ALLEN DOONE SEASON.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1377, 1 March 1912, Page 6

ALLEN DOONE SEASON.

"MOLLY DAWN." "Mollv Bawn," tho new comedy drnnUv presented bv the Allen Doono Company n< the Opera House last evening, is quite , cheerful entertainment of its class It, a dramatised version of "ihe Duchess, . novel bv Mary Baumgar ter, and, retain; ing -is ft does tho chef incidents. of tl ■ story, makes a capital piny, that. is ah ■ witll notion and pleasantly variable i ■character. The story concerns old Lou. Amherst and his moneybags. Hej »» rructv, shrewd, hard old man, who sec There is another grandchild, Ueanor JTo> «arecno (Molly Bawn), who for years Lor Amherst had refused to toe owing to h<. mother having miulo a mesa}">"<*• "- '• that bright foul, Ted Lut roll, who bold! proposes that-hi 3 Lordship should mv; Mollv to the house-party, when bo nfiniik(<"s that she was even then on he. w 7l lliirrt Hoyal. Molly arrive*, enslaves Ted with 11 glance of her In. blue eves, and the old man lir her ■ Amherst pride and independent. Jealous Marcia endeavours to breed nnllvd and .when she notices her fianco Plnll' • doing his best to ingratiate himself wi: the new favonritc gives him away, ~ Lord Amherst. That and the purloniu.. of tho will by Phillip (of which Lultw is unjustly accused) sees the gvivnason accounted for. Amherst informs Marcia thai Phillip has been cut out of tha wih, aim intimates that she will share n simila. fate. This so enraged her tb.it she gives tho. old man nil overstrong slcopirijr draught, and ho dies, just as Molly enter-, attired in her mother's dress (for a fancy dress ball that is in progress). Marc-;, promptly lays tho blame on Molly, bv,i Luttrell, who lias overheard Marcia confess her crime to Phillip, who saw it per-; formed, so, nt the reading of tho will Lγtroll forces Marcia to disclose all. fhwill gives Molly the old gentleman s fortnno and estates, and Luttrell wins tU Mollv of his heart.. Mr. Allen Doono has not r great deal to do as IVd Lutlrel; but ho does it in a quietly effective wi; with more than a twinkle of comedy ••■• lumihating the dark ways of the pla.i In tho hall sceno an cffoctiv tableau is presented with excellK effect. Attired as Robert Kminctt, 11'. Irish revolutionist, he cuts a bold anj 4 hiiiKlfome figure as ho stands in the flocK reciting the memorable peroration to Uis <neech nftev beini: condemned to su»3i the cxtivmc penalty for the attack made on Dublin Castlp in 1803. In hapj • relief. Mr. Doono sums 'A lo a!,t . , Tlrin," "Molly ]Jawn," and Molly t Kves are Irish." As Lord Amherst, Mr C. If. Stanford presented a well-considerc. study of a querulous, suspicions, outspoken old man. There is a good leaven o>. comedy, too, in the part, which was a trifle over-emphasised on occasions. .Miss Edna Koeley did the host work she dom> durim: the «««"» as J ' ollv, ncl " , with dclii-acv and charm. Anolher rh: ftdiT which stood out was thai of Mart" ni.Tlv drawn by .Mi- Ida (ireslinm. SI.. w;w 'partieularly cllVrtive as the nerv «haiterod roinorsc-stricken creature ill V final act. Other characters were hum or well played by Mr. Honald Kile; 0 IM»evrorth, Frank Cnllinane, and M'Mabol Mussel). Tho sonson will close th ovi-niiisr. when "Molly Bawn' will I. again preseuledi