THE DAMPIER COMPANY AT THE PRINCESS THEATRE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2010, 1 September 1892, Page 35

THE DAMPIER COMPANY AT THE PRINCESS THEATRE.

"CRIME AND PUNISHMENT."

A three weeks' season was successfully inaugurated in the Princess Theatre on Tuesday evening by Mr Alfred Dampicr and the Australian Dramatic Company, by which he is supported. The downstairs house was an especially large one, and the reception which was given to the piece that waa staged was of a kind that must have been exceedingly gratifying to the management. " Crime and Punishment," a four-act drama, which waa produced on the occasion, and which may have been recognised by some at those present in tho theatre as a play that was performed "on the other sido"underanother name, is tho result of tho collaboration of Messrs Henry Pettitt and George Conquest, both of whom possess a very shrewd notion as to the direction in which the tastes of the bulk of the dramatic public lie— at least tho tastes of that portion to which theatrical managers look principally for tho ehekels— and if the sensation is at times somewhat highly spiced, itiß only another instance of the supply meeting tho demand. In the case under mention, there ia plenty of incident and much of improbability Ox the play, but melodramas must not, bo gauged by too high a standard; and, indeed, "Crime and Punishment" is not so sensational as its name reasonably implies. Tho plot turns upon the fortunes, or rather the misfortunes, of a ship's carpenter, named Paul Markham, who is in such low water that in the first act the audience is prepared for an execution being put into his house at the instance of a firm of money-lenders — of whom one only, Septimus Swindledon, is introduced I into the play. In tho nick of time, however, Paul I is able to borrow the amount necessary to enable him to tide over his difficulties, an old crony of his, named Captain Seafiold, standing his friend in the matter. The latter had, howover, been making a boait about" tho competency he had acquired and had beon exhibiting his jewels. He was seen and heard by one of the villains of tho 1 piece, Joseph Millbank, who, with the view of lifting himself out* of the financial miro that he was in, determined to possess himself of the captain's money and gems ; and this he achieved by first of all murdering Seafield, and "an adze, conveniently left about by Paul Markham, was sufficient for the end required. Circumstantial evidence connecting him with the crimo waa brought against Markham, who was found guilty I and transported for life, his liberty being sworn aAvay by the real culprit. Tho vessel that was conveying a number of prisoners, including Markham, to the land of their transportation, met with such heavy weather that she was destroyed, and the hero escaped, to turn up in tho disguise of a sailor, who is distracted to find that his wife, believing him to be dead, is married to the man who actually committed the ojtence of which he had been convicted. There, are three links missing from the chain of evidence which could establish Markham's innocence, and eventually, after some complications, into which it is unnecessary to go, poetic justice is done all round. A sensational drama the play, is called, but the lurid lights which are tho general accpmpaniment of modern melodrama are wauting, and, indeed, tho only part of any consequence in the piece— and it is one written up with great skill— is a humorous one. The purely melodramatic characters are generally weak, \yhile the situations are strong. In his triple impersonation Mr Alfred Dampier, whose greeting -from tho public was marked by much cordiality! carried off the honours of the evening. His part is that of an inebriated schoolmaster (Job Tatterftg) who, with the desire of following up a clue that would, and eventually does, exculpate Marldiaip, so far as the old captain is concerned, adopted a couple of disguises. The first of these, is that of, Fifczroy Grosvenor, a crushed tragedian, named after two of the principal squares in London, who is "not an actor, bufcran artist," and who has taken to the stage, which unfortunately has not taken to him, and the 1 other disguise ia that of a middle-aged Frenchman, the letter disguise being a very thorough one and_ full of character colouring. With the quotations from favourite authors, with which the schoolmaster and tragedian interlarded his conversation, and to which he "alliterated his drinks," Mr Dampier was irresistibly comical, and his performance generally was one which could only be viewed with high praise. He is possessed of a fine voice, which he exercises to considerable advantage, as witness the Shakespearian quotations given by Tatterag and claimed to be his own, and Mr Dampier's display all through the inquiry was natural and finished. His best opportunity for Exhibiting his ability occurred in the last act, in which- ho made up remarkably well for- the Frenchman, and sustained the part with considerable address. After the triple impersonation by Mr Dampier the rest of the company have very little to do, and it is impossible upon this first performance to pass any opinion upon their merits jointly, biit as the members have been engaged with Mr Dampier for some years it will be readily understood that the drama went with great smoothness. Mr E. Holloway made a manly Paul Markham, and actei the part powerfully and sympathetically. Mr R. A. Vernon, who belongs to the class of "old favourites" in this colony, brought the calculating villainy of Joseph Millbank into strong' relief ; and in the deformed boatman (Grimwood) we recognised another old ' face in that of Mr R. Rede. The part of Swindledon was played by Mr A. Rolfe with care and energy, and Mr J. 11. Martin and/Mr A. Harford were capable representatives of the murdered man and his son. As Peggy— apart which admitted of only little being made of it— Miss Katherine Russell played earnestly and successfully ; Miss Rose Dampier, as Amy Castleton, gave evidence of the development of her early talent and gave a graceful representation of the character, while she introduced the song "Waiting" (Millarcl), which she rendered with much success in a pleasing soprano voice of good quality; and Mis,s Julia Morton was well cast, as well as admirably dressed, as Mrs Markham. The mounting of the play gave every satisfaction, and the scenery, prepared by " Alta," who accompanies Mr Dampier, was the subject of admiration, while the orchestra, under the direction of Mr Percy Kohoe, contributed not a little to the success of the performance, which is regarded as a very hopeful augury for the rest of the season. On Wednesday night "The Green Lanes of England" was staged, and the production was possessed of special interest inasmuch as the cast included Miss Lily Dampicr, who made her first appearance on any stage when she trod the boards . of our Princess Theatre some years ago.