MISSNELLIESTEWART.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 12863, 23 May 1905, Page 5

MISSNELLIESTEWART.

,D DRUKY."

SrtVlfciET NELIi OP OL.

As was ' anticipated, . there i was a large and most enthusiastic audience in the Theatre Royal on ;' 'Monday evening, whenj Miss Nellie Stewart, supported by. Mr George Musgrove's exceptionally strong company, opened the New Plymouth season with that lovely ■ play "Sweet Nell • of Old Drary." Playgoers seem to be fond of plays with, so to speak, an old-world setting ; we pride ourselves on being up-to-date, hut the quaint attire of our i forbears appeals to. us there is a glamour about the ruffles, knee-breeches, and wigs of the Stuart and later periods that stimulates our fancy. The plot of "Sweet Nell of Old Drury" is a •good, one, many of the situations are vpry dramatic, there is a fine element of comedy in the piece, and the dressing and stage effects are striking. In the title role, Miss Nellie Stewart gave, as might have been expected from so talented an actress, a most finished performance. Her appearance was the signal for applause. In the first act, when, asi the orange girl, she displays her national wit in a duel of words with the t King and | his gallants, and later, when she involuntarily discloses her love for I Roger Fairfax, her acting was beautiful, and in) the subsequent scenes'rhotably those of the last act, she rose to histrionic heights, that surprised many of the aircPence who had | not had the pleasure of seeing her before. The Charles 11. of Mr Harcourt Beatty was a clever character study, and one cQuld not help loving "the merry monarch" even though' one felt that his code of morals was not the code| of this highly goad ; twentieth I century. Mr Beatty "never once overdid the pjart •» his Charles . was as perfect as it was possible for a' clever j actor. { to> intake , it. In the closing scenes, ] when the King, to a certain extent/ drops his easy ways, and shows that in him there is much that is kingly, he. very convincing. Mr Harry Hill, another able actor, was cast in the unthankful j part of Lord Jeffries, tho brutal Lord Chief Justice of England, and he gave a capital pourtrayal, earning the wholesoiled disapproval of tlie audience, whose rejoicing at his final discomfiture was sincere. Mr James Lindsay, as Lor<d Lovelace, a bit of a rake, was also good, "and the Lord Rochester of Mr Leslie Woods was also a worthy performance. tMx Dudley Clinton essayed, with much' success, the low comedy part of Percival, a brokenJdown j tragedian, filled < with} thej "divine afflatus/ 1 and, occasionally, "fermented arid fepirititous liqtaprs," onid caused many a hearty laugfi. Mr Grant, as Rollins, < Percival' si. friend, was meek and mild, ■ a* striking contrast (to his "aggressive \i comrade. Messrs Forties Orr arid Leopold Stach impersonated, respectively Lacy (one of Jeffries' tools) and Captain James Clavering, cadi giving a praiseworthy representation. 'Mrs Maesmore Morris is a graceful actress of many parts, arid, her performance lass night in the part' of Lady Olivia Vernon was one of the pleasing featiires of tKej play. Miss Nannie Bennett look'ect and acted well as the Lady Castlem'aine, and the same m!ay We said- of Miss Evelyn Devonport's DJucfcess of I Portsmouth. Both} lddies 1 stowed j excellent' conceptions of wEat were not, i« the ordinary acceptance of tEe term, lovable cK&racters. 'Mies 'Amy > Willard^ as Tiff en, gave proof tKat better things migJif'be expected of Her in a moro important part. The scenery was very good, and the whole play was mounted in a manner tHat is expected of the MusgrQVo management. ; A strong orchestra, • utiEfer tlie direction of Mr Wynne 'Jones, played tfie ** incidental music. The performance was a great success ; a 'decided "dramatic treat. ( "OLD HEIDELBERG." To-night, the last niglit of tKe settson, "Old Heidelberg," et play never produced Here before, will be staged. It is a cleverly written piece, and tho leading' actors arid actresses are given much 1 "scope, for a 'display of tKcir abilities.