THEATRE ROYAL.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11502, 7 February 1903, Page 8

THEATRE ROYAL.

The Anderson Dramatic Company put on "A Life's Revenge" last night. It is a piece which, whilst'.tjjroceeaß upon the lines of intelligible dramatic construction, is really exceedingly well written. But when the so-called comic clement is introduced that part of the play becomes the broadest and most ridiculous farce. This is to be regretted, as apart from- tht defect alluded to, "A Life's Revenge" is an artistic piece. Miss Helene Burdette played the character of Marcia, the evil genius of the piece, with considerable success. She invested the pari—which is one not likely to earn the sympathies of the audience— with so much interest by her excellent acting as at times to over-shadow that of the good woman, tlie Princess WandaMiss Ida Gresham scored an undoubted success in the part of. the Princess. The character of the woman whose love survives through all the trials and hardships which seem to .be inseparable from a heroine in melodrama, was powerfully pourtrayed throughout. Miss Katie Towers had one of those absurdly impossible parts which only exist in the minds of authors of penny dreadfuls and melodramas, and that she succeeded in »doing as much as she did with it is a tribute to JL»er histrionic ability. Mr Diver made the diameter of Prince Bovis too senile. Mr Plimmer made a fairly good Paul Stanovitch, but his irnpersc-na/tion was exceedingly unequal. Mr Stontfard deserves credit for his adkndioJble character impersonation as Orloff, and Mr Dalgleiisb. was capital as Maurice Trevor. This either pants, which are alll subsidiary to those nam-d, were filled well. The piece was excellently staged, the set of tho palace gardens in the second act and the in.ea.or in the third acti being jparti-i-li-riy good. To-nigh,t, which is the last of. the -season, the piece will again be repeated.