ABBOTTS OPÈRA HOUSE— THE POLKS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6872, 26 November 1883, Page 5

ABBOTTS OPÈRA HOUSE— THE POLKS.

" Sam'l o' Posen " is the title of a new drama produced at this theatre, on Saturday night, to a very largo audience. We will describe the piece accurately when we say there is more of dramatic fibre in its construction than was observable in the previous plays produced by this company. The progress and action of the piece are upon sensational lines, although there is a good deal of comedy thrown in from the excellent acting of Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Polk. Sam'l Seligman (Mr. Polk) is a Jew immigrant from Poson and he begins life by turning pedlar. Rebecca (Mrs. J. A. Polk), a Jewesß, is attendant in the shop of Mr. Moreton (Mr. It. A. Vernon), a rich jeweller and diamond merchant. The merchant has two nephews, Jack Falton (Mr. E. Calvert), and Frank Steele (Mr. Boothman), the villian of the piece. Jldlle. Blanche (Miss Lena Ellis) is privately married to Steele, with whom she conspires to supplant Fulton in the good opinion and inheritance of the uncle. >ellie, the merchant's daughter, iB secretly engaged to Fulton. Sam'l o' Posen obtains the position of stock clerk, in the diamond mciehant's establishment. In order to destroy the favoured nephew, an attempt is made to make the pedlar appear the stealer of a valuable ring. But the scheme is defeated, and the pedlar and newly-appointed stock clerk becomes travelling salesman for the firm, and Fulton is discarded. Blanche next keeps a gamb-ling-house, which the discarded nephew visits, but it is really owned by the dishonest nephew, who is taken into partnership. Sam'l goes to this gaming-house to warn Fulton that Miss Moreton and her father have set out to seek him. He has on his person diamonds to the value of £6000. He is drugged by Blanche, who possesses herself of the diamonds. The Frenchwoman entreats that her true relation to Steele may be made known. She is stabbed by him. Be then gets possession of the treasure. Sam'l next becomes temporary assistant to a pawnbroker, to whom Steele goes to pledge the diamonds. This leads to a highly sensational denouement, and Sam'l and Rebecca are happily wedded. The piece relics for its interest; on dramatic dovelopment rather than ludicrous situation. As the applause was very general and emphatic, it may be pronouraccd a success; It will be repeated this eveaing.