THE WILLOUGHBY-GEACH COMEDY COMPANY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12801, 23 October 1903, Page 6

THE WILLOUGHBY-GEACH COMEDY COMPANY.

"MISTAKES WILL HAPPEN" It :s just a ajio sine? tho AVilloughhy* Gench Cotii'-tly Company reopened the Princess Theatre; after its reconstruction, bv introducing to Dir.iedin "Tin Wrong Mr "Wright" i'i:d 6iher vliich had n most successful run <it the tiin?. It was only natural that ft return visit, from the comtuuiy should ba locked forward to with iiitc-rcsl, nnd a good house awaited them in the Princess Theatio last night to test the merits of their latest farcical-corjedy "Mistakes Will Happen." A charming littlo ;>layl«, entitled "Harmony," was put on as a curtain-raiser, In which a blind organist and his daughter, a bailiff, and another organist were the characters. Sir Wilioughby sustained the principal role, and Miss Mabel Hardinge-llaltby was well suited in the part of the daughter. '• Mistakes SVill Happen " is a comcdy of a lucdeni type, which borders on the /.nuic:'.!, and trusts for its success to its broad htunonv and rapid succession ot extremely laughable and mirth-compelling incidrntF. In point of construction it must h.i admitted that the framework is somewhat slender, and tho amount of fun and merriment the piece is made to produce suvs a good deal for the abilities of the compact littlo company that is m\r staging it. Briefly, tho scheme ot the comedy concerns chiefly tho troubles of Tom Genlnvin (llr Willoughby), leading roan at the Morality Theatre, New York, and Dorothy Mayland (Mis 3 Roxy Barton), who :s leading actrcs.s at the samo place of entertainment. These two having married without their manager',* consent aro obliged to keen tho fact secret, and this in itself is sufficient to cause all sorts of complications. They are coon found out, howover, aud are discharged. Torn is <i playwright as well as art actor, aud consequently there is a goc-d deal of rejected AISS floating round and regularly returned by managers, v;ho are too busy running theatres to bother about reading new plays. The next resort of the almost penniless pair is to find an " angel," which, in theatrical parlance, is understood to bo an individual not only pcssecGed of ineajis, but of an inclination to finance theatrical ventures, 'this treasure Itujis up in the humorous personage of Mr Hunter-Chase (Mr Tom Cannam), whose wife is also persuaded rather easily to go into the theatrical business, esneeially when promised a leading part with plenty of lovemaking. Tom Gcnowiu undertakes to initiato her into her part, while Tom's viie is busy (unknown to him) inculcating into Mr HunterChnse the merits of the play he is to finance. For some reason ths coi't-Q House was chosen by both pttrcics as a suitable place to rehearse and read plays undisturbed, and it is hero that the humour of the piece becomes hilarious. The frantic efforts of the couples to avoid each other and to prevent recognition aro funny in the extreme, and. to add to their difficulties, the coachman (Mr E. Lester) and the German isaid (lliss Eardinge-Maltby) aro carrying on a flirtation ill the same place on their own account. The subsequent evasions and explanations pretty well fill the third act: but finaliyeverything is cleared'np. John Q. Montague (Mr G-eorgo Leopold), manager of the Morality Theatre, finds he cannot do without Tom R-enowin, and subsequently competes with lldinter-Cha-se for the doubtful speculation of producing the oft-rolurned plav. The result is attended with extraordinary profit to the author. Speaking generally of " Mistakes Will Happen," it may be said that it is a clean and bright piece, from which the most dyspeptic individual could have the sum of his happiness materially increased for the time being, if » good honest tough would do it It is admirably staped, and the coachhouse scene was remarkably well put ou. Mr Willoughby was (he life of tho piece, and shared '.villi Mr Canram the houour of chief inirthmaker. .Miss Boxy Barton, graceful nn<J charming as ever, sustained her part verj capably, while Miss Watts-Phillips ns Mrt Hunter-Chase gave as wonderfully good studj of that strong-minded but susceptible lady. Miss Lillie Bryer as Mrs Price and Mist Hardinge-Maltby as Linda, Kurtz (Mrs Price's imported domestic) also deservo a word of praise. "Mistakes Will Happen" will be repeated this evening.