PRINCESS THEATRE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9536, 19 September 1892, Page 3

PRINCESS THEATRE.

"THE WORLD AGAINST HIM."

The season in Dunedin of Mr Alfred Dampicr's Australian Dramatic Company was brought to a close on Saturday night with the production, for the first time, of a sensational drama, entitled "The World Agaiust Him," and written by Messrs George Conquest and George Cromer. The play in question has neither, more nor less merit than is possessed by the average melodrama, which relics for its success upon an abundance of striking incidents and a strong situation or two rather than upon any coherence m the plot or any reasonable degree of naturalness in the relations and conduct of one character towards smother. In this instance the compassion of the audience is not sought for distressed womanhood, but for suffering mauhood in the person of Edgar Passmore, who falls under suspicion of having stolen a large sum of money from the safe of bit Henry Marshall, whose secretary he is whereas the real thief was Sir Henry's scapegrace son, John Marshall. The forces contend through live acts to the latfcer's discomfiture as is inevitable, in the end. This desirable consummation is brought about through the instrumentality of a certain Frenchman, Rene Lafont, who has an alias, and who carries about with him in tho lining of his hat important documents containing the proofs that Passmoro is actually Sir Henry's son by an early marriage, and including a confession by John Marshall that it was he who committed the robbery from his father's safe. There, is a good deal of extraneous matter in tho drama, and much of the dialogue is redolent of the Seven Dials, in which quarter one or two of the scenes are laid. Mr Dumpier appeared in the part of Lafout, and sustained the character with a considerable degree of skill and abandon. Mr Veruon's villany as .John Marshall was very conventional, as he bit hi:i moustache, twitched his fingers, patted the floor with his foot, and turned his back upon those who had unpleasant things to'say to him, in much the same manner as the stage villain usually does in melodrama Mr Rolfe gained the sympathy of the audience for .the injured young man, playing the. character with characteristic cure. Among the other principal parts that of Sir Henry Marshall was wdl filled by Mr Holloway, and that of a ohjirniiuji young lady who is a bone of contention between Passmore and John Marshall was suitably played by Miss Lily Dampier. Other characters wen; represented by Miss Knssell, Miss Merton, Messrs Harford, Martin, Kecle, itiid others. The scenery was admirable', and the play had all the advantages of a

capital setting, an explosion scene, in which a warehouse in Bermondsey is blown up by means of dynamite, being a first-rate piece of realism Mr Dauipier and his company appear at Oamaru this evening.