THE BLAND HOLT SEASON.

Otago Witness, Issue 2173, 17 October 1895, Page 37

THE BLAND HOLT SEASON.

"A WOMAN'S REVENGE." The third of th« dramatic noveltie* which are included ill Mr Blaud Holt's riputoire for hia present tour of New Zealand was produced for Ihe first time in the Pi incess Tteatre on Friday night.. It >s an Adelphi rm-lcdrama, entitled '» A Wonian'a Revengn," and its initial representation took pUca about two yeais ago, when Mr Chatlea Warner and Mr Herbert Flemming, both well kuown in the oolonies, had important plnceß in tho cast of character/". A certain melancholy interest belongs to the drama by reason of lh« fact that it was the last written by the pen of the late Mr Henry P«ttitt, the author of no many of the plajs introduced to this colony by Mr Holt. •• A Woman* Rsvengo" has a well-dtvisid plot in which the interest is sustained to the end, and it it ha? Sfeveral effective situation*, while there is also a pleasant touch of humour running through it. One dos not analyse the probabilities of a play of tho sort too closely, but in this paiticalar drama thcra are not such glaring improbabilities as mar many of the successful pieces of tho day, and there i*, moreover, much capital work put into it, notably in the second scene of the third act, in which the true pathetic note 18 struck by the author, who then works tho 6cene up to a reimikaWy effective climax upon the recognised A'ielpbi linos. The pl«y was exceedingly well acted and one of those admirably evan productions which are associated with tho name of Mr Holt, and afforded groat pleasure to the audience. The part of tho heroine, Mary Linsdale, who for the greater part of the play if a* much- wronged woman — separated from her husband through the practice of deceit by others, and living under the suspicion of having lapsed from a life of rectitude — but is eventually righted, was ably filled by Miss Elizabalh Wat3on, who, aa in the previous production, proved herse'f to be an emotional actress of considerable power. The foil to tho heroine is M&bel Wentworth, who, her renewed profession of Jove (or Frank Drummond, formerly jilted by her, being rejeoted with scorn, schemes to effect

••a woman's reveugo" by estranging hioi from his wife, aud supplies the false evidence tb.it brings about the tnd desired by her. The obaracttr was portrayed by Miss Virgie Vivienne, who, if Bho was nob ewctly oouvinoing as the embodiment of hate and jealousy, certainly rilled the bill in respect to making* the adventuress faaoinatieg. Mrs Bland Holt, a3 Li.ttie Bromley, was one of the good fjeniuaes of the piece, and plaj ed her part ■»irh an ease and iharm that made h*r actiog •ptcitlly acceptable. Tho character of Mary Dcuinnvnd, a child of seven years, wof portrayed with much intelligence and po t neaa by Miss Bright io Soaitb, whoi* parformanco more than once evoked warm applause from the audience. Mr B*ker had a long part to su&tain as Frank Drummoud, but tbis accomplished actor made light work of it, playing with CDnspicuous oa«e and skill. Hi~ best effort probably wafl in the second act, when DrummoHd heara that, duped by a roan be regarded as his friend, lie is to be arrested on a charge of frau^, and when ho discovers tbsvt hia wife has not sufficient confidence in him to believe him innocent of the accusation tbat is levelled ngainst him of being faithless to h« ; but there ate other paspages in tho pl*y in whioh, as at this point, Mr Baker stirred the house by his impassioned rendering of his lines. Mr Cosgrove is tbis season enjoying a monopoly of parts of sneoking pcoundrela, and the character of Jephtha Grimwado, an eavesdropping, swindling, and lying solicitor, received full justice from him. Mr Holt was exceedingly droll in bis clever study of Dick Chilton, a pennileso grocer's clerk who, spending a few weeks bvcoynito in the country, rm et* and marrios an equally penuiless girLm Lotlie Bromley, e*ch bflieving tho o.her to ba poscesecd of a fortune and both protesting the moet disinterested motives in becoming betrothed. Mr loman was an efficient repre6ontativa of Robert Overstono, who is a fraudulent trustee, and Miso Bruce, Me>ers Corleiae, Brown, and Kemp had tii fling pnrta. The scenery, which was painted by the Messrs GordoD, was elaborate and appropriate. Special mention should be made of the excellent management of the effects in tho murder scens in the third act, whereby the prevalence of a storm, with heavy rain and vivid fUs-hea of lightning, illuminating through a window the whole of a darkened room, was admirably indioatod. The scene, too, in the Old Bailey in the last act was a capital ser, every detail in tbc court room being supplied. Tho proceedings in this soene, in whioh the heroine's innocence of the crime of murder laid against her was established, were followed wi'.h rapt interest by the audience. The orchestra, under Mr Kehoe, deserve a word of praise also for their capital rendering of the mueical programme.