"PEG 0’ MY HEART”

Taranaki Daily News, 23 June 1927, Page 9

"PEG 0’ MY HEART”

MISS NELLIE BRAMLEY’S SUCCESS. With a lovable, generous Irish nature and a ready supply of delightful Irish wit, Miss Nellie Bramley, as “Peg o’ My Heart,” soon won her way into the affections of the audience at the Opera House last night. The human qualities of primitive Peg seem always to act as a magnet to New Zealand theatregoers since Miss Sara Allgood introduced the character some years ago. Last night she fell once more into the cold, unwelcome lap of the Chichester family, to embarrass her conventional English cousins with her utter disregard of the niceties of social conduct and her thorough, straight-forward dislike of snobbishness. But Peg was uncouth in her manners simply because she did not know, she had never been taught. She made a bad beginning with her parcels and her dog bundled down unceremoniously in the drawing-room that had never before contained such an apparition, but her irrepressible humour soon found an outlet and immaculate Alaric, monocled and in plus fours, was its first butt. “Aren’t you old nough to wear your trousers long?” she asked ingenuously.

How she won the hearts of Jerry and saved Ethel from an unwise adventure with a married man is a story that is too well known and well liked to need recapitulation. All that need be said is that Miss Bramley gave an excellent characterisation. The English household was well portrayed by Miss Marie Dalton as the mother, Miss Mabel Gower as the daughter, and Mr. Brett Randall a- the foppish son, a role giving scope for clever light comedy. Mr. George Hewlett was the guardian-lover, Jerry, and Mr. Robert Purdie the elderly solicitor. Minor parts were taken by Mr. John Galway (Christian Brent), Mr. William Raymond (footman) and Miss Millie Carlton (maid). Michael, the wire haired terrier from New York, and a Pomeranian Were silent workers.