"SEVEN DAYS."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1092, 3 April 1911, Page 6

"SEVEN DAYS."

THE HUGH AVARD COJIPANY'S SEASON. "Seven Days," a farcical comedy, in three nets, by Jlary Kobcrts liinchart and A very Hopwood. Cast:—

James Wilson ... Mr. Hugh J. Ward Dallas Brown...Mr. Aubrey Jlallalieu I'om Harbison

Mr. Reginald Wykeham Officer Flaunigaii ... Mr. Robert Groig Tubby M'GirK ... Mr. U. H. Wallace Hubbs Mr. Laurence llardingc Kit Jl'Nair Miss Grace Palotta Bella Knowles Miss Ruby Baxter Anne Brown ... Miss Maud Clietwynd .Aunt Scliiia Jliss Celia Ghiloni

The infinite variety and resoureo ol Mr. Hugh J. Ward in the field of lighl comedy is well known. Mr. Ward radiates a form of. mild hilarity which i; only' checked by tho back wall of th< theatre, aud tuo conveying medium i< always of the cheerful ami bright order Last year it was that much-discussed persoi: "Tho Girl from Rector's," this lime it i< the American comtdy, ••tjev«n llays," tli: joint production 01 Aiarj Robert's Rinonart and Avery .Hopwood, the latter a most successful writer of Broadway suc : cesses. "Seven Days," which kept a packed Opera House bubbling witli laughter from beginning to end on Saturday evening, is a capital comedy of the light and airy sort. The iugredientsmouorn American snap aud "smart set" flippancy; a savour of tho delightful domesticities of Tom Robertson, brought up-to-date; half an hour's bright vaudeville; and a pinch of French cayenne to flavour the whole. It has been stated more than ouco that "Seven Days" has little plot. It has beconiu fashionable to say so of late of all manner of entertainments. Quite to the contrary, "Seven Days" is an altogether quaint aud original episode, and is not at all outrageously illogical. James Wilson, n cheerful divorcee, is dependent on hit wealthy Aunt Solina for support. When he married his.allowance was doubled so that ho did not deem it. expedient to inform his aunt, who lived in tho country, when he, with tho assistance of the Divorce Court, lost his wife. Jim is about to entertain his friends, Mr. and Mrs. Dallas Brown, and "Kit" M'Nair, at dinner, when the staggering news comes that Aunt Selina is on the point of arrival. Jim has only time to induce the volatile "Kit" M'Mair to play the part of liis wife when Aunt Selinii arrives. She at once ' takes Mrs. Brown 'or Jim's wife (Bella), and has to bo corrected; cannot understand why everyone should call Bella "Kit"; aud generally mixes matters by talking extremely confidentially on family affairs. "Kit," who is a charming girl, in love with an absentee, Tom Harbison, is assaulted with all sorts of awkward ques- ,,,?" s - Meanwhile the fun is banking up. Ihero is a comedy burglar behind ' a screen, who is always making futile efforts to escape; Mrs. Brown develops psychic alcoholism,'aud under tho infiuence'of a cocktail holds communion with the spirits which are mostly the burglar; Tom Har>ison happens in; and James's real wife, having seen an ambulance at the door when passing, is moved to inquire if the patient is her former husband. Just as Jim, "Kit," and tho rest of them are bustling Aunt Selina out of the house to tho. train, fearful of exposure, the astounding news is conveyed.by Flannigan, a burly policeman (iii pursuit of the burglar), that tho "Jap" butler has teen louna to have been seized with smallpox, and tho, house has been quarantined. The next act takes . place in the kitchen—a modern American hygienic -kitchen, with water and gas laid on, tiled walls, and a iracticable "dumb waiter," or food elevator. All the servants having decamped after the scare, tho quarantined are oreed to help themselves. Nothing could be more humorous than tho lottery conducted by tho dominating Aunt Selina, winch has to decide the domestic duties to bo performed breach one,, or the making ot the omelette by Tom Harbison under instruction from "Kit" M'Nair who had never cooked anything in her lite.. After all arc paired off comes the news that Jap only had chicken-pox, al f- i • ,9 uarant 'ne has been lifted which is the, signal for general rejoiciii" and tho curtain. The comedy is cleverly constructed, tho dialogue is quite smart and even epigrammatic in places, and the ?"'?" >s biigiit and breezy from tho rise to tho fall of the curtain. "Seven Days" is ono ot tho best-mounted farcical comedies ever seen in Wellington. The kitchen scene was a. marvel of completeie«, and tho roof-scono at night, overlooking a brilliantly-jewelled New York was quito unique in tho suggestion of altitude and perspective. Ihe company was thoroughly competent, n i t iv ast . aclmir ably suited. Mr. ■ u Ru J. Ward, whose part is no better than half-a-dozen others, invested the rolo ot James Wilson with that delightful spirit ot comedy which never obtrudes or strains yet is always so effective. He displayed his quaint huniour admirably in the proposal scene of the. first act, and the cookery scene of the second with Miss Talotta, and finally when on guard e shoots his nineteenth newspaper reporter. In company with Miss Chetwynd, Mr. Ward dances with grace and agility without evidence of effort. Miss braco Palotta was incurably vivacious as M-\ M ' Nair - She was "a glad gleam ot lightness and mirth to the whole seven days, and from a purely actine point of view Miss Palotta has done nothing better She captivated all in her musical numbers "Tti Tu." and "Billy's got an Aeroplane." Miss Maud Chetivyiul, as Airs. Dallas Brown, displayed a nice sense of the broad humour demanded by the part,.notably when under the influence of the cocktail in the first act and subsequently in her psychic moments. She sang "The Honeymoon Glide" with rare sparkle, and both iii that number and in "I Was So Shy," she danced with limber grace with Mr. Ward. Miss Glulom who was well placed as Aunt belina, found it rather difficult to bo as serious in spots as she should be. Still, it was a good performance, illuminated by the manner of her exits and entrances., She sang the comic "Babotte" (a parody on "La Donna e Mobile") admirably. Miss Ruby Baxter, as Bella exhibited just those traits of manner and speech which encourage the divorce business, so her performance must bo called artistic. Mr. Aubrey Mallalieu was excellent as Mr. Dallas Brown, Mr. IW Wykeham lent distinction to Tom • Harbison, Mr. Robert Greig was great as Flannigan, and Mr. 11. H. Wallace extracted the limit out of the dumb burglar. "Seven Days" should run for at least seven nights.