" The Silver King."

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 8064, 13 December 1892, Page 2

" The Silver King."

Pronounced sucoeis, unqualified m it wa» thoroughly deiermd, awaited the,, appear; anoa of Sir Walter Bontley »nd hi* dramatic oompany last eveping, tho ooq*sipn beta* signalised by an assemblage in the Drill Hall constituting the largest auditnee at the prices we have seen in the building. So great was the orush, in faot, that although tho management had catered molt liberally , in the/ matter of seating accommodation numbers of thoir patrons conld bttfely find ■ standing room. The piece "selyflted for : the initial representation— ".The Silver King "—has been fittingly termed ihe play of the osntury, affording as.it | doss . such wide scope for thu display of fell' the best and worst passions to whioh' frail' human naturei« addicted, while eaoh ohtrmcter in a splendidly worked-out plot', il inrronn* ~ ded with an individuality ' that' it v ingenious on the part of the author's*, it is , acceptable to the interested spectator. , In assuming the title role, Mr Walter Bentley, had he wished to be iudßedi udßed by the standard of excellence foreshadowing hii advent here, could not have selected a character moro calculated to t^ithii hUtrjonio' ability ' than "Wilfred Denver," and it it pleasurable to record that he emerged from the ordeal .with honors that fell thick s,nd fat upon him. The part; is one in" which, emotion is strongly predominant through all its varied phases sudintanso situations, where the slighljest exaggeration of language ' or action would deoidedly mat the effect sought to he produced, but in the slightest ' matter t>( detail naturalneto , was particularly noticeable, the result , being^t stage portraiture that was at onbo a credit to hii art and ikill. As »n' elocutionary; display , alone, the part is an excellent one, especially in the reoountal of his'dre«m,' »nd the oTorpowering dread that-, retribution will be exacted from ' bint' f(£c hit ■ fancied crime. Mr BonUey 1 !!: fltte stage presenceaddedgreatlytotheeSeotftroduced, , and in make-up he was particularly clever, ', his diaguise as "Dickie*," thshflf twitted ; deaf creature, being one that butfow, if. any, of the audience peuetnted. lor • • Bentley'i " Silver King " waito arHitio triumph in ovorv some, and th« audience, r prodigal in the matter of applause,' inaiited on recall* at the termination of the ' Various f.ott, the curtain baring to be railed on each occasion, and he woi alio the,recipienb. ■ of several handsome floral tribute!. AiV " Nellie Denver," Mil's Emma Bronton quiokly won her way into popular eympathy and favour by the anaffeoted and plowing manner in whioh the played the put of the true and loving wife, and tho lady 'asiisted materially in working out gome .of the most effeotive scenes. Mips Boiio Mitohell ii one of those bright and intelligent, child actresses who has evidently Tje'neflttod by exoelient tuition. The little lsdy ii deserving of eVery credit for her impertonanion of " Oiiiy Denver," and her distinot artiouUtion, without evsn the ingisition of staginesi, wai a treat to liiWttil toi", "' With regard to the other ladiei of the ootapiny, ■ Misi Estherine Hardy portrayed with fidelity the part of " Olive Skinner," and Miss Lily Hegarty that of "Susey," a vivacious waitress. Mr Laohlan MoQowan added still' furthor to bis reputation as an actor of versatility by giving » ipl^hdid mipenonation of ; the faithful old Servitor, "Jaikes," his conception of th'e'charxcter being a thorougnly, good, one; j&fr'BrUn England riohly deserved the' groans and hisses with whioh he was' lenelv'nd for bit investiture of the rascally and'oold-blboded part of "The Spider." His confederates in orinif, " Elijah. .Coombe" (Mr W. F. Olitherow), and/'Onpps " (Mr Charles Field) were also evidently steeped up totha very neck in tin, although not snowing quite such an amount 'of broadoloth oi the .. captain of the gang, "Henry Corkett," a „ semi-iooular viilain of tbe modern type, was well delineated by Mr H. B. Boberts, and Mr Harry Hill, in carrying out the comparatively small part of "(Jeoffroy Ware," was conscientiously good. 1 Other minor parts, including Detective Baxter (Mr C. Wakefisld) and the village gdtjips (Messrs Bightaon, Brokely, and, Hubert) were ably sustained. From the rise to the fall of the curtain, the drama proceeded without the slightest hitch, and the manage • ment are not only to be coinrbended tor excellent mounting and accessories, but^alio for the promptitude with which the different scenes were set, thus obviating any tedium of delay in the entr'actes.