Theatre Royal.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5361, 14 July 1885, Page 4

Theatre Royal.

" Ths Woman in White." As was to be expected, the announcement that Mr Wybert Reeve was tp appear last night in his wonderful realisation .of the extraordinary creation of Wilkie Collins, "Count Fosco,'.' the Mephistopheles of "The Woman in White," drew a very large audience to the Theatre Royal. The drama was placed upon the stage with the special and really beautiful scenery which those who saw the piece when last performed here will well recollect, and the cast was as judicious as it always is under Mr Reeve'B direction. The Count Fosco of Mr Wybert Reeve is, as has already been stated, a wonderful one, its elaboration being something upon which the artist can well pride himself, and which can challenge comparison with, any impersonation to be seen upon the Colonial stage, at least. Mr Charles Holloway was a very effective Sir Percival Glyde, playing the rule of the villain with every attention to detail. Mr J. B. Steelo was quiet and gentlemanly as Walter Hartwright. Mr E. Gladstone made a good deal of the small part of Pesca, and Messrs I Aspinal, J. B. Fitzgerald, Harrison and James played the minor characters more than satisfactorily. Miss Alice Dcorwyn achieved another triumph in the dual impersonation of Anne Catherick and Laura Fairlie, carefully distinguishing between the two, and, while preserving the similarity in feature, altering every peculiarity that might be supposed to individualise either. Miss Constance Deorwyn was scarcely, if at all, less successful with her natural pourtrayal of Marian Halcombe. Miss Lillie Bryer was a very youthful Mrs Catherick, but contrived to disguise her youth as far as was well possible. Mrs Chippendale's reading of the role of Madame Fosco was not that which the readers of the novel would anticipate. She preferred to the passionless pupp6t of the novelist an impersonation instinct with, individuality, and full of latent power. If her reading contrasted less with the self-assertion of her husband, it made his ascendancy over her all the more noteworthy. Miss Marie Brooks was a charming matron to the Lunatic Asylum. The audience was, as usual, most appreciative, and the final tableau to each act had to be repeated in response to the enthusiastic applause. To-night " The Woman in White" will be repeated.