IMPERIAL OPERA HOUSE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5548, 9 January 1879, Page 2

IMPERIAL OPERA HOUSE.

“ AMOS CLABKE.” | After a run of eleven nights to capital business, Henry V. was withdrawn by the management to give place to “ Amos Clarke," a fouract drama written by Watts Phillips tor Mr. Rignold, and produced in London with great success. .The piece has never before been presented in the colonies, and therefore as it is entirely new to play-goers in this part of the world, a brief sketch of the drama, written on the occasion of its first production in the great metropolis, may not be uninteresting, as enabling the patrons of the drama more thoroughly to understand the action of the piece ns it proceeds. The action of the play takes place at Taunton, beginning in the year ICB3, shortly after the battle of Sedgmoor. Colonel Kirke and his notorious “ lambs ” are the tyrants of the town, and an exhibition of their brutality and the consequent dissatisfaction of the people, initiates the audience into the atmosphere in which the incidents of the drama are to occur. Sir Arther Clavering is dead, his estates have passed to his brother, Eobert Clavering, in whoso house Amos Clarke (Mr. George Eignold), now grown to man’s estate, holds the office of secretary, no one being the least aware of his origin. Amos is actuated by three distinct emotions—hatred for Sir Robert, who treated his deceased mother with exceptional contumely, affection for his half-brother John, and love fer Sir Robert’s neice, Mildred Vaughan. Two of these emotions harmonise under difficult circumstances. Mildred is attached to her cousin John, but this only arouses a generous zeal in the bosom of Amos to aid his brother in the face of extraordinary perils. John has served in the Duke of Monmouth’s army, and a price is set upon his head, his most inveterate foe being his uncle Robert, a famous Royalist, who vows that, rather than lot him escape, he will double the reward. Nevertheless, not only does Amos contrive, with the assistance of Tom Snapper, a highwayman, to get him safely on shipboard, but, before his departure for a foreign land, admits him through a secret panel into Clavering Hall, where he bids farewell to his beloved Mildred. On quitting Mildrew John sportively cuts off one of her locks with a poignard, which he accidently drops and leaves upon the floor. When he is gone terrible Sir Robert makes bis appearance in a towering rage, having reason to suspect his nephew is hidden somewhere about the premises, and that Amos is contriving his escape. An altercation ensues, and for some time the old gentleman is baffled by the coolness of his secretary, until the temper of the latter giving way, he boldly declares his origin, upbraids Sir Robert as his deadliest foe, reproaching him, inter alia, as the immediate cause of Sir Arthur’s death, who, it seems, committed suicide. The tempest of vengeful wrath proves too much even for the Clavering nerves, and Sir Robert, completely overpowered, falls back in a fit. The secretary's first impression is that his master is dead, but while he is at the window watching John’s escape, Sir Eobert suddenly recovers, and would frustrate the scheme by ringing the alarm bell. A violent struggle ensues, which Amos terminates by stabbing Sir Robert with the poignard left by John, and the old fire-eater is now dead indeed. The third act treats of the reading of Sir Robert’s will in the presence of a number of greedy relations, who become frantic with rage on learning that by the will the property is bequeathed to Amos Clarke. In the fourth act the real interest of the play is. resumed, the denouement being-the death of Atnos Clarke, after confessing that the murder, 6f Sir Robert was committed by himself and not by John, whom a drum-head court-martial has sentenced to be shot for the crime, and who only escapes death by Amos throwing himself in front of his wrongfully accused half-brother when the order to fire was given by Colonel Kirk.

By the manner of its presentation last evening, the management can take credit to themselves for having provided the public on this occasion with another first-class entertainment in the drama of “Amos Clarke,” and Mr. Eignold can add fresh laurels to those he has already won by bis clever impersonation of “ Henry V.” The more we see of Mr. Eiguold's acting the more are we impressed with its excellence ; its naturalness is its main characteristic, and our first impressions of his dramatic powers are intensified by longer acquaintance. In his pourtrayal of the title role last night, Mr. Eignold had full scope for the display of all the emotions actuating the character. Love, hatred, and revenge were alternately depicted with unblemished fidelity. Throughout a very arduous part, he adhered strictly to Nature’s path, and never left himself open to the accusation of rant or staginess. In a part so devoid of blemish, and so free from fault as to defy the most hypercritical to pick holes in it, it maybe truly said that Mr. Eignold treated his audience to what it is paradoxical to call acting, and the lines that poor Goldsmith ia his “ Retaliation” applied to David Garrick may be quoted with equal appropriateness when speaking of Mr. Kignold’s assumption of Amos ClarkeOn the stage he was natural, simple, affecting. ’Twas only that when he was off he was acting.

In looking through the cast, it is a pleasure to be able to say that with the prineipal part praise does not end. It would be difficult to speak too flatteringly of Miss Jenny Watt as Mildred Vaughan, The part is essentially emotional, and 'Miss Watt acquitted herself with infinite credit. Miss Bessie Vivian had a littie to do in the first act as Tribulation, and she made the very most of her opportunity. Mr, Dave Clinton made an excellent Sir Robert Clavering, Mr. Barford a good Captain Tom Snapper, and Mr. H. H. Vincent’ a’ moderate Captain John Clavering. Mr, A. Elliott was appropriately boisterous ,as Colonel Percy Kirk. Mr. Harry Power made quite a hit as Abraham Bradley ; but of all the minor parts there was none so cleverly filled as that of the fiddler, by Mr. S. Whyte. His acting in the first act, where he breaks hia fiddle sooner than perform the service to which Colonel Kirke desired him to apply the dear old instrument, was brimful of pathos, and the audience were not slow to acknowledge its undoubted merit. It should be stated that Mr. Rignold was called before the curtain on the termination of eaph act, and Miss Waft was also most deservedly honored with a calL “ Amos Clarke ” Is a drama eminently cal. cnlated to rivet the interest and attention of an audience,; It is deplete with-admirable situations, and abounds with tableaux of a striking character, and the only regret we experienced last 1 evening resulted from the fact that these’ "were" not' displayed to their best advantage through the absence of the lime light. The effect of this lighten that scene especially which-, culminates In the death of Sir Robert Clavering would have imparted a finishing touch to what is,, even without this auxiliary, an excellent scenic and dramatic conception. • The drama ought to draw 1 good houses' a 3 long* as it bolds possession of • the stage.; ■' ' >' •"