Theatre Royal.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6704, 18 November 1889, Page 4

Theatre Royal.

"IT'S NEYEE TOO LATE TO MEND." The management of the Charles "Warner company made a wise choice in Charles Reade's sensational drama It's Never too Late to Mend as a Saturday night piece. The thrilling story of convict and Australian life was well received, and drew a crowded downstairs house. One of the principal parts in the play is that of Tom Robinson (Mr Charles Warner), and he invests the character of the rollicking, careless, but withal good-hoarfced fellow, who ia led into wrongdoing more through force o£ circumstances than any innate criminal tendency, with a large amount of interest. In the cleverly-managed prison scene, where the boy Josephs (Miss Warner) dies, and again in the Australian wilds amongst its first discoverers of gold, Jlr Warner gives the character a Btrongly marked individuality. The part of the impulsive hero George Feilding was ably played by Mr George Meadows, while that of the sulky, but more steady-going brother wa3 broadly contrasted by Mr Alfred Seaton. A bluff old Farmer Merton is Mr J. A. Patterson, firm of will and careful of his daughter's prospects. Crawley in the hands of Mr Alfred Phillips, was drawn as a sufficiently repulsive bailiff, Bpy, note forger and general sneak, and at the same time was made an amusingly comic villain. As Dawes, the bullying, cruel Governor of the Gaol, Mr J. P. West looked the part, and make the besb use of the opportunities given him to represent a very unadmirable peraonago. In the part of the gaol chaplain, the Kev Mr Eden, MrH. E. Hainbro, fulfilled the requirements satisfactorily. Of the part of Isaac Levi, the aged Jewish money lender, Mr F. Stephenßon gave a powerful reading, especially in the scene between himself, Meadows and George, where they disagree over money matters. Mr Oily Deering makes quite a study o£ the part of JackyJacky, the Australian black, and his make-up is excellent, with the exception of a rather too obvious black jersey, which he wears as a skin. As Susan Merton, Miss C. Deorwyn takes a character which is more a necessity of the machinery of the play, than that of a young girl endowed with any strong individuality, bat she plays the part as well as theauthor has made it. After the arduous leading parts which Miss Gracie Warner has taken during her tour in New Zealand, the small, aud not very important part of Josephs, a boy "lagged" for petty stealing, mußt be a welcome relief to the young actress. She, however, fulfils the requirements of the vole with that thoroughness which marks her assumption of all her characters. Her acting in the prison scene, where after enduring the torture of the " collar and jacket" the boy collapses and dies, calls up a vivid mental picture of the horrors the convicts used to suffer in those days, and many of them for very trivial offences. The play found high favour with the majority of the audience, the applause was hearty and frequent, and the recalls as numerous as ever. To-night the double bill of Dora and Tlie Barrister is announced, and from the interest the former play has aroused in Christchurch, another excellent house is expected. This will be the last opportunity here of seeing an excellent little stage romance.