COWAN DRAMATIC COMPANY.

New Zealand Mail, 28 July 1898, Page 18

COWAN DRAMATIC COMPANY.

Marcus Clarke’s engrossing novel, “For the Term of His Natural Life,” with its stern and vivid pictures of the Tasmania of the past, provides abundant material for the dramatist. The version of the work presented by Cowan’s Dramatic Company at the Opera House last week did not avoid its forbidding features. Prisoners in convict garb were on the stage in almost every scene, and the clank of leg irons was seldom absent from tho ear of the audience. The hero lifted up manacled hands to call down curses on his persecutors. And these were by no means the limits of realism in the production. Rufus Dawes, powerfully played by Mr W. Dalgleish, waa seen stretched on the rack-bed, and when in the refinement of cruelty he was ordered to flog his boy friend, the impersonator of the latter character appeared stripped to the buff, and was tied up to the triangle just as if the brutal punishment were about to be carried out to the letter. Though on a larger scale, the sensational occurrences on the convict transport Malabar were yet presented with equal semblance of actuality. The mutiny of nrisoners, vigorously carried through, was succeeded by the explosion of the ship’s magazine, after which came an effective tableau showing the burning ship in the near distance and bor survivors on a raft in the foreground. Of the ottos settings, mention is required oi that for

the prologue, a double one showing the interior of Sir Richard Devine’s house at Hampstead Heatu, With it snowstorm raging outside; also of that on the island and the prison interiors. Altogether “ His Natural Life” proved to be the company’s most successful performance here In the principal part Mr Daigleish acted with eonvin ing strength. At times, as, for instance, when Dawes returns from his dreadful experiences in the bush, starving and half demeutO.l, he fairly thrilled the auaiehde. The part was one which afforded him great scope, and his conception of it was adequate to a very commendable degree. Miss MaUde G Wynne appeared as Sylvia, and her sympathy for Dawes was gracefully Bhown. S>e imparted sufficient contrast to the interval in >vhi h, in consequence of shock, ti.e heroine’s memory beoame a blank as to the past As Captain Maurice Freere, Mr H. J Grattan was consistent, and Mr Ned Holloway was impressive as that truly honest man, the Rov Mr North. The other wearer of thb cloth, the hypocrite Mcekin, was amusingly pourtrayed by Mr W. H: Cowan, who also appeared at short iiotice as John Rex. Mr old Davenport’s Gabbet was a character study of no little merit, and Miss Ada Rochefort showed her versatiii y by taking the part of Crow, the old convict s youthful mate. The scene in which Lex, Gabbet and Crow draw lots prior to the contemplated cannibalism was horrible in its 6uggestivenes.s. j.iss Jennie Nye, as Sarah Rex, scored in her amorous adventures with the captain and Meekin no less than iu the various s tuations in w’hich the was called upon to tafce a prominent parti Why is it that * East Lynne ” is one cf tho: o plays which a large section of the public is always ready to 599 again ? Probably the reason is that Mrs Henry Woods’ novel, both as a novel and in dramatised form, is, in spite of its sentimentality, true to life. Its story is in harmony with human experience; tho main incident is onb that odours over and over again throughout tho “ civilised ” world. The fact that the person deceived and wronged is a woman is no doubt the cause of the preponderance of women in •* East Lynne *' audiences It explains why there were more women than m n in the Opera House last week, when tho drama was presented by Cowan’s D amatio Company. ihe attendance of both sexes was numerous, aud tho performance had its good points* The all-important character of Lady Isabel was assume t by Miss Maude Gwymiej Who emphasised the emotional scents in a manner which gained for her the tearful sympathy of many ladies in the audience. Mr H. Grattan was Archibald Carlyle, and the part of nichard Hare was taken by Mr W. Dalgleish. Mr W. H. Cowan was by no means well placed as Sir Francis Levison, and s >me of the scenes were weakened in consequence. As ! Lord Mount cevern Mr E Holloway was dignified, and the interview between his Lordship and Lady Mabel in the house in Paris was perhaps the moat satisfactory in ihe production Mis 3 Ada Rochefort, as Barbara Haro, and Miss Jennie Nye, as the outspoken “ Corney,” made most of the familiar points tell. Amy Johns was little Willie. l'he principals were called bef ;re j the curtain after almost every act. “The Silver King,” played by the Cowan Dramatic Company on Saturday night, attracted a fairly large audience, and was generally a creditable performance. In essaying the fa3k of staging Mr dU A. Jones’ celebrated drama the company are somewhat at a disadvantage, laying themselves open as they necessarily do to comparison with the productions given by some of the strongest combinations that have visited the colonies. To judge them by this standard would be manifestly unfair But looked at from the standpoint of ordinary dramatic effort the performance was a distinctly creditable one. In the name part Mr H J. Grattan acquitted himself well, and at times showed unlooked for dramatic power, while the character of Nelly Denver found a suitable exponent in Miss Maude Gwynne. The faithfu and impulsive old Jaikes lost none of his attributes at the hands of Mr Ned Holloway, and Mr W. H. Cowan made “The Spider,” a person whose subsequent imprisonment waa felt by the audience t,o be hardly sufficient atonement for his previous di.sreput <bl i career. Cowan's i. ramttie Company, carrying out its system of quick ohanges, presented yet another new bill at the Opera House Monday night, when it turned its attention to come iy, and gave a performance of “ uur Boys.” .--s Berkyn Middiewick, the retired butterman, Mr E. Holloway secured much laughter by a forcible impersonation. Both Miss Maude G wynne, as Mary, and Miss V. Montague, as Violet Melrose, acted very pleasing ! y, aud did much towards making tho play run on bright lines.