THEATRE ROYAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 14040, 25 October 1909, Page 3

THEATRE ROYAL.

"AN ENGLISHMAN'S HOME." A CUBIOUS PLAY. Mr Edwin Geach's Dramatic Company preeented to a cood audience on Saturday night —a very good audience on Bach a night—the famous drama ••An. Englishman's Home." preceded by a Kent farcical comedy. "Hector." which was not bo well done as it imaginably might have been. "An Englishman's Home" did not seem to please the audience much, either as a play or as played; a good many people expresoed astonishment that the play had made such a siar at Home. To sit and hsten to it and watch the progress of the action as a whole and the doings of the actors in detail, is for many reasons disagreeable. "This .professes t«» be an instructive, a. warning play. Bat there never was such £™<» idiots collected in an Lnghshman s house. There is no sense in rti anu S that is disagraeablo becomes slanderous of the volunteers of the Old Country." These sentences may exi£«» toe opinion of a good many who Englishman's Home,' or elsewhere. There is anShoiriew of the matter which exmudi. Major Du Maurierbas not put into his play representatrvTEnglish men and girls or typical armFand volunteer officers; but P««mffications of certain social tendSndeTLd institutions of to-day, as he sees and understands them and their probable influence and effect in a.certain eventuality. Mr Borwn is to bo Sght of as' John Bull, and e o on though the chapter. The P]*? fulfils jte purpose of showing the attitude of John BulE old and youde, to the Question of defence, the unreadiness and helplessness of the volunteer orami»tion in the face of an extremity, and the insufficiency of the regular army to prevent invasion. As an in-

dividual citizen Mr Brown is too stupid; but ho represents the spirit of tho crowds perhaps quite admirably. There never was an individual officer such an ass as Captain Finch is made to be —(Mr Marion and Mr Evans fitted the action of tho words well) — but Du Mauricr must have been satirising his conception of the uselessness of the volunteer force. And so on all through the piece. The result is not pleasant and of course was meant to bo unpleasant. Du Maurier was rather too rough on the volunteer officer, and too kind to Mr Brown—for whom he prepares a fino little scene that calls for applause and (and got them) —too kind, for it is really Mr Brown's own fault that the tragedy befalls him and his house. He has neglected his duty and for so long that he docs not understand the thing at all when the man who does, tells him of it. A play of so symbolic a character does not lend itself to criticism of the manner of production as does an ordinary drama, for its exaggeration and burlesque are of its essence. Mr Geach's company were at homo in it, and it is highly probable that "An Englishman's Home" will bo remembered a great deal longer than the majority of plays that havo been produced hero.