"THE LYONS MAIL."

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1359, 9 February 1912, Page 6

"THE LYONS MAIL."

ME..IL B. IRVING AND COMPANY. "Tho 'Lyons Mail," a. melodrama in three acts bv MM. Moveau. Siraudiu, and Delacour. Adapted bv Charles Roade. CashJosiph Lcsurnues - Mr. It. T). Twiner Dubosc J[r. H. 11. Trying Courriol Jtr. Eric klaxon Choppard „ Mr. Arthur Whitby Fouinard air. Tom iteynolds Durochat _ Mr. Walter (iililiH Jerome Lesurqucs Mr. Frank Tyars Dorval Mr. Henry Viliart Didier _'.'Mr. Stanley llmvlett Joliquct Mr. Arthur Curtis Ouerucau Mr. 0. Trevor Itoricr Tiambert Mr. ClaucV; fiecrbohm Postmaster of Montcron Mr. Ttolnud I'crtuis Coco Mr. It. li. Cook Commissary of Folicc ... Mr. W. H. Graham Postillion Mr. J. Cass fiuarrt Mr. P. Walder AV'aiter Mr. S. Beaumont Julie Miss Irene Mrownc Mario Miss Maude I'lunkett Nice* to Postmaster,... Miss Avice Scholtis Jeauetto Miss Dorothea Baird In Pere la Chaise, the famous Parisian Cemetery,, there, is erected a monument bearing "tho following inscription:— "Ala memuire dc Joseph Lesurques victime de la plus deplorable des errcurs luimains. 1)1 Octobre, 17i)ti. Sa veuve' et ses cufants, martyrs tons' deux stir la tcrre, tous deux sont minis a,u eiel." Tin's refers to tho lamentable death of one Lesurques, an. honourable and upright citizen who was guillotined in place of a criminal to whom ho bore a striking resemblance. Four years passed by before the real truth was known, and tho memory of tho unfortunate Lesurqucs cleared of the stain which lay upon it. This is tho incident upon which the authors'of "The Lyons Mail" based the plav which was first produced in Pans as 'long ago as March, ISoO, and winch •was-"presented bv Air. it. B. Irving and his' company "at tho Opera J louse last evening. In France this hardy old plav is held in somewhat the same esteem that playgoers hold The Silver King" in this country. I hat is to say, it is melodrama in tho pure—a good melodrama withal, and one worthy of occasional revival, subject to the provision that an actor of real talent is secured to sustain tho dual role. As most people aro aware, tho play is founded on tho startling resemblance of M. Lesurques, merchant, of Pan's, to Dubosc, a ' notorious criminal—two people alike physically, but with a yawning gulf between, as far as moral character is concerned. So, to present the two characters ably and convincingly calls for some fine distinctions iii pose, speech, and mannerism, and it is in obtaining tho likeness with the all-important differences ■ noted that the call is made upon the artistic resource of the actor. Air. Irving succeeds absolutely in conveying^tho illusion. As Lesurqucs ho is the treehanded, honest, considerate merchant; as Dubosc, there is'the same man, exhibiting in the motions of his hands, tho "downy" slouch, and mode of speech, those touches of moral degradation, accounting for all the difference in the world. There is ingenuity in the construction of tho play. Lesurques's father has suffered ill-fortune, but too proud to receive assistance from his prosperous son, takes a small inn on the outskirts of Paris, in which venture ho is again unfortunate. On tho evening that he sets out to endeavour to sell his property his son Joseph, having secured for his father a Government post, hires a horse and rides out to the inn, thero to leave a sum of money in such a way that the old man will accept, and to advise him of tho new post ho has secured for him. It is fatality that on that very day Dubosc, with' his confederates, has resolved to attack and rob the Lyons mail, which on this occasion includes the sum of 75,000 francs from the Bank of Lyons. Lesurqucs arrives fust, to find his father | absent, and after a conversation with the boy in charge leaves the money in his father's room, without disclosing his identity. Immediately after his departure Dubosc and his villainous confederates arrive on the scene. The postillion and driver of tho mail are-murdered, and the money is stolen. As Dubosc is about to decamp old Lesnrques arrives and raises the alarm, and is shot in tho shoulder by the man whom he fancies he recognises as his own son. Tho following evening there is a # gathering at young Lesurques's home in honour of the signing of tho marriage contract of his daughter, and amongst the guests is M. Dorval, the' Chief of Police, who only comes to make his excuses, as he is called upon to make full investigation into the crime committed the previous night. When about to go old Lesurques enters with his arm bound up, showing by his manner that he is convinced of his son's guilt. Hearing that this is the very witness lie is looking for, M. Dorval questions him, and in tho course of the scene it is disclosed that young Lesurques had visited tho inn the evening before. Other witnesses, in Joliquet, the boy at the inn, Choppard, the livery-stable keeper, and Courriol, the dandy friend of Lesurques, both of whom are members of Dubosc's gang, contribute evidence of a character most damning to Lesurques, who is horrified to find the position ho is being placed in. Finally tho people of the inn in whfch the murderers spent the previous afternoon are called, and they at once recognise, not only Choppard and Courriol, but Lesurques, as tho men wanted by tho police. Almost driven to distraction by the sudden turn of events, the innocent man takes an affectionate leave of his daughter, and witlf the others is hurried off to gaol, and after a trial condemned ' to suffer death. There is, however, a woman in the case, Jcanette, who has been betrayed and deserted by Dubosc. She is rescued by Lesurques's daughter, and is an inmate of the house when the fell disclosures are made, but hesitates at exposing tho father of her child, even to save the head of her benefactor. All seems to be lost .until the wife of Choppard in bribed to give up tho day-book in which is entered tho time at which Lesurques returned the hired horse—precisely tho time the crime was committed. This is hailed as a full alibi by Lesurques's friends, but Dubosc, ever on the alert, breaks into the house, finds the book, erases the entry, and after a struggle with Jeanette, makes his escape. On the book being conveyed in jubilation to the Chief of Police, 1 the erasure is discovered, and onco more the case seems hopeless, and the guillotine ever so near, when Jeanette breaks in, tells the story of the erasure, and denounces Dubosc as tho chief murderer, which evidence is corroborated by Choppard ami Courriel. There is yet a chance, despite this alibi, that Lesurques might suffer tho final penalty, as his timo has almost come. The final scene shows Dubosc, from his garret overlooking the scaffold, watching, half-drunk, the preparations for the execution. The victims ascend the scaffold, two heads fall, and Lesurques is about to suffer, when the reprieve arrives. At the same moment Dubosc's hist confederate. F'ouinard, discloses the lurking-place of the chief villain, whose garret is stormed, and he is dragged away to answer for his sins on the guillotine. Seldom otf the stage for more than u minuto or two, Air. Irving added to his laurels by an impersonation of two individualities. His acting in the scene where he is first suspected, then accused, was remarkably tine. The vehemence' and sincerity with which ho asked all to tell the truth, the tierce manner in which he repels his father's injunction tu commit suicide, and the pathetic farewell ho takes of his daughter were in striking contrast to the callous villainy and brutal selfishness of his opposite. The vein of horrible humour which lightens the grossness of Dubosc was an illuminating factor that induces in one a desire to see the actor in comedy. Miss Dorothea Baird did not exert all the sympathy which lay ill the role of Jeanette. She was rather inclined to be lncchnnii cal. and there were traces of hardness in \ her tones. Mr. Eric Alaxon mado Courriel a very pretty "exquisite" of the period, and acted with insouciance and polish. That sterling actor Mr. Arthur Whitby presented a grimly humorous character sketch as Choppard, and Mr. Tom Reynolds was excellent ns dirty little Fouinard. Air. Frank T.vars was impressive as Lesurques, senior, and Mr. Henry Vibart gavo a capablo performance as M. Dorval. Miss Irene Browne mado a charming Julie, and Mr. Hewlett did all that was required as her husband, Didier. Tho play was fairly well mounted. Preceding "The Lyons Mail," the cur-tain-raiser, "A Maid of Honour." was produced. It is a dramatic incident; of the- troublous times of Oliver Cromwell, and was well acted bv Miss Baird, Messrs. Frank T'ya.rs. Howlctt, Curtis, Gibbs, Fortius, and Roper. "The Lyons Mail"-will be played again this evening. To-morrow evening Mr. Irving will appeal in "Tho Bolls,"