UPROAR IN AN IRISH THEATRE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13857, 21 March 1907, Page 8

UPROAR IN AN IRISH THEATRE.

NEW PLAY HOWLED DOWN BY AUDIENCE. There have lieen remarkable scenes at flic National Theatre, Dublin, recently. A new play by Mr Syngc, entitled " The Playboy of the West," was being produced, and it has given widespread olferico on account of what are regarded as its unfounded aspersions on the character of the Conncmani peasantry. The audience kept up a continuous uproar, and the actors performed in dumb show. Tiie place was, in [act, a perfect pandemonium, and the police had to be called in. \ They ejected several of the disturbers, but that had no cffcct ill allaying the disorders. When tho pla.y was produced for the first time there was practically unanimous agreement amongst the criiics that tho piece, as a. picture of peasant life in the West o[ Ireland,- was ;i gross Iravesiy. The hero o[ the . piece is a man who, having,' us lie believed,, murdered his father, was on tho run from the police. He at once became the darling of the Connemara colleens, who entered inio a fierce rivalry for (lie hand of the parricide, and only altered in their affections wlion the father who was supposed to have lx:en murdered I urns up, having recovered from the attack. During the firs! act there was considerable disorder, and before its close Mr W. J'ay, die stage manager and one of tho leading actors, came to the fool lights and announced that- it was the opinion o[ those concerned in the production of the comedy that anyone who did not like it would be well advised to leave the building. An outburst of disorder was the response, and the lusty singing of "Tho West's Asleep" filled in the interval before the curtain was raised again. Hissw and hoots greeted the uprising of the curtain, and the disorder of the gallery and pit prevented anyone in Ihe oilier parts of the house front healing ' what was said on the stage.

The artists faced the 6torniy situation courageously, and despite the fact that their vocal efforts wove only audible to those ia the flies they got as far as the sccotid curtain. Then Mr Fay, amid a storm of hisses, came forward and announced that ho had sent for the police, and tinder their protection the comedy would be continued to the end. Tho orchestra, played, and directly six policemen entered the parterre, while "throo made their way into the balcony, Dcspito this display of force there was no cessation iu (he noise, and the next act was commenced amid scenes of greater disorder. Mr Fay, having got a hearing, said that the police had orders to remove anybody who created an annoyance. The act went, on, but not a sonl in the. place heard a word, so great was tho din created by tho people in the gallery. The latter sang songs, hissed, called the. policemen names, denounced the players, invited' the author to a frco fight, and before the act was over tlio curtain went down amidst tcrrilic hissing and booing. There were again cries for tho author, but Jie did not come forward, and Mr Fay. coining to the footlights, said something which was not audible, and the curtain went down again amidst elieeis. At this point the police withdrew, whereupon tho victorious occupants of the pit and gallery signalised their success by triumphant rolls, shout;, tramping of feet, and the belabouring of seals and walls with sturdy sticks, mingled with the singing of ,: 'l'ho West's awake." 1 A nation onco again," and such patriotic compositions,- in 'which nearly all the audience joined. At 10 o'clock the curtain was raised on Iho second act. Once nioro the .performance was merely pantomimic owing to the hurricane of hissing. with which it was greeted. A similar fato awaited tho pre-senl-ation of tlio third act. For fully five minutes aftor the play had concluded the building was the scene of great animation and excitement. Mr W. B. Yeais. who is (lie managing director of iJie Xaiional Theatre Company, thinks "Tho Playboy" is Mr Synge's masterpiece. in an interview he 'slated that even if tho critics of the play wore right, that would not make their*conduct less than outrageous. Of course, wo aro going' on with tho play, said Mr Yeats. "Wo will go on until iho play has lieen heard, awUieard sufficiently to bo judged on its merits." Mr Synge, who was also interviewed, stated that, the idea of the play was suggested to him by tho fact that a. few years ago a man who committed a. murder was kept, hidden by the people on one of the Arran islands until lie could get off to America, and aJso by the case of LyncllcIlium, who was a most, brutal muYdercr of a woman, and yet by the aid of an Irish peasant woman managed to conceal himself from tho policc for months, and (o got away also. Mr T. W. Russell says: " 'The Playboy of (lie Western World' is the only play performed fit tlio Irish National Theatre which I Ijavo l)oon ablo to sit out. with complete satisfaction.'