TUAM STREET THEATRE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXX, Issue 10111, 9 August 1893, Page 6

TUAM STREET THEATRE.

MY JACK. On© of tho largest audiences'that Lay©' ever witnessed a dramatic performance ia Christchurch greeted the Holloway Com> pany last night on its reappearance at th© Tuam street theatre. The piece chosen, was Benjamin Landeck’s nautical My Ja<sk, which was staged in a manner worthy of tho play. My Jack wul ba remembered by theatre-goers as having been very favourably received when it was played here by the same Company in February last. The cast, with one or two exceptions, remains the same, the principal changes being that Miss Marion Medway took tbe part of Mrs Prescott, the blind mother, whose devotion to her son, was her guiding principle, and gave a dramatic exposition of the character, being especially good in the scene where she is sorely tempted to take the life of the man oho supposes to be her son’s murderer. Mr Henry Willard, although new to the part, portrayed the aristocratic villain who, for a time, flourished under the title of Sir Edward Vanbty, so artistically as to fairly arouse the feelings of the audience, and hia appearance was always the signal for groans. Mr Holloway in tbe title rile added another to his laurels by his careful interpretation of the part. As Jack Mere- | dith,* the poor fisherman who has the heart of a lion whether ia his humble occupation in the Cornish village, or serving his country as a blue jacket on board H.M.S. Seagull, or in tbe wilds of the Soudan, he acted with perfect freedom from restraint, and depicted the easygoing seaman to the life. Mr G. B. Melville, as Giro Panitzs, the unscrupulous Greek, impersonated iha bold aad cunning brigand who kept tbe impostor’s secrets and turned them to hia own account. Hia acting throughout was good, and by far his best effoit was his supposed death scene and his divulgence of the secret which restored to the hero hia righti. As usual tbe chief fun of the piece was iu the hands of Mr Oily Deerin g, and he certainly scored a success. Hia courtship with Mary Ibfcoteon (Mias Linda Raymond)/ the landlady of tho Bambridge Arms, was as amusing as.could be, while his brogue and gestures were ludicrous iu the highest degree. As Dorothy Prescott, the heroine. Miss Alice .Dcorwya gave a conscientious reading of tho part, aad waa warmly applauded. Mr Goughian played Solomon, tho ancient potman., who admits having been in love with three generations of Prescotts without being able to get that love returned. He made tho most of the part, and created a favourable impression. The minor parts were well filled, and the piece went splendidly. Tho excitement is well sustained throughout, and ’ the rapidity of denotiment and the frequency of striking situations are leading characteristics. Mr J. Little deserves considerable praise for his ecenery, as also do Messrs Nicholla and Rose for their stage mechanism. Mr Eiiuz’tj orchestra contributed not a little to the success of the piece. My Jack will bo. repeated to-night.