ABBOTTS OPERA HOUSE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8320, 29 July 1890, Page 5

ABBOTTS OPERA HOUSE.

" MACBETH."

At the close of the Shakesperian season Mr. Miln lias introduced "Macbeth," one of the greatest of the great plays of the great author, and he was greeted last night with a bumper house—the lower floor being filled, while there was the best dress-circle attendance of the season. Mr. George C. Miln appeared in the title role,, and showed from the first that lie had an intellectual ideal of the part which he had to play, llis soliloquies wero especially effective. "Is this a dagger that I see before me," was a beautiful piece of dramatic recitation, showing to great advantage the superior power, the inflections and intonations of Mr. Miln's fine voice. In the subsequent scenes up to the final combat, Mr. Miln showed a great deal of dramatic force and a thorough conception of the author's meaning, His pitiable despair on the announcement of the death of his wife, " She should have died hereafter," was as grand in its elocution as the more forcible passages. His masterly representation was fully recognised by the audience, and he was called before the curtain after each act, always accompanied by Miss Douglas, who played the part of Lady Macbeth. The lady received warm expressions of applause and showers of bouquets. She deserved them, too, for good actress though she is, the part of Lady Macbeth was supposed to be beyond her scope. She proved the contrary, and acted a splendid part throughout. Her satirical yet. respectful taunting of Macbeth when tempting him to the murder of Duncan, her demoniacal spirit as she egged him on to the fatal deed, and her participation in the murder, were pourtrayed with great power and expression, and in the third act, in the feast scene, she exercised a powerful By-the-way there is a marked peculiarity in the way in which this act is performed. Sir. Miin has entirely dispensed with the ghost of Banquo. There is a vacant stool, nothing more, but when the ghost, as we have been used to it here should appear with finger pointing to the huge gash on his neck there is only substituted a streak of limelight. The ghost is invisible to all eyes except those in Macbeth's brain. The effect was somewhat puzzling, but the apostrophe was one of the finest and most powerful elocutionary efforts that Mr. Miln has delivered, and perhaps after all the dispensing with the corporeal ghost is the correct idea. Mr. Collet Dobson played Banquo in a dignified and able manner. Mr, Nunn had a very small part to play. It was that of the drunken _ porter, and ho infused into it a life and humour which showed that he had determined to make the very best of small things, and ho created roars of laughter and was warmly applauded. Mr. W. J. Montgomery was Macduff. His role is comparatively light in the earlier acts, but in the fourth act he acted finely in the conference with Malcolm, and on the receipt of the news of the murder of his wife and children he exhibited a fine power of delineation, which fairly took the audience by storm, and he was honoured with a special call before the curtain. In the final scene also, in which he bears the most prominent part, Mr. Montgomery was fully equal to the occasion. The minor parts wero fairly filled in, and a success was attained which was one of the most pronounced ever accomplished by this company. The tragedy will be repeated to-night, and we have no doubt, it will bo as largely patronised as it was last night. It will be a deserving recognition of a fine delineation of one of tho finest efforts of Shakespere's genius. On Wednesday evening Mr. Miln will take the benefit which has been proffered to him by a number of leading citizens. The programme, Tom Taylor's " A Fool's Revenge," and Broughton's " Ruth's Romance," should indeed prove attractive. In order to meet the convenience of suburban and country settlers, special arrangements have been concluded with the Railway Department.