ABBOTT'S OPERA HOUSE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7342, 1 June 1885, Page 5

ABBOTT'S OPERA HOUSE.

. "DIPLOMACY." Victor Sardou's four act drama "Diplomacy," was produced for the first time in Auckland on Saturday night, by Mr. Wybert' Reeve's company. To attempt, in the brief space at our disposal, to give a detailed outline of au intricate plot would be useless, but we may just allude to a few of its leading, features. Captain Julian Beauclerc (Mr. J. B. Steele) has received the news of his appointment as military attache to the Embassy of Constantinople from his brother, Henry Beauclerc (Mr. Wybert Reeve), a diplomatist of the English Embassy at Paris, and is entrusted with an important despatch, containing tracings of proposed fortifications at Constantinople. Baron Stein (Mr. Holloway). a Russian spy, bribes Countess Zioka (Miss Constance' Deorwyn), an adventuress who is in love with Julian, and enraged with jealousy by- his marriage with Dora, daughter of the Marquise de Rio Zsres, to steal these despatches. She succeeds in doing so just as the married couple are about to leave for Constantinople, and also succeeds in fixing suspicion of the theft on Dora (Miss Alice Deorwyn). Finally, however, through the tact and discretion.of Henry Beauclerc, the papers are ■ recovered, and, he so cleverly arranges it as ,to compel the Countess Zicka to acknowledge chat it was she who had stolen..the papers. Count Orloff (Mr. JR. Stewart), a political exile, plays a rather important part, and /some of the scenes concentrates the 'interest- -of the play to a considerable extent." Mr. Wybert Reeve as the diplomatist and brother of Julian, played a very powerful part with all the skill of an accomplished artiste. It. was quiet and gentlemanly, thoughtful and concentrated, without a single trace of exaggeration, and from first to last it was enacted in such a way as to chain the steady attention of the audience. Mr. :J. B. Steele appeared to great advantage as Captain Beauclerc. The role is a leading one, and required all the skill of a finished actor to bring out its phases, but Mr. Steele grasped the character admirably, and in the scenes with Count Orloff, in which he learns that his wife is suspected of being a Russian spy, and in that with his wife where he tacitly accused her of having stolen the missing despatch, he played with power and dignity, bringing out the deep feelings by which he was moved in great relief. As Dora, the young wife, Miss Alice Deorwyn played with great feeling and expression In the more thrilling scenes, when the terrible accusation is made by her husband, and she parts with him, as she thinks forever, she displayed dramatic powers of a high order, and earned for her a hearty and emphatic burst of applause. Miss Constance Deorwyn made a great deal of the role of the Countess Zicka, and Mrs. Chippendale as the Marquise, mother of Dora, both looked and acted the role to perfection, elevating it to a leading position in the drama. Mr. Hoiloway played carefully as Baron Stein, and Mr. Stein acted with considerable skill as Count Orloff. The production of " Diplomacy " seem* to be one of the season. The applause oh Saturday night was hearty and warm, and the leading performers were repeatedly called before the curtain. "Diplomacy" will be repeated to-night and until further notice.