THEATRE ROYAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 7486, 26 May 1885, Page 2

THEATRE ROYAL.

“ Two Bemheks j ob, Sithors to Grind.” Some years ago Messrs Tinsley Brothers, the well known London publishers, issued a novel bearing tha above title. The play presented last night is a dramatisation by tbe author, Mr George Ralph Walker. The story la said to be a true one. Two orphan boys— Tom and Joe Stammers—after dividing their very small store of money, separate to seek their fortunes. Tom’a road leads to wealth and independence ; Joe’s to abject penury, with the accompaniment of a scissorsgrinding wheel, by which he manages to support himself and a helpless daughter. Tom marries, but loses his wife, who leaves an only child behind, and in order to provide bis daughter with a mother’s care Tom marries again. Tbe stepmother is of the generally accepted stage type—cold, heartless, and persecuting ; and in order to escape from torture Eleanor, the step-daughter, tries to discover her uncle, bat only to find that he is the old scissors-grinder. Eleanor bad often befriended tbe old man, and she accepts bis home with its accompanying poverty ; but soon turns the ruined tenant into a comfortable dwelling place. In the character of Joe Stammers, Mr George Leitch made bis audience forget his own Identity ; he was simply the old scissors-grinder. His pathetic interviews with his helpless daughter ; his hearty (Headship for Ted Bluff, the village blacksmith ; his leaning upon his niece, after she assumes her plane in his household ; bis interviews with his brother’s wife, 11 the Queen (f Sheba,” as he terms her ; and bis final interview with bis long-lost brother, for whom he always kept a chair by the fireside ; in all that be does and all that he says, Mr Gsorge Leitch is unmistakably an artist, and bis audiences are likely to retain pleasant memories of him. Mr Robert Vernon, who took the part of the brother, Tom, sustained tbe character admirably. Mr Jewett, aa tbe village blacksmith, looked a horny-handed son of toil, but his clean, well-shaven face and his white arms were hardly in keeping with his check shirt and leathern apron, Mr C. Thompson (Lord Tempiemore) and Hr Frank Harcourt (Mr Hacknte) had not much to do, bat they made Tory effective figures for the stage canvas. Miss Maggie Knight, as tbe heroine of tbe piece (Eleanor Stammers, afterwards wedded to Lord Henry Tempiemore) was all that could be. wished for—natural, graceful and modest; adapting herself with a cheery air to her altered circumstances, and like Mark Tapley, always finding out the bright side. There are some fine outbursts of indignation against the cruelties of her stepmother in the play, and she did ample justice to them. In the scene at old Joe Stammers’ house, wheiein she exclaims, "Was I proud, my lady stepmother?—Yes, and I’ll build a new and surer foundation for it, and I’ll commence this day,” and in many others, there was a pleasing departure from the common-place style of acting which playgoers have so often to put up with. Miss Kate Douglas (as Mrs Eglantine Stammers, the stepmother) was very- effective, and so well did she perform her part that she was recalled before the curtain and hissed. Hiss G Wynne Herrick (the daughter of old Joe Stammers) was natural and unaffected, bat appeared to more advantage as the helpless occupant of the carriage-chair than in the after scenes, when she is restored to health, and becomes tbe affianced of the village blacksmith. Miss Herrick marred the artistic impersonation of the charaotar by too readily leaving her chair and appearing before the footlights to

eh&Ve la the general applause. If the chair could not have been wheeled near t&e footlights, the curtain might bar a. beeh easily Raised; Miss Carrie Davis (as Finette) made Up thb gh/'up of characters. The piece will be repeated this and to-morrow evening, wb%n it will be wjthdrawn f.or the prddiicUosi bf he Which will bring the present season b! thia talented company to & close,