THEATRE ROYAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 5009, 9 March 1877, Page 2

THEATRE ROYAL.

“The Bchohback,"

Thu play u always a lavourite. The irt, w rapid, the emotional portion u rdiered •ereral intensely hamorous scenes. the gaage u excellent, though here 'and th?’ •tilled, »nd the ending happy, Tho *nnn.. 6 ment that Mr* Biddons *u to take the of Julia could not, therefore, fail to t,.*?* 71 a good attendance. Her Julia » Ba , conception, and a well-balanced, finished di of acting. Tho thoughtless, wayward raocri with which the part begins were very char * ingly represented, To theee, the !ceD6 which Julia realise* her love in the morni>» of rejection by her betrothed, wu i 0 oootraet, and the deeperate reiolve to tho flret suitor that waa offered to her » finely acted, the grief, indignation ’ waverings of indecision that precede the determination being exceedingly well rendered The scene with her lover, Clifford, » H tJ . * best, that in which he appears, after the U* of hie fortune, as tho messenger from the rut •he ie to marry. Her manner of showing how* having recognised his voice, she crevied u look at him, was very finely cone ir-d and ti. oeedingly natural, voice, look and showing how mnch she was moved, j. * recognition and dialogue with Ci.lford followed was no less artistic, with the disr|. of the varying emotions by which tl,e action . governed. Lore, regret, passionate pride, honour—all these were very faithful represented in their successive master •weep over her mind. The Clifford (Mr Burford) was the whii e y,L admirable, standing aloof at first, afraid look upon her, and finally stroggnng to repress bis emotion, quickly retiring without word at her bidding, then returning to bis passion, retreating again, ana finally pn . vailing by virtue of bis promise to win her with honour. All this was very well acted by Ur Burford. The whole scene v u intensely dramatic, and emhur.utinlh applauded. The last scene need not be described, for after what has beer, said of the former one, the behaviour of Juna maybe imagined. After it had ended ic the Snai happiness of all concerned, the which Mrs Biddons obtained for her Jui -a was u well deserved as any she has had. It m certainly a magnificent performance.

Mrs Hill made a charming Helen, throwing into her impersonation the great rutcitj archness which are its essential features, s-, made it extremely amusing, being veil seconded by Mr Graham as Modus. XLia was a well studied, effective perfjrmanca. The scenes in which these two appear *an greeted by roars of laughter. Mr Steele's Master Walter was careful and artistic. He played the part with the dignity, the mixture of fatherly kindness and firmness, and the occasional fierceness that belong to it. Mr Hill’e Fathom waa made very amusing, and the other parts were fairly well filiea. For tonight (be bids announce “ King Hen«’> Daughter” and the 11 Honeymoon.’’ “ King Bene’s Daughter” is translated front the Danish of Henrik Hers, by tns Han Edmund Phipps. lolanthe, me youngest daughter of Kmg Bene, of Florence (the Troubadour King), haring lost her sight in infancy, his been brought up, by the adrice of a great Moorish physician, in seclusion, and the the seine of tight kept from her, in cider to aid hia scheme for her restoration to sight, her sixteenth birthday being the day fixed by him for the operation. On that very day, howerer, she becomes aware of her great iota, through the conrersation of a young knight, who obtains access by chance to he: retired dwelling. This happens, fortunately, to he the Count Anton de Yaodemont, rca has been betrothed to her since boyhood, by way of patching up a political feud between their respective fathers. The knowledge of, and the longing for, sight tarns oat to be an nd to the physician’s design, and this beautif--idyll concludes with lolanthe’s happy reiteration to sight, and marriage with mm whose words first brought the gleam of light into her inmost soul.