"THE NEW HENRIETTA."

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12175, 26 November 1917, Page 6

"THE NEW HENRIETTA."

AT THE THEATRE ROYAL. To some extent the marvellous advance in picture film production has resulted in bringing into the a serious rival to the theatrical prorer--sion, and to a very considerable extent the theatrical world has undergone a veritable metamorphosis during the last two denudes. "Rut between the play as portrayed on the screen a,nd as given by real live men and women o n the stage, with sweet singers, speakers with well modulated voices and fascinating costumes, there is a.s much difference as between cheese and chalk, as between win° and. water. The play a.s presented by real men and women must ever afford a fascination which ran never be associated with pictures cast on a. screen by mechanical contrivances. The advance in kinpmatography has certainly made serious inroads, into the theatrical profession, .as a consequence of its relative cheapness, and one result has been that we see fewer theatrical companies now than we did when the population of the T>ominion was very much smaller than it is today. However, the stage will always havp its votaries, and the actor and the actress will never be dethroned by the mechanical substitute. The hearty receptions which have been accorded to thr> companies which have visited the city during Ibo Inst few years afford proof of the hold which Shakespeare's profession has on the community. The cordial welcome given to Messrs J. and X. Tail's company when it. gave its initial production " Turn to tin l Right" last week provided abundant proof of this fact. On Saturday evening at the Theatre Royal the company introduced the second piece of its repertory, the comedy drama '' The New Henrietta," by Messrs Winch el] Smith and Victor Mapos, and the reception accorded tiie product ion by a crowded house was one which must have been exceedingly gratifying to performers and management alike. "The New Henrietta'' differs greaily from the initial production, but. afforded the cast an opportunity of displacing their extreme versatility, of which they took abundant advantage, and tlm performance throughout, was an exceedingly pleasing one. The New Yurie Stock Exchange has proved a source of inspiration fo;' counties'; composers and others versed in stagecraft, and with an apparently j'ull knowledge of the ground which they sought to portray on the stage, the composers have contrived to weave a fascinating, pretty and absorbing story, the interest in which never flags from the rising to 'the falling of the curtain. It is unnecessary to tell the storv of the comedy drama, which must be se.en to be fully appreciated. The New Henrietta of the play is a. mine, and its fortunes on AVall Street are. the motive for tli,. conspiracy 'that is frustrated finally by the no'or-do-u ell son. who lias been given up as hopeless by hi* iathe-r. The theme is as old as it is successful., buti in the '' New Henrietta" the dramatic element, serves merely as a. bromide far the effervescing comedy thai, the have concentrated their wit upon. Yet the play lui-s situations of the. most dramatic intensity, alternating with some very charming love scenes. The early action is rapid, but not elusive, and the entrances are nicely calculated The font" nobs of the comedy drama occupy more than two hours, but under the spell of the fascinating story which is unfolded the time passes unnoticed. Mr YV. P. Richardson, th r . doe Bascom of "Turn to the Right." as Nicholasvan Alstyne, an ex-miii-t, but now one of New York's financial magnate*) and a leading figure on the Stock Exchange, gave an excellent characterisation of the part, a part demanding histrionic poAver of no mean order, Mr Mark Turner, as Gaston Mervale, tha financier's son-in-law, was assigned a difficult part, but he acquitted himself excellently. .Miss Lizotte Parkes, the Betty Base mi of the former piece, as Agnes Gates gave, a charming portrayal. Mr St.m.l it.nn Kent gave- evidence of his versatility by taking the part of a fashionable, amorous, young clergyman, with marked success, whereas in the former production he won much Kudos for his representation of (filly, a character the antithesis of that which he played on Saturday night. Gerald Hareourt as Watson Flinty a broker, and Maurice Dudley, as Van Alstyne's private secretary, were so naturally suited to tlmir parts as to leave no room for criticism; but the real triumph of the evening ivas John Junior, a.s the prodigal hut immaculate son. Canton Stuart, GeorgeChalmers and R. If. Lone sustained their parts perfectly. Gwen Doriso gave a natural simplicity to the part' of Hose Turner, in which her principal duty was to lend the feminine touch to scenes which otherwise might have seemed over-masculine. Gertrude Summers, as Mrs Opdyke. the fashionable widow, achieved sor.ici quite effective dn ss effects, making a. gorgeous appear ane.e at one stage in a rich patnn velvet cloak of couhuir de rose. Frances Anderson took a minor part offccrivoily. Th G staging of the piece was excellent, and a pretty effect, was produced in glimpses of room* beyond the stage-

••Tli" N«',v Henrietta. " avi.ll be played for two more nights.