THEATRE ROYAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 6439, 2 December 1881, Page 5

THEATRE ROYAL.

“THE WINTER’S TALE.”

Last night the Theatre was packed In dresscircle, stalls, and pit, and many mare seats could have been let during yesterday and sold at night had there been any left. “ The Winter’s Tale,” with Miss Louise Pomeroy as Hermione and Perdita was the attraction, together with the happy and harmonious surroundings of efficient actors and stage fittings, for which the Pomeroy Company have deservedly made themselves popular. It was an intellectual treat to witness so faultless a representation of a play of the divine bard which is seldom performed even in London. The audience of itself was a picture, composed as it was of the beauty and refinement of our city. Miss Pomeroy has reason to he proud of her second reception in Wellington ; it is a grand tribute to the genius and accomplishments of a true artiste. Of Miss Pomeroy, it is a true pleasure to speak of the absolutely poetical quality of her pourtrayal of the dual role of Hermione and Perdita. To quote from the “ Australasian ” critic on this performance ;—“ To see her in this play is to leam to know Shakespeare better. She sheds a soft, bright light upon him, and with the fullness of this light shining into one’s intelligence, it is impossible, even to devout worshippers of Shakespeare, not to be conscious of m iking advances in that religion of which Shakespeare is the divinity. She becomes to us an educating power of the ijhighest order, and so makes the stage what its best friends wish it to be—an agency for bettering the world both intellectually and spiritually.” It were poor praise for ns to say that Miss Pomeroy’s performanceindicated careful and searching study. Her by-play and action when conversing with Polixines were just sufficiently colored to give a King with a diseased mind cause for suspicion. In her part and bearing she was graceful, dignified, and queen-like, and never at any time in her treatment of her royal guest were the bounds of queenly discretion overstepped. When the King coarsely accuses her of being an adulteress before her maids, Miss Pomeroy’s acting was above praise. Her look of horror and convuhive shudder made a visible impression on the audience: yet, when she overcame the shook, her indignant repudiation of the charge was womanly and wifelike. The trial scene was perhaps the greatest triumph Miss Pomeroy has ever achieved. The wordsof ihetextwere eloquently delivered, there always being apparent a deep-seated love in her mind for Ike misguided Ring. In the fourth act as Perdita, a young shepherdess, the dressing and acting of Miss Pomeroy were entirely changed. From the dignified matron Queen, she descended to the artless, winning, unsophisticated maiden all blushes and simplicity. As a transition nothing could he more perfect. The descent of Hermione from the recess where she stood as the statue was admirably acted, producing an effect on the audience almost electrical. Mr Holloway essayed the part of Leontes, King of Sicily, and husband to Hermione, and added another claim to his numerous appeals for the approval and admiration of our theatregoing public. The role is not altogether a gracious one, but Mr Holloway by his elaborate dressing and careful acting succeeded in growing upon the sympathies of the audience. Mr Hamilton enacted Polixines, Ring of Bohemia, with a good deal of appropriatene.-s. Mr Herbert Flemming was the Apollo of the evening in the role of Florizel, son to Polishes, and lover of Perdita ; and bis lines were poetically and artistically rendered. Mr Wallace undertook too much in the double characters of Antigonus and Autolycus ; that is to say, too much for a mau less gifted than himself for parts of this kind. There was a vigor underlying Mr Wallace's movements and expression that was amusing, and the audience testified their approval by

numerous rounds of applause. Miss Arden as Paulina, friend to the Queen, gave a dignity to the character that was becoming, and in the scene with the King Leoutes, when striving to secure his sympathy for bis child, used a nice discretion. Mr O’Brien, as the clown, was agreeable, although both the clown and the old shepherd (Mr Costello), are evidently full of opportunities for grand acting, rather beyond a young actor’s possibilities. The rest of the cast was satisfactory, and the play was, without doubt, a grand success, Mias Jessie Grey appeared as Time between the third and fourth acts, and related the incidents that had transpired during the lapse of 16 years ; and, if Time always looked as charming as Miss Grey did, no one could object to wear his mantle. To-night Miss Pomeroy takes a benefit in the part of Lady Gay Spanker, in “ London Assurance,” and, as nearly the whole dress circle is already let, we prophecy another crowded house.