“MOTHER MACHREE”

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12211, 8 August 1925, Page 2

“MOTHER MACHREE”

COMEDY-DRAMA AT THE OPERA HOUSE TO-NIGHT. ' Denis Kehoe, the romantic actorsinger, opens his season at the Grand Opera House to-night with “Mother Machree.” A lively comedy-drama with a quick moving plot, abundant interest, much good comedy, and a couple of little romanoes,- “Mother Machree” is spiced with much music and some good songs, and the little Irish hand harp played by Denis Kehoe to acoompany some ,of the loveliest gems of Moore’s melodieß. The play, from the pen of Maurice Wehlen, an experienced dramatic craftsman, is placed in-a rural community in Ireland, where they play fair, iove their homeland hearth, and have little respect for the game laws. At least one of the characters, Shamus 1 O’Connor, younger son of the Widow O’Connor, known as Mother Machree, persistently breaks them, and this calls down upon his head, the vengeance of Fergus Stone, steward Of a neighbouring landowner, Fergus’s attempt to dispossess the,O’Connor family from their holding and' thus get even with bis tormentor leads to an interesting series of events, which sustain the interest of the play. In the role of Dan O’Connor, the elder son,- Denis Kehoe represents a likeable young fellow, who cracks a joke, sings a song, and holds his own when trouble threatens to overturn the family fortunes. Helen Fergus, as the mother, Bernard Beeby as the young; Shamus, and Gwen Dorisq as the sister Moira, complete the family group. Frances Kavher and Ronaid Riley as Rose and Harold O’Dare, visitors who arrive at the O’Connor homestead per medium of a disabled ooaoh, and remain to : eventually. beoome two more of the family, will be’seen in congenial roles which furnish them ample opportunities. Tester Carey, in the character of Fergus Stone, tho steward; Tom Buckley, as thA village padre ; Aline Dunn, in the guise of a'chatty neighbour with a few words to say; Maurice Lynch and Charles Keegan, a pair of leisurely farm servants, all have character studies of pronounced types to which they do full justice. Musio plays a considerable part in the entertainment, Denis Kehoe’S songs to the accompaniment of the little harp and several concested,>pu|nhofs being- prominent. The plans for the season are at the Bristol^