THE MARLOW COMPANY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1444, 20 May 1912, Page 3

THE MARLOW COMPANY.

"EAST LYXXE." "East Lynne," a drama from the novel of Mrs. Henry Wood. C'astArchibald Carlisle Mr. Cecil Mannerinc Sir Francis Levison Mr. Herbert Linden Lord JLoimtjevom Mr. Gcdfrey Cass Richard Hare Mr. Stewart Earner Ijil] Mr. Croslito Ward Sersreaiit Bullock ®* sc ' l Miss Cornelia Carlisle...Miss Alice Deorwj'Ti ,j oyce Miss S'attie Gourla.v Barbara Hare Miss flarrio Ireland Lady Isabel Miss Louise Hampton Madame Vino Miss Louise Hampton The natural and almost inevitable conclusion to a season of melodrama is "East Lvnne," long since due for interment, along with its contemporaries "Lady And ley's Secret" and "Griffith Gaunt," upon which the dust of at least a couple of decades rests undisturbed. Why the dramatised version cf Mrs. Henry Woods is gifted with immortality is difficult to conceive, unless one re-, gards it as the mother of nil those melodramas which rely on that curious element "heart interest." .It is certainly the case that "East Lynne" possesses that attribute, and it is brought into play through the foolish wife who leaves her husband with another man in a wild spasm of jealousy, and is sorry ever afterwards, particularly as she drives liir.i into the arms of the very woman of whom she lias been causelessly jealous. It is the unhappiness of this tear-stained person which makes a direct appeal to the tender sex, and they usually attend in numbers. The play itself shows obvious signs of wear— tlie'language is stilted and at times prosy, and the situations lose their capacity to convince as the seasons creep. Saturday evening's performance at the Opera House was patchy, good, even excellent in places, and extremely weak in others. While she hardly can be said to have the air of "a daughter of an earl," Miss Louise Hampton was delightfully natural and even appealing as Lady Isabel, and was quite the best Madame Vine seen here lor years. She did make an attempt' to dis;iuise herself and her simulation of broken French was quite good. Mr. Cecil Manncriug made a vert sincere, earnest, and attractive Archibald Carlisle, but. Mr. Herbert Linden was not within measurable distance of a realisation of Sir Francis Leviison, and his

"gagging" with the policeman after being sentenced to a life's imprisonment for murder was banal. Bad as Siir Francis was, he would one conceives hardly use such diction to express his feelings, no mutter v;hat they -were. Miss Alico Deorwyn rather overdid the asperity or Miss Cornev, but played the part with brisk aggressiveness, creating much laughter. Miss Harrie Ireland was excellent as Barbara Hare; Miss Pattie (iourlay was suited as Joyce, and Mr. Godfrcv Cass comported himself well as Lord Mountsevcrn.

With "East Lynne" the Marlon- Com pany bade good-bye to Wellington.