OPERA HOUSE.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 675, 12 February 1903, Page 10

OPERA HOUSE.

Miss Fitzmaurice Gill’s Dramatic Company are recording good ’business at the Opera House. The choice of such a favourite play as “ Harbour Lights,” which has held the boards since Thursday last, and the manner in. which the drama was produced has added popularity to the already popular company. The Staging and acting is tne best' th©’ management have tendered to their patrons, and was fully appreciated, as shown by the crowded houses. The principal characters were all well cast. Mr Charles Blake as David Kingsley “made the most of the hero part. Miss Fitzmaurice Gill, as Dora Vane, looks and acts the part in a sweet and natural manner. Mr Leo De Chateau made a capital Tom Dossiter, the faithful old quarter-master, throwing life and fun into the whole play, he being ably assisted in his comedy work by Miss Roberts, as Peggy. The other parts were all creditably taken. An item of extra interest was the cutlass drill in the third act by a squad of twenty seamen froih 'the warship Archer, now’in port./ The exercises were loudly applauded, and an encore was demanded each evening. The scenery deserves a word of praise. I am given to understand that the work was done and mounted at a very short notice, but Mr W. Diamond, the local scenic artist, was evidently equal to the occasion, and had everything up to time, and produced the whole as we saw it. The ship scene is especially worthy of mention, and the applause that greets the rise of th# curtain each evening testifies as io the audiences opinion. Last night “ East Lynne ” was to be produced for one evening only.: .To-night Miss Gill is going tex introduce to the Opera House patrons an entirely new play, viz.* “Nancy and-. Her Saijor,” which has never . been played in New Zealand, although well-known and suc-cessDull#-played by Mr Rignold in Australia.