THEATRE ROYAL

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12531, 19 June 1901, Page 5

THEATRE ROYAL

“■SWEET LAVENDER.’

The Christ church Amateur. Dramaitio Club must certainly be congratulated upon its first performance of Pinero’s well-known play, “ Sweet • Lavender.” The play was extfemely well staged and dressed, and favoured by a large and sympathetic audience the individual performers ‘ had every encouragement, and, in most cases, made the best of thejr opportunities. The play was rather an ambitious one for amateurs r to undertake, but that the audience was more than satisfied with the production was evidenced by the enthusiastic calls before the curtain which the perfumers received at the close of each act. 'ine piece is too well-known here to need any description of the plot. Miss Nina Parson®, who took the part, of the heroine, Lavender, was perhaps a little and hard in the mote tender passages, but as it, was her first' appearance on the stage, she will no doubt show an improvement wuem she has a better acquaintance with-the “boards.” Miss • Hardciastlc- made a success of the haughty 'Mi.? Mdfillen, and w’s specially gor'd ; u the last act when, overtaken by adversity, she lias to a (top D ai more liumbie demeanour. As Minnie Gilffilam, the vivacious daughter, who has more than one love affair on her hands, eventually succumbing to 'he wiles of her persistent American wooer. Miss Hetty Wells was sufficiently coy and vivacious. In the difficult role of Ruth Rolt, a “widow” with a painful past. Miss M’Neish, showed considerable histrionic ability, and brought out the more pathetic parages in an admirable manner. Of course the main character in the play; and the one on. which to a -great extent, the success of the piece depended,, was that of the golden-hearted, weak-natured, down-at-heel Dick Phenyl, in which Mr Winter -A. Hall showed himself something more "than an amateur. He/ gave a thoroughly even impersonation of the character, a d in his inebrity did not' overdo the part, rwhile in th« more pathetic, as in the humorous passages, he was equally at irony'. Mr H. Roberts, who. essayed the character of Geoffrey Wedderbum, wa® ma le up, much too young for the part, but he acquitted himself fairly well; a: d Mr Oliirle- Hobbs gave ail even and careful rendering of the part of. Clement Hale,; the dserolne’s lover. As Horace Bream, the persistent; Amer.can,, Mr Henry Hayward; had a .lather difficult 'part, and acquitted hiln-ielf creditably. Dr Delaney, a kind-heated Ir sh physician, was well cast in trie h;v ~-s of Mr C Buchanan, while Mr A. J. .. .nuJ was entrusted'with the par. o' F an amusing professor of th: io T <■ i- “ ■ i '■i' '- Mr 0. White Par.-.ous imp i;.. a.... v a. solicitor. Mr Bur.z’s orotic dr a it.. > -sd the incidental music. " Sweet Laver in* ” will be, repeated this evening. , ’