NELLIE STEWART SEASON.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 941, 7 October 1910, Page 6

NELLIE STEWART SEASON.

' '"WHEN KNIGHTHOOD WAS IN ;■"':..•■:. .-'■■ . f'lowee."/ v : ; ; : "When Knighthood was- in Flower," a romance by Paul-Hester. Cast.—:, : : Henry Till ...'.......„.;...: .'.' Eardley; Turner Francis d'Angoulemo: A. J. Patrick Thomas Wolsey .'. .'...:......' Gaston' Hervale Buke of Buckingham ...... J. B.'Atholwood Duke do Longueville ...... Gregan M'Mahon Charlie Brandon .;.....,.... Harcourt Beatty Sir Edwin Oaskodcn'..'.... .Norman Campbell' Queen Katnerino ....'....; Madeleine Meredith. Lady Jjuie Bolingbroke ...... Kosslyn. Vayne Mistress Anne Boleyn ............... Edith' Lewis Mistress Jane Seymour-..'. Gwen Burroughs Mary. Tudor -. .;;...............-Nellie, Stewart

/History has helped Mr.-.Paul..Kester/to a;: happy ;idea in :.,the romantic .-play'/ "When /Knighthood - was : in-. Flower,"' which served last evening\to reintroduce Miss. Nellie Stewart and, a capable company, of, players-to Wellington. ..'playgoers. .Not that the author; cares a, snap of-.the 'fingers, however, .for f anything: approaching a, love' lor the .truth in: historical;- detail. .William-:Shakespeare' set. a fashioiiin historical perversion, in the drama-quite a long-time ago,.'so that any-' one-/with/ the requisite assurance -may seize upon/ a group ■■' ofv personages,! and, with, a light ■ heart - and' a, free conscience, ■move, them about the/stage .as .a. '.; chessplayer /his. -knights: arid': ;castles.•':'• /The play's; the -thing, and .on the whole-Mr. Jiester has succeeded."very: well: in/ creat-'. ing a. popular .romance,'.which-carries with;/it., sufficient ./atmospheric; similitude to .what might have/been, to.iplease',the. taste of the;many.t. it is : a,play,bf .many charming prettinesses,''but: only one' part worth, the. name.' Indeed,,.'its-weakness lies in ithe /author's'/lack :of/; attention'-' to the,male characters, whoso/struttirigs and frettings .are' marked by an ab'sence'-'of scope, lor histrionic- effort'/other thair'to form . the - framework for the "display, of j Mary Tudqr's.'.sweet' waywardness in-'.her ::love. affairs, and.pretty roguishness iii all things.. : That.'this.:onevpart'is iappilyconceived'there -can be' ho' two' opinions; that., Miss: Stewart > played it admirably is beyond-:;question.':v/-''":--,"■'•• ; : :-:;v .- ■The play-harks ;b'ack to ,the ; 'pictures"iue . days.,ol: -tno;.Bluff. King Hal;-- He has' .Tesolved . to -, cement -.the',security-' £ of .'A his /French. possessions; by/giving /his sister: .Mary .'.."the- thorniest 1 rose; on •: the; Tudor stem"'to'; Louis of .France. Mary';;has .contrary :views', on:,the .subject;- having given- her heart'/td Charles -Brandon, ;-a icaptaih 6f the, King's' .GuaTd..'.This ifieryyoung 'blade- has -formidable-enemies-in 1 .the treacherous.Duke of Buckingham/arid ■ Sir;Adam'.Judson, and it-'is : in' resenting ah, imputation .by-■:the -latter .on -Mary's honour:■ that:he-plu'nges':intb trouble'.' 'A -duel is,fought, and /Brandon' kills '- Sir iAdam.on-. the fair sward.in'.the shadow of.■..Windsor-Castle.:' Buckingham sees -iii this' a way. of getting'rid of 1 Brandon-in order-'.to forward■-: the',-:-alliance '/with ; France. >■;-.The'.young : mau,is:..throwtt;ihto'. prison, not, however,' without- hbpo. : that Mary ..will.-find: the -means.to, secure ::his: release.; -She relies ; on .Buckingham, arid he: promises "to' se'eeure Brandon's escape even whilst cbmilassing his death. .At-the.; eleventh\-hour/,Mafy..learns.-that-' Brah- ! don --is; to; die'at'.dawn, ■ arid' Wat'Buckin'g 1 -. ham, is ;a political viper.'- She 'pleads 'to .the King for' the life; of,her; lover, ahd-it' :is '-granted : oii ;the- condition that-he' shall -leave, instantly; lor New - Spain; v-Then-' she' connives -at; an Vbpement'..with' Brandon;.disguised as a" youthful" cavalier,. :but'--her: sex is discovered ph the eve of 'embarka-' I'tion at Bristol, ;eyen'--.as the; *King .'-and hisvpursuing -:party arrive, on ! Once-more.-Brandon's head;is dandled-uiit der, ,the axe,.' but .saved by' Mary. pro'mis-; ing to, ;wed, Louis—to become'-hisV queen, but not his, wife. ■In this: manner ''she is,' 1 -wed by - proxy,:' and > shippedV away.';; to'.' old : Louis,- ; a:blighted heart.'.:Tho.lving,'o|,the' lYench is shortly,afterwards-assailed by an. illness:which ends in, death,. but' Mary is- in peril from, the;urgent.-attentions: of the Dauphin, ;.who' after iLouis's'-;'death' seeks- to. subdue ;tho.'young, lady, but is frustrated ■; by; the;.;apbearance". of the -gal-' lant Brandon, who bearsher b'dcfcto'England;; whero'they-. are' married-; and: finally accepted' as man' and wife ; by',the muchheckled Henry.; ■ :::(,:-;; :.;.; , M-

Miss Stewart.,is;,happy,;in ..the-posses-sion of .the'-, gift \ of; assuming a delightful.., buoyancy .of spirit, which makes .her Mary-. Tudor ' an-: altogether bewitching character.;... She is,: the gayest of 6irierfy. hearts;.;i.n, the , midst.-.; 0f... her' many troubles, .and .by. her- fine rango.of tones; her playful' archness - and. mimicry, her ; nts: of _ wild ..temper; alternating ; . .with' scenes- of j exquisite tenderness-and. splendid, loyalty, conveyed'with;.the- finished art of which- she isan experienced; mistress,' reestablished .'her'firmly in 'the good,graces- of -the audience.- She was delightful: in her scenes, with -the King, and displayed.herrrare:sense, of comedy most agreeably in the scene; where the ;lnn» desires ;her,.to': bo: measured for 'the wedding trousseau,. and' again'-' when mas-'. ■ queradinr'as a young .blood. at.'.the old' .inn:.; in .Bristol. _ : , Mr. ;,Hafcourt:. Be'atty■'rattled : a dexterous blade 'as ' Charles Brandon;>'nd.'but-for': a .certain'charac-i teristic stiffness in:'his"actions. I :'played the part on -bold -manly- lines.:-' Mr.' Eardley Turner's'.King, Henry -was- a :sound performance, and Mr. J. ~B.:!Atholwood lent weight; and. authority to 'the lines of •Buckingham: Wolsey-figures' '■as a' mere : sketch. in. purple, as': pi ayed . by ; Mr.' Gasten Morvale. -There.-; was .'scope - for- nothing •'else..-.'; Mr.v. Gregan .M'Maho'n extracted an'■occasional laugh by the. caricature ' he. made of the. - Duke. ,'de. .Longueville,' the French ..'Ambassador! -.-Mr. -A. J.;, ;. Patrick made ■ a, forceful .-■ Dauphin, and, Mr;. Norman- Campbell- a''somewhat colourless ■, Sir. Edwin Casko'den, '-,\. Bran;don's ■■:faithful ■'..friend:- Miss : .Eosslyu. Vavne.,was: well suited as. Lady ,'Jane Bplingbrbke. : -Minor: parts' ,were ' taken by '.. Misses': Edith Lewis 'and .Madeleine Meredith. ' The 'play' : was .'■'•■'admirably-' mounted arid .costumed, and a •commendable- regard ; for ;. detail- was apparent. An efficient oTchesrra, under .Mr.... G. Leopold, played;the incidental niusicarid a number'of good selections... There will be.-four: more performances ■'. of: "When Knighthood.was in, Flower.'- -...,'

- The' following letter, received ; from -Mr.F. Thompson, general-' manager 'of the Christchiirch" Tramway^; Board, was' ferred.by the City-Council last: evening to its Tramways Committee direction, of the: board, I have 'tho', hbnou'r<ito suggest that your council should convene a conference of representatives from the various tramway' undertakings . in -the' Dominion, with reference to the proposed industrial demand, arranged- by the Federated Union's of Employees. The board is of opinion that it is highly desirable, in the interests of. all - concerned, that. the municipal authorities should take concerted action in the. matter." v ,

■ Wanganui is nothing if not.loyal to. its own. Its enthusiasm over its sculling representative, William Webb,,is-still fresh in people's memory. It has also, a good band; so good, in fact, that its chances of winning the big contest at Ballarat are exceedingly,- rosy. The: band numbers some .thirty performers, but that.is not nearly the number of Wanganui residents who are proceeding to Sydney en route to Ballarat by to-d;>-'s steamer. Tho party, numbers over fifty, and. every - one of them has tho highest hopes of the band's success. Such enthusiasm is niost refreshing. '. ■ ■ ' —- '..■■•. The City Cbuncil last evening accepted the 'tender.of. Messrs., Mace and Nicholson for the erection of public conveniences. Consideration of tenders- for pulling down an old building ill Aro Street was deferred until next meeting. : .Messrs.. Carter and Co., Cuba Street, have just opened, ex Corinthio, a'splendid lot of scarce lines in up-toKlate'draD-cirYt'.- .'. .> *