ANDERSON'S DRAMATIC COMPANY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12604, 6 March 1903, Page 6

ANDERSON'S DRAMATIC COMPANY.

Tho Anderson Dramatic Company brought their present season ol melodrama, to a. close I at the Princess Theatre last evening, when J there* was a very large audience. The company on this occasion presented yet another change of hill, making the sixth play of the season, so the melodramatic public- have been at least well catered for lately. " The World Against Her," by Frank Harvey, appeared to quite plea:e the majority of last.-night's audience, and was capitally received. It deserved to be so in fact on the merits of tho presentation, which was characterised throughout by good acting and completeness in all respects. Like its predecessors, the play is extreinoly sensational, with less bloodshed, however, than most of them, and in the harrowing situations in which the distracted heroine wanders through some five acts, through all the varied stages of mental a/Diction, is afforded an indication of fhy this play is described as the " great ladies' emotional drama." As the title suggests, tho story deals with a. much-wronged lady, who, at one fell swoop, loses husband, child, home, nnd good name, 19 beset by the machinations of a cruel villain, and only comes happily through her troubles after a play-full of complications. Hiss Ida Gresham, as usual, played the .thankless part of tho heroine adequately, albeit it was more than usually thankless. Mr H. Diver's villain has becomo a familiar personation/ and it is a, role that suits him admirably. His Gilbert Blair was no exception. Mr H. Plimnier's hero was of the usual perfect pnttern, and good though monotonous. Miss Burdette, as Jenny Clegg, misguided associate of the villain, carried off high honours in the production of her versatility, and Miss Josephine Thymic showed marked ability in two minor impersonations, lfr Stanford, as a low type comer, presented an excellent character study. Mr Prank Hawthorne and Miss K. Towers, as travelling proprietors of a Punch and Judy show, afforded genuine comedy; and ' Mr Georgo Chalmers likewise showed ability in an old-man part. Why the unfortunate horoine should have ventured into some of the situations sho did is puzzling—that she had difficulty in getting out of them was but to be expected and her own doing. The minor • Paris wcai l !! pell filled, and tho scenery excellent, •■' • ■' •■" : i