd a coDfesslon of tho murder, in which his daughter's husband was his confederate. The atory then goes back to the ranges, to which Cromby has carried off hi. wife, whom be Bhuts up io n shanty, which is the hiding place of the bushrangers. There is a ■« roll up " of the diggers to hunt them down, and the mounted troopers appear upon tne scene to aid in capturing the outlaw. . They fire the hut, Isobal Is dragged out of tho building in a faiuting condition, Cromby is shot, and Montrose marries the widow, while Sou tar becomes the husband of her sister Lilian (Miss Fltzmanrlce Gill). A simllai arrangement unites the comic couple ol the piece (Miss Isabel Stuart and Mi Fred, Cambourne).