"THE BLACK FLAG" AT THE CITY HALL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2167, 5 September 1895, Page 37

"THE BLACK FLAG" AT THE CITY HALL.

There was a capital attendance at the City Hall on S.turday night, when the Royal Irish Dramatic Company revived "Tbe Black Flag, or Escaped from Poitland Prison." The drama, which is from the prolific pen of Mr Henry Pettitt, has been played in Dunedin on a number of occasions and is therefore familiar to playgoers. The 6tory is laid in Bigbt of Portland Prison, wbe-e Hjrry Glyndon (Mr Collet Dobson) is incarcerated on the charge of robbing his father, although in reality his brother has committed the crime. Harry effects his escape, and after Buffering the many vicissitudes that a persecuted hero is made to suffer in all melodramas before his character is vindicattd, justice overtakes the evildoer, and his brother is thrown into gaol, which also proves a place of detention for a scheming, money lending Jew and a few other villains, whose efforts ngainst honesty and virtue have bappily been frustrated. An underplot of comedy permeates tbe piece, tbe principal characters being Topsy Carroll (Mis 3 Annie Wyniard), a charming widow, who keeps the " Golden Lion," and Augustus Scarum (Mr Brandon Cremer), a budding poet, who constantly gives forth tome jingling rhymes which he invariably describes as "a little thing of my own on the ipur of the momeDt." Mr Collet Dobson invested the part of Harry Glyndon with a hearty, m»nly rigour, and although at times his acting might have been open to the suspicion of being over done, he was accorded frequent and hearty applause throughout the evening. Mr Barrie Marschel was hardJy the typical stage Jew that ?l»ygoers know so well, yet bis impersonation of he character appeared to meet with the utmost satisfaction, while Mr Frank May was fairly successful as the evil-doing brother. Mr Brandon p Cremer fairly revelled in tbe u»rt of the poet, and was responsible for most of the fun of the evening. Miss Milliceut Mowbray made a pleating and interesting heiress, Miss Carlyon acted with skill as Ned tbe waif, Mr SavUlc was at homn in in tbo part of the stern eld father, while other

characters were well sustained by Miss Virginia Clayton, Miss Annie Wyniard, and Mr Ingle. The staging of the piece was aUo satisfactory. By request "The Murder at the Octagon" was to be produced on Wednesday evening.