"SWEET COUNTY KERRY."

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1367, 19 February 1912, Page 3

"SWEET COUNTY KERRY."

THE ALLEN DOONE COMPANY.

"Sweet Comity Kerry," a comedv-drnmn in four nets. CastMr. O'Drivo *«« »ki? " cr^s Jack the Jockey c-oiiiiic Kyle

Allen Dojiio. tlii> Irish-American comedian, ramp to town on Saturday evenin" with "Sweet (.'-minlv Koitv." a I'i'-ht rom-oily-ilramn, which attracted n lar""p amlionce. "Sweet County Kerrv" lpivaks no now ground'in (he stvli> o'f play it f-iv-onrs. With its honest old farmer, his bca-.itiful daughter, in loyo with the '-ivwittcd village smith; the rascal I v squire, who holds tho mortgnge over the honest agriculturist's farm, and is v.illin" to exchange it for the fair colleen's "hand in marriage; the rnsrally process-server and informer, and the inevitable tile of British soldiers, ono has (ho Houcicault plan revealed, but very much watered down, and shorn of mticli of the beauty of Inngnnge and imagery that one finds in "The Colleen Dawn," "Arrah-na-I'oque," and "The Shaughraun." Still "Sweet County Kerry" is a pleasant and wholesome entertainment which imposes no task on th.n intellect, and only claims to amuse. That it did so no one who hoard the laughter and applause with which the play was greeted on Saturday evening could deny, and Mr. Doone and his company should have a successful season in Wellington. The play introduces Sir. Allen Dooae, a player with an iuir/.liating personality, who with his ciiiWt insinuating ways, soft- voice, and han isome presence quickly established himself as a favourite. His style is refined, easy, and natural, his Irish good "Amerieai>-'i.rish," he makes stage love prettily and sings catchy Irish lilts in a.light, sympathetic tenor'voice, with a falsetto top register, which is i.setl effectivdjr isomewhat after the style .-f Andrew Jlack). Mr. Dnone makes'a mistake in,dressing Dan O'Hara, the village blacksmith, too smartly—his: impersonation would be better if he realised how a Kerry village blacksmith would dress. Snrton'nlly, he was nothing less than an Irish baronet or at least - a moneypd snnire in the first net, and is quite dandified in tho hunting drcr". in the last act. A trace of the careless devil-may-caro should ruffle the

"spiek-and-spanness" of Dan's make-up, and would tally more with his bubbling spirits and humour. This is, however, a detail, easily rectified. The story- hangs on Dan's love for pretty Nora Dr-w, who has also caught the eye of Squire Hay, the meanest "inan in Kerry, a gentleman who has no love, for the handsome young blacksmith.. Such are his feelings that, when suspicion is abroad in Kerry, ho bribes a hireling to hide a few pike-heads in Dan's forge, in order to incriminate bim: Captain Sydney, the officer in charge, is informed that Dan is a traitor, his'forge is. searched, the\ pike-heads found, and Dan is arrested and thrown into prison, from which he escapes by a clever ruse. Subsequently Dan gains his entire freedom bv the confession of the man who hid the pikes in the forge. In the end tho man confesses, that it was Squire Hay who bribed him to do tho deed, and the latter is arrested, not, however, before Farmer Drew's .tnorlgage has been paid oft through Raymond Drew's horse beating the Squire's nominee. The play throughout -is cheerfully, aggressively Trish. There arc green ribbons, green coats, a jaunting-car, Irish pipes, a jig or two, all to testify that the scene is Kerry and nowhere else. Of the many attempts at Irish associated with the characters, that of Mr. Tom Buckley as-Major Gruff stood out •as nearest to the real tiling. Associated with the production is Mike, the donkey, Beauty, the pony, and Murmur, a raceliorse (said to be a winner of the Caulfield Cup). In Act 111 the characters assemble in Dan's forge, where Mr. Doone makes a horseshoe and shoes a horse on the stage with the facility of a practised tradesman. Miss Edna Eceley makes a bright and attractive Nora Drew, and Miss- Mabel Russell was loud, assertive, and bounceable as Aljce Doyle. Mr. C. I?. Stanford was quietly effective as Squire Hay, and Mr. Edgewortb made Raymond Drew a bold, straightforward young man. Mr. Tom Buckley was. particularly good os the outspoken Major Gruff; Mr. Frank Cnllenano was quite good as Farmer Drew, and Mr. Roland "W. Riley burlesqued the process-server O'Drive rather amusingly. The scenery was fairly typical of Ireland, the farm scene, with its dncks and pigeons, being particularly effective. During the performance Mr. Doone sang "A Toast to Erin," "Noreen," "T/Ove's Language," and "Believe Me if all those Endearing Young Charms." His Excellency and a party from Government House" will attend the performance this evening.