FITZMAURICE GILL DRAMATIC COMPANY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12980, 23 May 1904, Page 6

FITZMAURICE GILL DRAMATIC COMPANY.

Miss FiUmaurice, Gil! and her dramatic company, whom the tide of events bos brought once more to this community, opened auspiciously tit tJici Princess Theatre on Saturday night a season, of melodrama, tho initial production o£ which was onJitlod.' "The Bank of ■England," by Mr Max Goldberg, The inner .workings of- such a- great national institution. (is that mentioned may tie deemed to have no little fascination for tho playgoer, as the author lightly judged, but bank authorities need bo nuclei - no/apprehension as to the dangerous amount* of applicable information that those wlio witness Mr Goldberg's drama may carry away with them. The scenes of bank flavour may bo suspected to bo a trifle mislo&«iii£ in short. Howcvsr, from the melodramatic standpoint, this is iu truth a trifle, and from the same standpoint " The liank of England." will well stand application of tho usual tests,, compliance with which'means popularity. Judge,:! from the melodramatic' standpoint, the. drama, under consideration is decidedly interesting, and is judiciously compiled, for tlhis it seems necessary .to dc-scribe the manufacture of suc'.i plays, whose number 119 legion, and whose .neirtness is always soino\yha4 reminiscent. "The Bank of England "is capitally staged and well acit-d, and had a flattering reception •from Saturday night's audience. The plot is one of some complication, which it takes the far-seeing brain of Conan Doylc'9 great creation, Sherlock Holmes, to unravel, and it will no doubt bo a surpiise to the uninformed to bq told that Mr Holmes is quite a central figure of the play, and possibly iho author realised that in his search for a- criminal investigator he could not possibly do better than enlist the services of thir. pattern of'all such. Xo proceed, Stephen Hartley, n director of tho Bank of England, with Mr Gordon Isaacs, a money-lender, and Godfrey Dane, an engraver, as his accomplices, is engaged in passing false kink notes on a. large scale, Hartley being desirous of gaining ns his wite Lady Sylvia, daughter of Lord Sarraclougli, also a director of (he hank. Lord Barrnojougli having become financially embarrassed, ho consents to'combine with Hartley in removing from the bank a chest of treasure, really, as events subse-. quer.tly prove, the inheritance- 0! Eric Dane, tho lad whom Godfrey Dane had brought up as his son, but who is really the son of the Indian officer who had entrusted tho treasure veals before to Lord Barraclough's keeping. False notes coming to the hands of Mrs Amintti J. Eeane, a lively American widow; sho calls in Sherlock Holmes ic. find tho culprits, and the great detective gets on tho track of nil the conspirators. ' Ha'rtley and Godfrey Dano are ' engaged in a scheme to abstract the treasure from tho bank Wits, when Sherlock Holincs enters disguised as. si. captain of Horseguards, and, in ''Hart'ey's absence, tells Dane that Hartley is tho man who had spirited away his only daughter, married and deserted her. On Stephen Hartley's return, Dano upbraids limn a quarrel ensues, and Dane is sttuck dead. The murderer sees nothing for it but to substitute the body of his victim for the gold and treasure ho has taken from '.ho chest, the inspiration coming to him as the murdered man falls across the weighing Scales, and tho weight tallies, The weird coffin is duly carried out of the bank, only to bi sent back when intercepted' by Sherlock Holmes, still disguised, and ■ with the authority of those supreme. . The murderer's conscience ■ and terror now begin to trouble him greatly, but he makes a bold fight, ■ one part of which io the abduction of Lady Sylvia, which is.only fruslrat-d by the timeiy intervention of Mrs Aminta J. Beano. The wicked arc in tho conclusion duly brought to book,, and the course of true loyo made to run smooth at last in every way, except ns, concerns the American widow, whose insinuations that Mr liolWM should tali?- a partner the author wisely decides shall fall-ou-a deaf car, and Mrs Arwnta, has to console herself with an ordinary Eng.ieh gentleman with a monocle. Miss Htzhiaurico Gill played with her eustoninry skill and resource, and made a taking figure of Mb Aminla, a ; lady of the accepted American type. Miss Gill gave the part the necessary touch of comedy unavoidably associated with it, and was well supported »v her company. Mr Charles Bluko was cast as Sherlock Holmes, and acted well and naturally, with as fair a regard for the traditions of the character as -the drama permitted, for the dramatist has made his Sherlock unusually loquacious. -Great opportunities are given to Mr Wilton Power as the chief villain, Stephen Hartley, and Mr Power has perhaps never done better woik. Especially was this so m the powerful scene in the third act, whero the murderer, alono on the bank, as he believes, fancies the spirit of his victim is speaking to him, and after confessing his guilt falls, senseless to the floor. Mr. E. B. Russell was responsible for the best comic impersonation in the play, that of the rascilty JevrUh moneylender; Mr Wilton' 'Welch, also providing good comedy as Tommy ; Sprotts, who would be n great detective; vihile further amusement was provided by Mr t. B. Irwin. as the Hon, Bertie Bnrlington, a foolishly immaculate young man about town, und Mi- Geofge Tar ns a footman. Mr P. Saveiri did sound ,work as the ruined Godfrey Dane, and Mr PJjilip Eedet as Eric Daue, though the later was'■'somewhat artificial. Miss Nellie Mylrea, as Lady Sylvia, Bar-

rac'ough, Miss Mabel Russell as a maid-sen-ant, and Mr C. Lawrence as Lord Barrac'ough wore well suited in tlic-ir parls, nndii number of ether characters were adequately impersonated. Some excellent scenery is provided, and specially mentioned might bo those scenes depicting the bullion chamber on. the bank, and (in the last act) tho ruins on thj cliff above the sea, from which tho villain attempts to lower the lacy of his choice in a basket to the deck of his yacht waiting below. "The Bank of England" may bo expected 10 hnve.a successful run, and will be repeated this evening.