THE NELLIE STEWART SEASON

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 951, 19 October 1910, Page 8

THE NELLIE STEWART SEASON

.■;■•■ .. : :- ; >;/;'./ .- : 'SDrilby," ' a'; play' in' 'four L .;acts, by jGeorge/cm^^■Maurier.s-."Cast ':—•'■'.- ! "> ■■"■'%: Alexander '■ M'Ali^ter"■.; .....'.Harcourt' Beafiy; Talbpt :• "Wyime ■ ..........;.;......Eardley - ; Turner." William., Bagot ;.!.i....::...'.....'....';A.. J.' . Pearce.'Svengali ..............;;;.;.,.:.-......;Qaet0n - Mervale.Qecto ...........'....■.....;:.:...Qebrge;. Thprne,- iTun. Dud; de la. Bochmartel;:..:-.Gregan'•, M'llahon; Theodore ■de la,' Tarce ...;...;.A : . J; Patrici. Colonel Kaw.v.:.-.......;;;J10rman Campbell. Eev. Thomas Bagot James. Atholwood. Mrs./Bagbt Meredith.' Madame ■ Tinard .;'...;„.;...'...:.Eb551yn -Tayne. Trilby 0'FarrdU : ..v......:....;;:.Ne11ie Stewart;'•.'Truth/ to telljV''GepTge ■ dui Mauner's fascinating little? romanbej crystallised for the stage in'the' ; play,'."-Trilby": was; never. : built: forchard -wear, •'and comes but ./indifferently out. of ■■the was delightful.-fifteen'!;years or 'so ago io:'see Du Maurier's'icleverly-sketched .characters strutting-forth ':•■•.■from 'the' pages of the book, then almost;wet from the press.: -ButHimeiisa 'great prbrer', : and; not e'yeh : the ■'••very , -'- excellent'.' ; :per r ' formarice of the' pjay ; giveh'Vat' the Opera: House,, last evening could'', .r'eyive:"the' vivid interest-which marked the driginal production inyNew-Zealandy'with Eeuben : Fax-as'Sverigali;yand ; Miss-'Edith 1 Crane as Trilby. >'-Only masterpieces can survive the.j: test -of .-•decades, '/and: fTnlby," though anexcelknt play of its .kind,, is.not a-masterpiece ■iri.tne'dram'a." In! it; the. late;: Ge.orgeidu'/Maurier:*displayed a-.nice facility in* character drawing, prdduced-a'narrative.which' breathes the atmosphere and-sentimenf : bf- the Latin Quartier.ipf ;Paris; of-forty' , years' ago/and. had ,'a great moment whence discovered the;dirty Polish Jew,'at.once i,a; : mesmerist|; and -a .great-' musician'.'. Svengali was.;, a ' positave'-'-oreatidn iu character; that v will >;live,-:. ; -.when >'the of: its' associates .will: be' lost;Last evening's performance will .be niembered if it is; only .for the masterly l acting '• of -Jlr,,- Gaston .Mervale : in the part. It is .straining-hothingv to 'say that local playgoers have seen no finer finished; or j more-, scnipulously aftistio: performance than'■ is '■ given by this actor ■ —it is, doubtful[ jf• tney' : have -seen"'as good;- ;';The pity',is -.that : :he'.:is'.' playing' Svengali. fifteen^.years too late, for ! his. personal uplifting in the - professibri.) He -realised . to': tie' nicest point the snake-like subtlety of -the ;man who has discovered a great voice in Trilby under mesmeric influence; , , conveyed :.untold .horrore in His. haunting laughter, and with rare histrionic .skill depictedvwith absolute ..conviction:. the gradual ■ progress of 'his. heart, trouble, and/finally. the:ghastly end (in- which"latter, scene Mr._ Mervale. reached the highestddr- t matic point). ; It. : was:, a rperformance' shorn.of weaknesses and .without.loose spots, and one' by- which ■ Mr. Mervale will long, be remembered. Miss Nellie Stewart; was .hardly, so, well, suited las Trilby' O'Farrell as in several, other parts ; one could.-nientiori. <:- : Her /yocaJ: tone was above pitch most of the time," and she did not become the Trilby /'indigenous" to the studio: of the ••" trbis" Englishe" that wo all know so well. 1 Miss - Stewart scored ■ better in the pathetic scenes,: in 'whicli.she was. most affecting. Mr. ; Eardley; Turner was quite sound as Taffy; as Mr. Har,court ■ Beatty, the' Laird, and -Mr."A: J: Pearce . as 'Little :' Billee. .The '.BeV.. Thomas Bagot was quite burlesijiied: by' Mr. J. B. Atholwood, who was .albeit extremely funny in; his business and dialogue. Mr. Grejor M'Mahon was Zou-Zou, Mr. A. J. Patrick Dodor, and Miss Rosslyn Vayne was excollent j as Madame Vinard.- :.-' .': ' , : . '. , .'-: '\

. "Trilby" will be ■ --.played': up .till Friday night; On Saturday.evening'"Sweet Nell of Old Drury" will bo staged once more.' . ' '■' •■;■ '■ -..■"•.' -•' ■;•■ • : -•-;■:.•■/■=■