“KING LOUIS XI.”

New Zealand Mail, Issue 753, 6 August 1886, Page 14

“KING LOUIS XI.”

As King Louis XT. Mr Sheridan had a part which suited him particularly well. The attendance at the Theatre on Wednesday night was a very large one, and those present had the pleasure of seeing the character which Sir Walter Scott drew so as to be almost a creation acted ia the most life-like manner. None of Sir Walter’s characters stand out so completely as that of King Louis XL, and from ♦be novel of Quentin Durward the King will be judged to all time. The play, of course, depends almost entirely on the one part. King Louis’ character is everything, and the other parts are almost insignificant. Mr Sheridan’s appearance on the stage was the King to the life. He presented the figure which everyone associates with the scene at Plessis-le-Tours—meanly dressed, with the leaden images in his hat. There was the familiarity of manner, with all the assumption, though without the reality of kindliness, and at v the same time the sense of kingly power and dignity. The play is not one of a great deal of incident, yet the central character, and the power with which it was delineated, were amply sufficient to keep the large audience completely interested throughout the performance. The curious mixture of character which King Louis displayed iu history, and which the novel has made familiar to everyone, is so extraordinary that in the hands of an actor of ability like Mr Sheridan it cannot fail to keep the spectators in the same frame of mind as if they were witnessing a scene from real life. Throughout the play Mr Sheridan’s acting was exceedingly vigorous, his grasp of the character being such as to came up fully to the ideal which everyone has formed of it from boyhood. Iu the deathbed scene, all the raling passions are depicted with the utmost power, and the manner in which hatred is at last overcome, not by religion but by superstition, is worthy of Mr Sheridan’s high reputation as a tragic actor. There are few actors of the present day who could place such a picture before au audience : and the Wellington public have reason to be gratified that they have had the opportunity to see a performance of such high merit. Mr Sheridan was exceedingly well supported. As the Duke of Nemours, Mr C. H. Taylor played with great ability j and as the Dauphin, Miss Louise Davenport acted with the grace

and dramatic force which she always displays. Mia 3 Ella Carrington also as Marie de Cominea was thoroughly efficient, as was Miss Juno in the part of Martha. The other performers did what they had to do in a manner which deserves praise. The play was put on the stage particularly well, scenery and dresses being everything that the most fastidious could desire.