THEATRE ROYAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12668, 2 May 1905, Page 3

THEATRE ROYAL.

: "THE BROKEN MELODY. A good lionse greeted. Mr Van Biene and! hife companions in art, at the Theatre Royal'last night, all but. a rows of reserved stalls being well occupied... "JThe Broken "Melody " is a - novelty .in dramas, tlhe; novelty 1 being the incorporation of first; class:'cellovmusic, by Mr Van'-Bieuey arid ; the introduction of scenes from-miisical life. The : drama itself would "be gocd enough withQut niusic, the. music goiid' enough . withqut th 4 drama, to deserve .liberal patronage | i the i ; string piis.| .: : attor- whocould make his mark his-cello; aa the actor-musician.he is more than . doubly "worth hearing, as play and playing' are- interwoyen go as to the interest., of both. ' The drama: itself has a disagreeable plot.. turns upon th§fmachinations of a she-villain. HevillaihS are unpleasantnesses; much more so . the female of the species, • in this case . good looks and good-. acting,, and the mischief : making ■ being,' as little selfassertive ag it well can* be, the dislike which the -virtue of the average theatregoer fools for such stage embadimohts of wickedness is mercifully toned down. The wickedness of the plotter. (Miss- Marie Rignold) - ijesr in an .attempt to separate the musician husband' -and his wife—(Mr Van Bier.e and Miss Lena Burleigh)r-an. atteiripfe-iHbich is; temporarily but not permanently successful, and the working'out of the mischief and' its final defeat, furnishes occasion for seme strong*'.situations. The hero of the story looks , the part, and if he was more admired as a 'cellist than as an actor Ibis music must have: been greatly enjoyed. Mostevidentjy it was, for each of the three items; he was to have played was multiplied by; repeated encores. ,Mr Biene is indeed a perfect' master of his instrument. - - Misg "Burleigh, who takes the part fif his ■ wronged: wife, possessep a levp sweet voice.' qnd wjtji a slirinkin# manner that suited tjie character,of 'the dupe completely,hei part an- excellent one. Miss Riguold also played extrenjely well as the adventuress, and these principals were well supported, especially by Mr Horace Lingard 08 Mortimer : -an amusing music. hall manager, and Mr, Hawtree and Miss Chap- - man as Mr and Mrs Dixon, lodging house keepers, save that Dixon became mawkish in the third, act-, the restoration -scenes. The first act- closes, with a fine.. situation, the husband's shock on being convinced of his wife's perfidy;? ■•the. second <w.itlj. another, in which lie (again in error) believes he has discovered her betrayer. Tlis third act -.ends; with: the n'tigtqratipn, and this ijj so : unpaturally..manaiged as ,to;be a dramatic failure;- i -* .The tplay, is excellently mounted and costumed, and-, the,; combination of drama and music makefi jt ngufmtillv interesting.. .-B'token =: Melody.will be repeated toinight, and we can- assure our readers that it ~is- well worth- hearing.