PRINCE OF WALES THEATRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume VI, Issue 1630, 11 February 1869, Page 3

PRINCE OF WALES THEATRE.

A higher compliment could scarcely have been ! naid to the Star of the Evening at the Prince of Wales Theatre yesterday evening, than the fact of the very fair attendance under the most extraordinarily adverse circumstances of the weather. We had really hardly expected, to see anyone, since a more cheerless prospect than an outside expedition last light could scarcely have been conceived. It was, therefore, with a great degree of pleasure and satisfaction that we saw as large an audienco assembled as was the case, since it silently testified to the high esteem in ?! hich the talents of Mrs. Heir are held amongst the good folks of this city. The play, it will be remembered, had a good run during the first season of the Star Company, and we never saw Mrs. Heir either look or play better in the piece than she did yesterday evening. Her dress was arranged with that good taste which seems especially hers, and in every portion of the drama, which is so full of thrilling passages, her depth of acting and of voice was felt by every one of those present. There arc some passages where silence on the part of an audience is a higher compliment than applause, and such passages frequently occur in East Lynne ; Mrs. Heir appeared to abandon herself completely to the influence of the pathetic story, ana to I've in reality through the sad scenes which she enacted. Miss. Shepparde played Barbara Hare, and very engaging she looked, sufficiently so to seduce a much more straight laced individual than Carlyle, a character which was taken, and really brought out very well by Mr. Herberte. Many of our readers will remember Mr. Jones's former excellence as the Hon. Francis, and the intense fun occasioned by Mrs. Jones as Miss Cornelia; last night we were happy to sec them once more in the same characters, and may say that we never saw a more artistic performance. Miss Anstead received a good deal of applause as Joyce, and we thought the short scene, where she upbraids the old maid with being the cause of her Lady's flight, the best part of her playing. " Love's Sacrifice" is the picce for this evening, and we shall see Mrs. Heir in another of her great impersonations—Margaret Elmore. Messrs. Jones and Howe will play the rival merchants, and Mr. Herberte Eugene de Lorme.