THEATRE ROYAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 14003, 11 September 1909, Page 6

THEATRE ROYAL.

A BACHELOR'S HONEYMOON*. Hugh Ward's comedy company, whose advent has been awaited witli pleasurable anticipation, opened their two night season in the Theatre Royal last night with the farcical comedy "A Bachelor's Honeymoon."' The house Was crowded'in all parts, and within a very few moments of the rising of the curtain the quaint conceits of the author of the piece, as interpreted by the talented caste, acted:on the risible faculties of the audience, and a constant ripple of laughter, which frequently developed ■ into uproarious merriment, greeted their efforts. The play is on the lincfe of a great many of the modern comedies, which closely border upon farce pure and simple, but it is distinctly above "the average of such'productions and the telling and intensely situations which abound in the plot, and the screamingly funny "business," lost nothing in the handling. The; plot, in brief, is that a certain festive elderly gentleman and widower named Benjamin Bachelor, who had contracted rather an unfortunate marriage in his youth, has had his fortune left, by liis father's will, at the disposal of his, Benjamin's, sister Minerva, who has the power to dispose of it as she wills.. During the ab-. rence of' h's sister, Bnelu-ior .takes :> trip to Paris and comes back a married man. having esTOpsc-d a light' of the stage, Miss Arbuckle, known on the boards as Juno Joyce. He knows well enough that, should the news of this marriage come to: the ears of bis sister, it will be. all up with his chance of getting his late father's money,, so on bringing, his new wife to his home, lie tries by judicious use of., the term "housekeeper" and "governess" to keep the affair dark. Bachelor's sister, however put in an unexpected appearance, ana brings Bachelor's two daughters, the children of his former marriage, with him.: Complications-then ensue, as may be expected, and a tremendous amount of amusement _ is caused by the unfortunate man's ingenious but .unsuccessful attempts at concealment and explanation, a state of affairs which is intensified, by tlie appearance on the scene of amourous gentlemen who have'seen or who have been engaged to the new Mrs Bachelor, when she was one of the lights of. the stage.' Complication follows upon complication and inconceivably "humourous situations follow in quick succession and everything seems to go wrong with the unhappy conspirator until the end, when to save the sitnation his sister Minerva conceives the hanny idea that Bachelor should marry Juno, and it is hardly necessary-to state that this solution jumps with his inclinations.

Explanations, this timo of a, satisfactory nature follow, and everything • iK.s uap])ily. It. is not too mndi 1« sa_v that this company is, quito.one of .the best, that has ever delighted. Timaru audiences. Tile ca.sce is -not a large; one. but. every l person in-it is an. the acting throughout: was by a linish and naturalness^that, positively disarms criticism. , Miss, Grace I'alotta's impersonation of Bachelor's second wife, suited ,lier , to. perfection and the whole interpretation was : charming to a..degree! Incidentally Miss i'alotta wore some most effobtivo creations and hor ; singing, and- dancing, merited and received tlio very,, warmest - expressions of approval. I'rob'ably -the cleverest pieco of. acting of - the lot? .though.. was 3liss Hose Musgrove.'s wonderful characterisation 1 of-' tne weircl servant Alai - - ianne, • which • caused - roars of laughter, unci: \i asm positively \irresistible. _ Aliss Celia GUiloni,-very capably, carried_ out the part of Alinerva,. Bachelor's sister and "moral guardian;" having a . lot, of work to do and doing it well. Misses Florence Redfem and Ruby, Baxter took the parts of Bachelor's twin daughters' and filled the parts.with success. Mr Hugh Ward in tho name part. Mr Arthur Eldred as Dr Ludwig Schwartz, and ;■ Mr ■ Reginald.. Wykeham as Stephen Houston had all telling parts and. never failed to .niako the most of them. Mr Robert Greig as Antony Gumbug and Mr H.. H. Wallace as Joe liad minor parts and filled them well. . . , The coninany will appear to-night tor tho. last time in the farcical comedy "The Talk of the ToTrti."