The Dampier Co.

Taranaki Herald, Volume L, Issue 12439, 17 December 1903, Page 5

The Dampier Co.

"THE BUSH KING." Ihe DampierJjrainatiu Uimip&ay jp. enea a short season , m Hie ihtutie lboy&i on NVecinebMay night, when, "luc Uuaa King," was sta^-e.l be: ore an audience wno .frequently tt^tiihed ciieir appreciation by hearty app.'mise. J The plot is loose, but as the ch:uuoters yet sorted out at- Ihe e&d, | that is* not a master for cuflslUcrtition nosvadtt^s. An, . o t ld squatter has a son and a nepi^ew, and tho latter sets the old man against ihe former in order gain tl^ old-ia^^'a property. The. ,old' man r 'kick* thV'^vi out ol doo«, and ' takes ; tbe iitiphtsnv |^ Jbis o roust and make& Ms will in ills > fay« ! oux. Unfortunately for the nephew iin j old Sydney pal, Mho was- in some ! shady transactions with, the nupjjow in j oarlipr days, turns tip tit the st ation and demands money. To cut a long' story short the pair do for u.e oM man the nephew striking xhe final blow, and then* decamped. i'ha v>ld uaa rallies a. bit, walks , round with, sur- \ prising vigour for on© on the n«.int , of death, destroys the will m favour j of the nephew, and then dii 3. Thej son conies back to see tae old man, i and ;is arrested for the crime, end ! stands a good chance of being Bar.ged, but liaally escape**,' and is outlawed. He has a trying experi^n^a in the back blocks, but finally everything is cleared up through Ihe instrumentality of a station hand and liis daughter, who is secretly in lo>© with the hero, and all ends ZiappilyThe part , of Ned Hlarliag, tho slation hand ( who sticks, to tbe hero, was represented by Mr Alfred -Pampier, who gave a very roalastic exposition of the character. The bust pisoe of acting was when Ned liarlihg, ' liad •em" in Mb hut, and he held a. conversation, and then, had "a sango&ory battle with the man who ruined bis wife. Edgar Dalmore, the hero, was was capably played by Mr Alfred RoKg. Mr A. Neville as John Sterling, and Mr L. Koche as Vincent J ennox, tho two prime villians, f|id their best. Old man Ualmore was lx-fac-sented by Mr J. ftr'uce. Mr A. Dumber, jun,; played "Ginger J03," a Sydney larrikin who had taken to country life. A sort of silly-billy character, Watty Wrigglesworth, vaspluy'ed by Mr -Q. Eb'bsmith. Miss .Lily Dampier as Elsa Harling, Miss Rose Dampiei in the part of Thelma Warren; and Miss M. Bruce as Lottie Warren filled the roles in a satisfactory manner. All the other par'ta were well taken. The drama was well staged, t.nd this helped materially to carry it through to a successful issue. Tho Australian bush s< enes wore wtfl ar-t-aKved. and the use of horses on the stage also helped to lend an u'r of realism to iho reprc-'en tation.