HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 826, 4 January 1906, Page 18

HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE.

(By

“Footlight.”)

“ THE WALLS OF JERICHO.” OAST OF CHARACTERS. lankey Bannister. Mr. Brough ack Frobisher.... Mr. Herbert Flemming larquis of Steventon...Mr. E. B. Payne iord Drayton (his son)....Mr. D. Walker larry Dallas’...Mr. Carter Pickford Bertram HannafordMr. Philip Leslie lon. Jasper Twelvetrees..Mr. J. Paulton iord MarchmontMr. John F. Forde lon. Wilfred Drayton..Mr. N. McKeown •eters.Mr. Horace Higson limpson Mr. Arthur Cbutts ames Mr. John Wilson

William Mr. W. Potts jady Luck DerenhamMiss W. Fraser <ady WesterburyMiss Emma Temple <ady Parchester M bs Kate Gair )uchess of Skye Miss Bessie Major fiss MorningtonMiss Gordon Lee Miss Wyatt Miss Mary Milward Mary Miss Olive Dudley Lady Aethea Frobisher Miss B. Day On Monday “ Beauty and the Barge,” which had enjoyed a successful run of five nights, was replaced by Alfred Sutre’s play, “ The Walls of Jericho,” and as much had been heard of the piece a very large audience assembled to see it. Although comparisons are somewhat unfair in the present case there probably would not be one dissent ; ent voice from the opinion that it is a far finer play than the opening production. The latter was amusing enough, but being of the very light and frothy var'ety hardly seemed to satisfy, whereas with “The Walls of Jericho” the reverse is the case, and a strong play is given, full of sparkling dialogue, and one withal which leaves food for thought. Briefly, it tells the story of one .lack Frobisher, who, haying made his pile inAustralia, goes to ! London, where he falls in love with and marries Lady Alethea Derenham, eldest daughter of the Marqu ; s of Steventon, an impoverished nobleman of the “guinea-pig” variety. Frobisher finds that h s wife, cannot escape from the meshes of the smart set in society,' .while he himself, a very strong man in the colonies, bids fair to. become a nonentity. The climax is reached when he discovers Harry Dallas, an unprincipled man-about-town, making violent love to Lady Alethea, when the strong man asserts himself. In a powerful speech (in wh’ch he fairly carried the house w'th him) Jack Frobisher exposes the shams of society, ending it by order’’ng a return to Queensland- Lady Alethea refuses to go, but ultimately her love for her husband prevails, and the curtain falls on the reconciliation of the two. In “ The Walls of Jericho” Mr. Alfred Sutro has ostensibly attacked merely a minute section of society, that very limied portion of the English aristocracy who live purely for pleasure and selfish gratificat’on and by their actions proclaim that they have altogether forgotten that there can be no excuse or justification for an exalted social station unless those holding it put duty before self-indulgence and are an aristocracy in reality as well as in name. Mr. Sutro’s comedy may, however, be regarded not merely as an exposure of a happily small fraction of highly-placed English soc’ety, but also as an object-lesson for all those who to the best of their opportunity set themselves to follow its example. In “ The Walls of Jericho” Australia : s depicted as a country where a true conception of manhood and womanhood is in the ascendant, and where the life led by the “smart set” of Mayfair would not be tolerated. While general y speaking that conception ’s justified (says an Australian writer), not even the most ardent eulogist of Australia and the Australians would affirm that the vices against wh : ch the playwright has directed his artillery are altogether unknown. The mercenary woman who regards marriage purely as a business transaction in wh : ch she endea vours to gain as much as she can and to give as little as possible in return is the monopoly neither of a single country nor of a single class. She is to be found in every land and in every walk of life. Mr. Herbert Flemming takes the part of Jack Frobisher, giring. a manly renJerng of the character which foundgreat favour with the audience, whose sympathies were with him from start to finish.

Especially did he rise to the occasion when ; n a very strong scene he remorselessly attacks the hollow shams and vapid frivolity, the unblushing selfishness and self-indulgence of the smart set, th s fairly rousing the house, while all through his acting was consistently good. Miss Beatr : ce Day essayed the ro eof Lady A ethea, playing the part to the Ife. Very cleverly did she bring out the main features of a character which, although somewhat marred by superficial faults, yet which at bottom *s true gold. Taken all through it was a very accurate conception of the part. Mr. Brough as

Hankey Ban’ster, a life-long friend of Jack’s, played quietly, his love scene w’th Lady Alethea’s younger sister, causing much amusement. Miss Win fred Fraser was very br ght as Lady Lucy, the light-hearted but mercenary sister of Lady Alethea. M'ss Emma Temple gave an entirely natural rendering of the part of the good-natured Lady Westbury; Miss Gordon Lee made a vivaez’ous Miss Mornington j Mr. Edgar Payne hardly made the most of the part of the Marqu’s of Steventon, the avaricious o d aristocrat who is prepared to sacrifice his daughters for the sake of gold, the conception being rather weak throughout. Mr. Carter Pickford was too stiff and formal as Harry Dallas, although the part does not give much chance to the actor. The nr'nor parts were well filled, and the mounting of the peace was decidedly good, while a special word of praise must be given to the dresses, some of which were really beautiful. “ The Walls of Jericho” has been running to excellent bus : ness during the week, and is well worth seeing.