THEATRE ROYAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 7926, 31 July 1886, Page 6

THEATRE ROYAL.

■ "Called Back." , The original dramatised version of Hugh Conway's famous novel "Called Back" will be produced on Monday night by the Rignold and Allison Dramatic Company. "Called Back" is a highly sensational play, and abounds with interesting scenes. The adaptation differs a little from the novel, so as to make it actable. Pauline, the heroine, and Gilbert Vaughan, her blind lover, were friends before his blindness and before her loss of reason, and in a tender scene between the two she proclaims her unaltered affection for him. In the prologue, Paolo Macari, a political spy, endeavours to obtain her love by threats, but Pauline remains firm, and resents his proposals. Here the dangerous connection with the Italian band of patriots leads to the murder of Anthony March, her brother. She falls senseless to the ground, and her blind lover appears upon the scene, but his affliction leads him to believe that Pauline is the victim of Macari's rash act. A year is supposed to elapse between the prologue and the first act, during which the blind witness to the murder of March regains his sight, and works strenuously to tun the supposed murderers of Pauline to earth. He is introduced to Dr Ceneri, uncle of March, who, is at once recognised by Kenyon, a surgeon, as a former friend of Pauline. Ceneri, we might mention, witnesses the murder of March, but he swears himsalf to secrecy with Macari. The doctor is tracked to the conspirators' haunt by Gilbert, but there lost sight of. In this wretched hovel Pauline is secreted, but the result of the shock of her brother's murder has expelled all reason from her brain, and she recognises nothing. Gilbert and Kenyon enter the place, and while conversing together a knock at one of the room doors is heard. Then it slowly opens, and a beam of moonlight reveals to them the lost Pauline. The meeting of .the lovers provides a sad scene;'as'"'it is here that Gilbert receives the firdt intimation that the reasoning power of Pauline is lost. From this point, therefore, novel and drama are on equal terms, and in the second act the story in both is nearly identical. Gilbert and Macari are brought together, and the recognition of the latter by Pauline leads to the heroine's sudden insensibility. Macari falsely explains that the murdered man was a former lover of Pauline's, that he was assassinated because he dishonoured her, and that the assassin was no other than Dr Ceneii, now in exile in. Siberia. Gilbert, determined to learn the truth, proceeds to the prisons in Siberia, where Ceneri is found, after a long search, on the verge of death. Gilbert explains to him the revelation made by the Italian villain, and the latter declares it false. He for the first time reveals the name of the real victim, anck with half the secret of the real facts upon his lips he dies. From this we are brought back to Pauline's residence at Modena. Here Macari enters during Gilbert's absence and threatens her with a dagger if she should reveal his visit. She recognises upon the instrument blood, and emits a loud scream. He makes her take an oath that she will not open her lips about the occurrence. He then leaves the room, and proceeds away with the intention of securing a cab and carrying the girl away. During his absence the past comes back to her, and a vision is presented to her and the audience of the group of conspirators as they stood at the fatal moment portrayed in the prologue. When her memory is restored she cries loudly for help, and falls down senseless upon the floor. Then Gilbert makes his appearance, and she finds safety in his bands. So the heroine is " Called Back," and the drama ends with Macari's death. .