II, Theaterstücke 4, (Anatol, 5), Abschiedssouper, Seite 147

4. 5. Abschiedssouper
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Zddrsg # Pobhication
Isgos datta —
GAIETY THEATRE.
A QUINTUPLE BILL.
If Mies Horniman is not absolutely able to
command success che at least deserves it richly.
and tho preent, week’s programme, wllich consiste
of five one-act plays, varying from light tripsome
farce to really telling fragedy, should be a memor¬
able one in local theatrical annals, Apart from
its quality, which is unexceptionable, it is no
mean task to stage and adequately cast a quin¬
tette of pieces, each requiring careful change of
scene, and all to be got tbrough at a really rea¬
sonable hour. As a kind of appetisant to the
fare which is to follow Dr. J. Sackville Martin's
clever and entertaining socialistic skit,“ A Ques¬
Ition of Property is served. The amusing playlet
with its smart dialogue has already been noticed
in these columne, and it is only necessary to sny
it is played as erisplu as ever by Me#ers. Austin,
Dean, Landor, and Mudie, together with Mies
Louise Holbroók, who playe the wifo of the Lan¬
cashire mill-worker in perteet fashion.
Probably the mest thoroughly enjoved item of
the bill is a quite new middle-class comedy from
the pen of Miss G. L. Robins, entitled“ Make¬
The play and its gifted writer are a
shifts.“,
recent discovery of Miss Horniman's, and we
shall Took forward with eagernees to further
efforts from the talented lady. The Parkers are
two hard-working sisters, who support a widowed
mother, and have but few chances of social re¬
laxation. They have a quiet but impossible ad¬
mirer in the lodger, aschemist’s assistant; and a
friend, Mr. Albert Smptlie, a still more im¬
peesible young man, who in his drees—he wears
a waistcoat and tie in two shades of scarlet—and
mnanner is as loud as it is possible to be. His
breezy style, however, attracts the girls who have
no opportunities to “sce fellows, and each in
turn thinks she is on the verge of a proposal. In
his own blundering way he is eimply telling
them of his engagement to the“ other girl,' when
téars—and curtam. Up to a point—that of the
cruel, perhaps unintentional stab—the merriment
is uproarious; the dialogue ie natural, convine¬
ing, and remarkably fresh: and as we learn gradu¬
ally what the blow means to the expectant girls.
themirth changes to the sympathetic tear. The loud
Mr. Smythe is surely a part after Mr. Charles
Bibby's own heart, and he extracts everg ounce
of humour genuine and legitimate—out of it.
Mies Ada King’s plaving of the home-drudge
sister was a# artistic triumph, and that of Mies
Louise Hollrook as the schoolmistrees sculd
scärcely be###ttered. Mr. Lconard Mudi# was
also excellent as the lodger, and the aut####
who apperred in response to numerous calle, was
awarded an Svation.
Cast in quite a different mould is the one-act
comedy of Dr. Schnitzler, The Farewell
Supper,' adequately played py Miss Camilla
Dalberg and her company. The piece has a Pari¬
sian smack, and auffere from juxtaposition.
Rather we preferred the quite new plavlei
" Bringing it Honie,“ written by Mr. H. M.
Richardson, à well-known local writer and play
wright. It deals in salutory fashion with th
beorching motorist, and shows how one Cyri.
Onwin—mnotorist first and magistrate afterwarde
—in his mad desire to overtake another cur rune
over and kills his only child. The piece, despitt
soriie minor faults of construction, is cleverl)
conceived and brilliantly written: moreover i
gives that verg excellent actres“, Miss Darragn, :
superb ehance of showing her bistrionic powers
a chance of which she is not slow to avail her
self.
The carefully selected menu concludes, by way
of dessert, with Mr. Charles MeEvoy’s breczy bi¬
of fooling,“ Gentlemen ofthe Road. Mr. Heurz
Austin is dramatically funny as the tramp acter
who has played ever, ming from Hamlet ##
Charley’s Aunt; and the“ fallen star?' is excced
ingly well supported by Charles Bibby, in inimit
able character sketch and the other memnbeis o
the cast
In addition to the foregoing, superb representa
tions of“ The Hippolytus of Euripides have
been given at matinees. Mr. Gilbert Murray':
most excellent translation is splendidlyacted, anc
Mr. Granville Bantock’s special musie is charm
ing and characteristic. Allthe parts are well sus
tained. and special mention should be made o
the Hippolvtus of Mr. Lconard Mudie, th.
Phaedra of Mies Penelope Wheeler, and the Hen
caman of Mr. Lewis Casson. The“ Hippolvtus'
will be repeated at three matinees next weck.
At the evening performances next weck, Mise
Camilla Dalberg will appear in“ Columbine,“
bajazzade in one act by Dr. Erich Korn; and
Miss Horniman's company will give“ The Fan
tasticks, by Rostand.
box 8/2
Isses dattd
GAIETT THEATRE.
A OUINTUPER BILL,
“A OUESTION OF PROPERTT.“
By J. Sackville Martin.
MAKESHIFTS.“
A New Middle-class Comedy, in one act, by
G. L. Robins.
Miss Caroline Parker Ada King
Miss Dolly Parker Louise Holbrook
Mr. Thompson Leonard Mudie
Mr. Albert Smythe Charles Bibby
Scene—The Parker’s Sitting-room.
Pp
E FAREWELL SUPPER.“
A One-sct Comedy, by Dr. Arthur Schnitzler. Trans¬
lated into English by Edith A. Browne and Alix
Grein.
Annie Mdlle. Camilla Dalberg
Anatol Mr. George Ingleton
Max Mr. Edyvin Coat.a
The Waiter Charles Kyrlie
Tne action takes place at smart restaurant in Vienna.
Produced by Camilla Dalberg.
· BRINGING IT HOME.“
A New One-act Play, by H. M. Richardson.
Unwin Miss Darragh
Mrs. Bent-Bullough Louis Holbrook
Simpson Heurv Awatin
Jeauette Liiian Christine
Coril Unwin Basil Dean
Moid
Enid Meek
Scene—The Drawing-room at Cyril Unwin’s House.
IGENTLEMEN OF THE ROAD.“
A Tramp Sketch. by Charles MoEvoy.
There was the spice of variety in last night’s
entertainment—a quintuple bill. We commenced
witha“hors d’ouvre' of economics, followed it
up with a neat little sermon on the superfluons
woman, drank not too deeply of a somewhat flat
Rhine wine, sustained a lecture on the ethics of
automobilism, and“ topped off“ with Mr.
McEvoy’s now fairly well-known tramp sketch.
Dr. Sackville Martin’s entertaining playet we
have already favourably noticed, but Miss Robins!
comedy was new, and surprisingly good.
In" Makeshifts'’ we make the acquaintance of
two lonely girls, one a teacher, the other the
houswife, in their dull“ digings, living un¬
eventful, unexeiting lives in petient boredom.
“ It’s pretty sockening,“ geumbles the teacher—
but with eternal hope springing up of coming
Prince Charmings Up to the present, howoverg
Highuesses have proved rater
their Roy:
disappointing lot: a bald headed
serubby and
ent, a weird, abnorm.
Sunday school
chemist’s assistant,
bas
al
till, there are
latter, so that
ted, affably
sert of the
He
e
by appear.
re each
heir hopes
K
ins strikes
3 true
there i8
in tears
ler house¬
her head
r. Tho
nnv; the
ggested, and
Charac
al life and
there was
ert teacher, the
18
sincerity about it
ar Smythe, with his
ul
meeker home girl, the
conunand of modern slang, and the“ mug,“ were
all thoroughly well and clearly drawn. We shall
be glad to welaome a further instalment of Mise
to a certain
1
Robins’s undoubted talent.
peint" Makeshifts“ was delightfully played last
night, but Mr. Bibby, who was inclined totrouble
the prompter, fell away somewhat after a delighit¬
ful start, and the piece auffered accordingly. Yet
Makeshifts“ was a great success, and was on
the whole well acted.
We fancy that Schnitzler’s one-act comedy
must have suffered from being presented in ite
English medium. This sort of thing ought to go
with a bang and a rattle—to seethe and fizz and
bubble. The French, now, order these mattere
But“ The Farewell
the most zuccessfullv.
Supper“ lagged a trifie last night. The story
treats of a gentleman, who, bidding farewell to
Bohemia, meets bis mistress for the last time
before he püsses into the domain of marital
respectability. The lady springs a surprise on
himl, however, Fin the shape of an unexpested
stceessor, and Ediamond euts diamond. Miss
Camilia Dalberge was bright and lively as the
operatie“star.“’ and her slightly broken English