"ROMANCE."
This morning, at the Bristol, the bos plans for the six nights' season of the J. C. Williamson Kathlene MacDonell Company will bo opened. The first play, "Romance," will be presented for the first time by "Miss Kathleno MacDonell, Mr Charles Waldron, and a first-class J. C. Williamson dramatic company, in His Majesty's Theatre on Tuesday. Thomas Armstrong (rector of St. Giles) and the famous opera singer, Margherita Gavallini, meet for the first time at the bouse of Cornelius van Tuyl (banker and churchwarden), and in an amazingly short spac-e of time Armstrong has become a victim to the wiles of the dazzling' vocalist. The relations of Van Tuyl, who has given the living of Saint Giles to Armstrong, are not as clean as they ought to be, and further complications arise in this connection. Cavallini explains in thrilling words how Beppo sang his way into her heart, and how one night he came to her home and claimed her. Finally she sobs out the broken sentence, "And next week he sold me to an English traveller for 50 lire." Miss MacDonell is said to subordinate the bizarre to the tragic, in a way that invariably wins the sympathy of her audiences. Another scene (writes a contemporary) calls for much praise. Cavallini, after the confession of her first weakness, swears that since tlio lapse of her girlhood she had kept the path of moral rectitude. Oncc more he rings from her that she is lying, and having further proved it, he buries his face in his hands, while she bogs for forgiveness. The last scene of the third act is notable for its vivid contrast—the singer followed by a cheering mob, who clamour successfully for a speech, the simple words of thanks, and the wracking interview with Armstrong as he pleads for the last time to the 'woman. The play is full of strong subsidiary parts. ''Romance" is announced for the first three nights, and will be followed on Friday next by "The Cinderella Man," while for the last two nights "Daddy Long Legs" will be revived.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19180921.2.49
Bibliographic details
Otago Daily Times, Issue 17426, 21 September 1918, Page 8
Word Count
348"ROMANCE." Otago Daily Times, Issue 17426, 21 September 1918, Page 8
Using This Item
Allied Press Ltd is the copyright owner for the Otago Daily Times. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons New Zealand BY-NC-SA licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Allied Press Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.