THE HOLLOWAY COMPANY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXX, Issue 10103, 31 July 1893, Page 6

THE HOLLOWAY COMPANY.

A WOMAN’S SACRIFICE. Notwithstanding the disagreeable weather, there was a good house at the Tuemetract theatre on Saturday night, when the Holloway Dramatic Company played tho Adelphi drama A Woman’s Sacrifice. This is a well-constructed play, net so sensational as most of the Adelphi pieces, but interesting and of a healthy tone. The plot, despite intrinsic improbabilities, ia a good one. Ifc ia briefly aa follows:—Bob Lovett, a ne’et-do-well, but not an utterly heartless scamp, a workman in an iron foundry, steals his employer’s cash-box, and places some of the notes taken therefrom in the bouse of a fellow-workman, George Warner, not with the idea of fastening tho robbery on to him, but in order to enable him to gratify hia wish to emigrate to America. Warner and h.a wife, however, are suspected of the robbery; hia house is searched, and the notes found. Hia wife, believing him guilty, but wishing to save him from punishment, proclaims that she had stolen them, and is sentenced to five yoara’ imprisonment. In real life an explanation would probably soon have been brought shout between husband and wife, but on the stage this would spoil the interest of the play, so each deems the other the guilty party, and an estrangement follows. The poor woman corves her sentence, and shortly after release is again arrested, this time on a charge, arising out of a mistake in identity, of stealing a pocket-book from , her, own husband, who, duriug her incarceration, has ri eu to wealth through the, success of an invention. Ho recognises hsr in the Court, and, after a painful scene, she’ is discharged, Tho undeserved Troubles which have eo long beset her,, are then cleared away by the confession of the tardily repentant ne’er-do-well, whom hia victims, in consideration of. their recovered happiness, promptly forgive, without, apparently, his making the public acknowledgment which alone could, restore to Mrs Warner her good name. The play has some “ strong ” situations, and affords ecope, of which due advantage wan taken, for effective acting. As Mary Warner, tho devoted and sadly misunderstood wife, Miss Linda Raymond achieved a triumph. She acted with vivacity, dignity, and pathos, as the varying exigencies of an arduous part demanded. Her acting in the emotional scenes was forcible and affecting, yet not overstrained. Mias Alice Deorwyn, aa Mi 11 ,7 Charity, a good-hoarted but flighty girl, who marries Bob Lovett, and entails misery on herself thereby, whs by turns appropriately lively ami pathetic. Her representation of the character was an exceedingly good one, despite an occasional tendency to over-act. Miua Marion Medway was amusingly and properly vulgar aa the termagant keeper of the low lodging-house which shelters Mary and Milly during one period of their misfortunes. Mr Charles Holloway gave an excellent portrayal of the part of Bob Lovett. The scamp’s humorous cynicism, dissipation and wickedness, and his final Betf-abaeeroeut, and repentance, were artistically depicted. Mr Henry Willard exureesed much manly feeling m hio reuraHOtifcatica or George 1 Warner. Mr Oily Daoring was admirable as Tunks, a kindhearted prison warder who befriends the heroine after her release. Mr George Melville was an amusing policeman of the stage variety.- Messrs Eissmore. and Goughian acted very well in the parts of tho employers of Warner and Lovett, and Mr Money waa good, i! somewhat stiff, as the police magistrate. Misses Clayton and B. and C. Nixon capitally filled minor female roles. Arrangements have been made for tho Company to appear during a portion of thio week, and to-night A Woman’s Sacrifice will be repeated.